IP Library › Granted Patent US 12698717
Granted Patent B2
US 12698717 · App. 18/953,979 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Gas turbine engine rotor blade transition

Inventors: Griffin D. Lavine (South Glastonbury, CT); David R. Pack (Gold Canyon, AZ); Brandon W. Spangler (Vernon, CT); Jennifer H. Archambeau (Ludlow, MA)
Assignee: RTX Corporation
F01D5/186F01D5/189F05D2220/32F05D2240/30F05D2260/202
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12698717
App. No.
18/953,979
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A rotor blade for a gas turbine engine is provided that includes an airfoil, an attachment section, and a neck section. The airfoil includes a plurality of internal cooling air passages. The attachment section has a base surface. A forward center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment and neck sections. An aft center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment and neck sections. A W2W cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment and neck sections. The W2W cooling air passage is disposed between the forward and aft center cooling air passages. In a transition in a direction from a cross-sectional plane disposed in the attachment section to the airfoil root end, a side segment progressively extends outwardly from the W 2 W cooling air passage.

Claims (67)

1 . A rotor blade for a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a suction side;

a pressure side;

an airfoil that extends radially between a tip end and an airfoil root end, the airfoil including a plurality of internal cooling air passages;

an attachment section having a base surface; and

a neck section disposed between the attachment section and the airfoil;

wherein a forward center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages; and

wherein an aft center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages;

wherein a wall to wall (W2W) cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages, and the W2W cooling air passage is disposed between the forward center cooling air passage and the aft center cooling air passage;

wherein in a transition in a direction from a cross-sectional plane disposed in the attachment section to the airfoil root end, a side segment progressively extends outwardly from the W2W cooling air passage;

wherein in a first cross-sectional plane that extends through the neck section and is perpendicular to the W2W cooling air passage, the side segment has a first length L 1 and a first area A 1 , and in a second cross-sectional plane that extends through the neck section and is perpendicular to the W2W cooling air passage, the side segment has a second length L 2 and a second area A 2 ;

wherein the first cross-sectional plane is spaced apart from the airfoil root end a first distance D 1 , and the second cross-sectional plane is spaced apart from the airfoil root end a second distance D 2 , and the first distance D 1 is greater than the second distance D 2 ; and

wherein the second length L 2 is greater than the first length L 1 .

2 . The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the second area A 2 is greater than the first area A 1 .

3 . The rotor blade of claim 2 , wherein in a third cross-sectional plane that extends through the neck section and is perpendicular to the W2W cooling air passage, the side segment has a third length L 3 and a third area A 3 ; and

wherein the third cross-sectional plane is spaced apart from the airfoil root end a third distance D 3 , and the third distance D 3 is less than the second distance D 2 ; and

wherein the third area A 3 is greater than the second area A 2 .

4 . The rotor blade of claim 3 , wherein at the third cross-sectional plane, a portion of the side segment is disposed outside of the forward center cooling air passage.

5 . The rotor blade of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the side segment is disposed between the forward center cooling air passage and a suction side surface of the neck section.

6 . The rotor blade of claim 3 , wherein at the third cross-sectional plane, a portion of the side segment is disposed outside of the aft center cooling air passage.

7 . The rotor blade of claim 6 , wherein the portion of the side segment is disposed between the aft center cooling air passage and a pressure side surface of the neck section.

8 . The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the forward center cooling air passage is separated from the W2W cooling air passage by a first separation distance at the base surface; and

wherein the W2W cooling air passage includes a central segment at the airfoil root end, and at the airfoil root end the forward center cooling air passage is separated from the central segment by a second separation distance; and

wherein the first separation distance deviates from the second separation distance by fifteen percent or less.

9 . The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the aft center cooling air passage is separated from the W2W cooling air passage by a first separation distance at the base surface; and

wherein the W2W cooling air passage includes a central segment at the airfoil root end, and at the airfoil root end the aft center cooling air passage is separated from the central segment by a second separation distance; and

wherein the first separation distance deviates from the second separation distance by fifteen percent or less.

10 . The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the W2W cooling air passage has a first total cross-sectional area at the base surface; and

wherein the W2W cooling air passage has a second total cross-sectional area at the airfoil root end; and

wherein the first total cross-sectional area deviates from the second total cross-sectional area by fifteen percent or less.

11 . The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the forward center cooling air passage has a first total cross-sectional area at the base surface; and

wherein the forward center cooling air passage has a second total cross-sectional area at the airfoil root end; and

wherein the first total cross-sectional area deviates from the second total cross-sectional area by fifteen percent or less.

12 . The rotor blade of claim 1 , wherein the aft center cooling air passage has a first total cross-sectional area at the base surface; and

wherein the aft center cooling air passage has a second total cross-sectional area at the airfoil root end; and

wherein the first total cross-sectional area deviates from the second total cross-sectional area by fifteen percent or less.

13 . A rotor blade for a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a suction side;

a pressure side;

an airfoil that extends radially between a tip end and an airfoil root end, the airfoil including a plurality of internal cooling air passages;

an attachment section having a base surface; and

a neck section disposed between the attachment section and the airfoil;

wherein a forward center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages; and

wherein an aft center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages; and

wherein a wall to wall (W2W) cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages, and the W2W cooling air passage is disposed between the forward center cooling air passage and the aft center cooling air passage; and

wherein in a transition in a direction from a cross-sectional plane disposed in the attachment section to the airfoil root end, a suction side segment progressively extends outwardly from the W2W cooling air passage and a pressure side segment progressively extends outwardly from the W2W cooling air passage;

wherein in a first cross-sectional plane that extends through the neck section and is perpendicular to the W2W cooling air passage, the suction side segment (SSS) has a first SSS length SSL 1 and a first SSS area SSA 1 , and in a second cross-sectional plane that extends through the neck section and is perpendicular to the W2W cooling air passage, the suction side segment has a second SSS length SSL 2 and a second SSS area SSA 2 ;

wherein in the first cross-sectional plane, the pressure side segment (PSS) has a first PSS length PSL 1 and a first PSS area PSA 1 , and in the second cross-sectional plane, the pressure side segment has a second PSS length PSL 2 and a second PSS area PSA 2 ;

wherein the first cross-sectional plane is spaced apart from the airfoil root end a first distance D 1 , and the second cross-sectional plane is spaced apart from the airfoil root end a second distance D 2 , and the first distance D 1 is greater than the second distance D 2 ; and

wherein the second SSS length SSL 2 is greater than the first SSS length SSL 1 , and the second PSS length PSL 2 is greater than the first PSS length PSL 1 .

14 . The rotor blade of claim 13 , wherein the suction side segment and the pressure side segment are disposed diagonally across from one another.

15 . The rotor blade of claim 14 , wherein

the second SSS area SSA 2 is greater than the first SSS area SSA 1 ; and

the second PSS area PSA 2 is greater than the first PSS area PSA 1 .

16 . The rotor blade of claim 13 , wherein at the second cross-sectional plane, a portion of the suction side segment is disposed outside of the forward center cooling air passage on the suction side, and a portion of the pressure side segment is disposed outside of the aft center cooling air passage on the pressure side.

17 . The rotor blade of claim 13 , wherein the suction side segment includes a forward suction side segment and an aft suction side segment, and the pressure side segment includes a forward pressure side segment and an aft pressure side segment.

18 . A rotor blade for a gas turbine engine, comprising:

a suction side;

a pressure side;

an airfoil that extends radially between a tip end and an airfoil root end, the airfoil including a plurality of internal cooling air passages;

an attachment section having a base surface; and

a neck section disposed between the attachment section and the airfoil;

wherein a forward center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages; and

wherein an aft center cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages;

wherein a wall to wall (W2W) cooling air passage is open at the base surface and extends through the attachment section and the neck section and is in fluid communication with the plurality of internal cooling air passages, and the W2W cooling air passage is disposed between the forward center cooling air passage and the aft center cooling air passage;

wherein in a transition in a direction from a cross-sectional plane disposed in the attachment section to the airfoil root end, a suction side segment progressively extends outwardly from the W2W cooling air passage and a pressure side segment progressively extends outwardly from the W2W cooling air passage; and

wherein the suction side segment includes a forward suction side segment and an aft suction side segment, and the pressure side segment includes a forward pressure side segment and an aft pressure side segment.