# US 7,744,347 B2 · Peripheral microcircuit serpentine cooling for turbine airfoils

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- Number: US 7,744,347 B2
- Document ID: US7744347B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/269,030
- Filed: 2005-11-08
- Published: 2007-05-10
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-11-08
- Assignees: United Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Frank Cunha; William Abdel-Messeh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744347B2

## CPC

- F01D 5/187: {Convection cooling}
- B22C 9/04: Use of lost patterns
- B22C 9/103: {Multipart cores}
- F01D 5/14: Form or construction (selecting particular materials, measures against erosion or corrosion F01D5/28)
- F05D 2230/211: by precision casting, e.g. microfusing or investment casting
- F05D 2250/185: serpentine-like
- F28F 3/022: {the means being wires or pins}
- F28F 3/12: Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels {(F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence)}
- F28F 13/06: by affecting the pattern of flow of the heat-exchange media {(F28F13/003 takes precedence; static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026)}
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- Y10T 29/49343: Passage contains tubular insert
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- B22C: FOUNDRY MOULDING (moulding refractory materials in general B28B)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A turbine component has an airfoil portion with at least one central core element, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall. The airfoil portion also has a serpentine cooling passageway in at least one of the walls. In a preferred embodiment, the airfoil portion has a serpentine cooling passageway in both of the pressure and suction side walls. A refractory metal core for forming the serpentine cooling passageway(s) is also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A turbine engine component comprising:
an airfoil portion having a tip, a root portion, at least one central core element, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall;
said airfoil portion having an airfoil gauge external point;
a first serpentine cooling passageway embedded within a first one of said pressure side wall and said suction side wall;
a second serpentine cooling passageway embedded within a second one of said pressure side wall and said suction side wall;
said at least one central core element communicating with a source of cooling fluid;
said at least one central core element being located between an interior wall of said pressure side wall and an interior wall of said suction side wall;
said first serpentine cooling passageway having an inlet leg with at least one inlet for receiving said cooling fluid from said at least one central core element and supplying said cooling fluid to said inlet leg;
said inlet leg having a direction of flow solely towards said tip of the airfoil portion and each said inlet being oriented at an angle with respect to said direction of flow;
said first serpentine cooling passageway further having an outlet leg and said outlet leg having at least one cooling film hole for allowing said cooling fluid to flow over a first external surface of said first one of said pressure side wall and said suction side wall, said at least one cooling film hole being located ahead of said airfoil gauge external point in a region extending from said leading edge to said airfoil gauge external point; and
said airfoil portion having a leading edge and a cooling circuit in said leading edge and said leading edge cooling microcircuit being supplied with a flow of cooling fluid from a supply cavity different from said at least one central core element supplying said cooling fluid to said at least one inlet of said first serpentine cooling passageway and a core element supplying cooling fluid to said second serpentine cooling passageway.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, further comprising at least one internal feature in said inlet leg, and said at least one internal feature being located between said inlet and an end portion of said inlet leg.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The turbine engine component according to claim 2, wherein said at least one internal feature comprises at least one rounded pedestal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, wherein said outlet leg has a plurality of cooling film holes and all of said cooling film holes are located ahead of said airfoil gauge external point.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, wherein said first serpentine cooling passageway has an intermediate leg.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, further comprising:
said second serpentine cooling passageway having an inlet leg with at least one inlet for receiving said cooling fluid from said at least one central core element and supplying said cooling fluid to said inlet leg of said second serpentine cooling passageway;
said inlet leg of said second serpentine cooling passageway having a direction of flow and each said inlet being oriented at an angle with respect to said direction of flow;
said second serpentine cooling passageway further having an outlet leg and said outlet leg having at least one cooling film hole for allowing said cooling fluid to flow over a second external surface of said first one of said pressure side wall and said suction side wall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The turbine engine component according to claim 6, wherein said airfoil portion has a plurality of independent central core elements and said first serpentine cooling passageway is fed cooling fluid from a first one of said central core elements and said second serpentine cooling passageway is fed cooling fluid from a second one of said central core elements so that said first serpentine cooling passageway is independent of said second serpentine cooling passageway.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The turbine engine component according to claim 7, wherein said cooling fluid in said first and second serpentine cooling passageways flows in different directions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, further comprising said airfoil portion having a trailing edge and a trailing edge cooling microcircuit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, wherein each said inlet is oriented substantially normal to said direction of flow.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, wherein said first serpentine cooling passageway is located within said pressure side wall and said second serpentine cooling passageway is located within said suction side wall.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, wherein said first serpentine cooling passageway is located within said suction side wall and said second serpentine cooling passageway is located within said pressure side wall.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, wherein said first serpentine cooling passageway has an intermediate leg in which said cooling fluid flows towards said root portion of said airfoil portion, a connecting section connecting said inlet leg to said intermediate leg, and said cooling fluid being turned in said connecting section from said flow towards said tip to said flow towards said root portion.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine component according to claim 1, wherein said first serpentine cooling passageway has an intermediate leg and wherein each of said inlet leg, said intermediate leg and said outlet leg is a straight line passageway.