Airfoil cooling circuits and method
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsSteven Robert Brassfield, Ching-Pang Lee, Roger Lee Doughty, Richard William Jendrix, Cory Michael Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An airfoil is disclosed having at least first and second cast, axially-stacked internal airflow cooling circuits. Each circuit defines multiple air flow passages positioned laterally between a pressure sidewall side and a suction sidewall side of respective ones of the circuits. Each of the circuits is formed by a separate casting core. Methods of forming a axially-stacked core and an airfoil are also disclosed.
Claims18
An airfoil, comprising at least first and second cast, axially-stacked circuits, each circuit including multiple serpentine air flow passages positioned laterally between a pressure sidewall side and a suction sidewall side of respective ones of the circuits, wherein the serpentine circuits are positioned in a mid chord region of the airfoil and the respective serpentine air flow passages are defined by at least first and second 180 degree turns therein, and further wherein the serpentine airflow passages extend radially-outwardly adjacent the suction sidewall side of a root of the airfoil, the first 180 degree turn is positioned at a tip of the airfoil, the serpentine air flow passages extend radially-inwardly to a center passage of the airfoil, the second 180 degree turn is positioned at the root of the airfoil, and the serpentine air flow passages extend radially-outwardly adjacent the pressure sidewall side of the airfoil.
A method of forming a cooling core for an airfoil, comprising the steps of;
- (a) forming at least first and second circuit cores, each circuit core adapted to define multiple air flow passages positioned between a pressure sidewall side and a suction sidewall side of respective ones of the circuit cores;
- (b) axially-stacking the circuit cores;
- and
- (c) positioning the axially-stacked circuit cores between a leading edge core and a trailing edge core to define a complete cooling core.
A method of forming an airfoil, comprising:
- (a) positioning first and second double-side lateral impingement circuit cores in a mid chord region of the airfoil and defining a central passage adapted for cooling air flow therethrough, and into impingement with suction side and pressure side air flow passages;
- (b) defining an air flow passage in the first and second circuit cores to an exit for air flow through film cooling holes and tip holes in the airfoil;
- and
- (c) positioning the first and second circuit cores between a leading edge core and a trailing edge core to define a cooling core.
A method of forming an airfoil, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming at least first and second axially-stacked circuit cores, each circuit core including multiple airflow passages positioned laterally between a pressure sidewall side and a suction sidewall side of respective ones of the circuit cores, each of the circuit cores formed by a separate core and fabricated from a ceramic material;
- (b) enveloping the stacked cores in a wax form shaped to a predetermined configuration of the airfoil;
- (c) repeatedly dipping the wax form into a liquid ceramic solution to incrementally form a ceramic shell of a required thickness on the surface of the stacked core;
- (d) melting the wax out of the ceramic shell to form a mold comprising the stacked ceramic core, the external ceramic shell and a void previously filled with the wax;
- (e) filling the void with molten metal;
- (f) after solidification and cooling of the metal, removing the shell to expose the metal airfoil in the shape of the void;
- and
- (g) removing the internal ceramic core to define the internal cooling circuit of the airfoil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.