Turbine blade including revised trailing edge cooling

An airfoil comprising:

• a body extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge wherein the body has a first surface and a second surface extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge;
• a cooling circuit formed in the body for the trailing edge including:
• an inlet passage;
• a feed passage, wherein the inlet passage and the feed passage are in fluid communication with one another;
• at least one partition including a plurality of openings disposed along a length of the at least one partition, wherein a width associated with each of the plurality of openings is common to each of the plurality of openings;
• and
• a plurality of pockets are disposed along a length of the trailing edge and air exits the pockets from the feed passage, wherein a depth associated with an opening of each of the pockets is a first depth near a bottom edge of the airfoil and a second depth, shallower than the first depth, near an top edge of the airfoil, and wherein a distance between the first surface and the second surface is a first distance within each of the plurality of pockets and a second distance, smaller than the first distance, within the feed passage.

An airfoil comprising:

• a body extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge;
• a cooling circuit formed in the body for the trailing edge including:
• an inlet passage;
• a feed passage, wherein the inlet passage and the feed passage are in fluid communication with one another;
• a first barrier including a first plurality of openings disposed along a length of the first barrier and in fluid communication with the feed passage;
• a second barrier including a second plurality of openings disposed along a length of the second barrier and in fluid communication with the first plurality of openings;
• and
• an arcuate transition from the inlet passage to the feed passage wherein the arcuate transition provides an arcuate surface that extends from a first linear surface at an end of the inlet passage and curves past the first and second barriers and transitions into a second linear surface that extends to the trailing edge.

A method of cooling an airfoil comprising the steps of:

• (a) orienting trips strips at an angle within an inlet passage to improve convective cooling;
• (b) providing an arcuate transition for a coolant fluid to flow from the inlet passage to a feed passage wherein the arcuate transition provides an arcuate surface that extends from a first linear surface at an end of the inlet passage and curves past first and second transitions and transitions into a second linear surface that extends to a trauma edge;
• (c) providing the first partition with first cross-over holes between the inlet passage and the feed passage;
• (d) directing the coolant fluid from the inlet passage to the first cross-over holes using the angular trips strips;
• (e) directing the coolant fluid from the first cross-over holes toward the second partition that includes second cross-over holes;
• and
• (f) directing the coolant fluid through the second cross-over holes within the second partition to a plurality of protrusions at a trailing edge of the airfoil.