Cooling system with internal flow guide within a turbine blade of a turbine engine

1. A turbine blade, comprising:

a generally elongated blade having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip at a first end, a root coupled to the blade at an end generally opposite the first end for supporting the blade and for coupling the blade to a disc, and at least one serpentine cooling channel forming a cooling system in the blade;

wherein the at least one serpentine cooling channel extends from the leading edge to the trail edge and receives cooling fluids from the root proximate to the leading edge and passes the cooling fluids toward the tailing edge;

at least one flow guide positioned in the serpentine cooling channel and extending from a first turn of the serpentine channel to a second turn of the serpentine channel, wherein the flow guide includes a first turn section in the first turn of the serpentine cooling channel, a second turn section in the second turn of the serpentine cooling channel, and a flow guide body extending from the first turn section to the second turn section;

wherein the first turn section is positioned proximate to the leading edge and the tip of the generally elongated blade separating a leading edge exit flow of cooling fluids into two channels and extends generally parallel to the tip of generally elongated blade for impinging cooling fluids onto an inner surface of the tip and minimizing cooling fluid separation.

2. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the at least one serpentine cooling channel extends from proximate the root of the blade to a position proximate to the tip.

3. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the first turn section of the flow guide includes a radius portion that couples the first turn section to the flow guide body.

4. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the first turn section of the flow guide has a leading end that is positioned in the first turn closer to the leading edge of the blade than a first rib forming the serpentine cooling channel.

5. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the second turn section of the flow guide is formed in the shape of a quarter-circle.

6. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow guide extends from a first inner surface forming the serpentine cooling channel to a second inner surface forming the serpentine cooling channel that is generally opposite to the first inner surface.

7. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the second turn section comprises a trailing end of the flow guide that extends into the second turn such that the trailing end of the flow guide is closer to the trailing edge of the blade than a second rib forming the serpentine cooling channel.

8. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the flow guide is positioned generally equidistant between the first and second ribs forming the serpentine cooling channel.

9. The turbine blade of claim 1 , wherein the serpentine cooling channel is triple pass serpentine cooling system.

10. The turbine blade of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of protrusions protruding from a surface forming the at least one serpentine cooling channel and comprising a contaminant release orifice in the blade tip.

11. A turbine blade, comprising:

a generally elongated blade having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip at a first end, a root coupled to the blade at an end generally opposite the first end for supporting the blade and for coupling the blade to a disc, and at least one serpentine cooling channel forming a cooling system in the blade and extending from proximate the root of the blade to a position proximate to the tip;

wherein the at least one serpentine cooling channel extends from the leading edge to the trail edge and receives cooling fluids from the root proximate to the leading edge and passes the cooling fluids toward the trailing edge;

at least one flow guide positioned in the serpentine cooling channel and extending from a first turn of the serpentine channel to a second turn of the serpentine channel, wherein the flow guide includes a first turn section in the first turn of the serpentine cooling channel, a second turn section in the second turn of the serpentine cooling channel, and a flow guide body extending from the first turn section to the second turn section;

wherein the first turn section of the flow guide has a leading end that is positioned in the first turn closer to the leading edge of the blade than a first rib forming the serpentine cooling channel;

wherein the first turn section is positioned proximate to the leadins edge and the tip of the generally elongated blade separating a leading edge exit flow of cooling fluids into two channels, extends generally parallel to the tip of generally elongated blade for impinging cooling fluids onto an inner surface of the tip and minimizing cooling fluid separation and includes a radius portion that couples the first turn section to the flow guide body; and

wherein the second turn section comprises a trailing end of the flow guide that extends into the second turn such that the trailing end of the flow guide is closer to the trailing edge of the blade than a second rib forming the serpentine cooling channel.

12. The turbine blade of claim 11 , wherein the second turn section of the flow guide is formed in the shape of a quarter-circle.

13. The turbine blade of claim 11 , wherein the at least one flow guide extends from a first inner surface forming the serpentine cooling channel to a second inner surface forming the serpentine cooling channel that is generally opposite to the first inner surface.

14. The turbine blade of claim 11 , wherein the flow guide is positioned generally equidistant between the first and second ribs forming the serpentine cooling channel.

15. The turbine blade of claim 11 , wherein the serpentine cooling channel is triple pass serpentine cooling system.

16. The turbine blade of claim 11 , further comprising at least one first protrusion protruding from a surface forming the at least one serpentine cooling channel and comprising a contaminant release orifice in the blade tip.

17. A turbine blade, comprising:

a generally elongated blade having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a tip at a first end, a root coupled to the blade at an end generally opposite the first end for supporting the blade and for coupling the blade to a disc, and at least one triple pass serpentine cooling channel forming a cooling system in the blade and extending from proximate the root of the blade to a position proximate to the tip;

at least one flow guide positioned in the serpentine cooling channel and extending from a first turn of the serpentine channel to a second turn of the serpentine channel, wherein the flow guide includes a first turn section in the first turn of the serpentine cooling channel, a second turn section in the second turn of the serpentine cooling channel, and a flow guide body extending from the first turn section to the second turn section;

at least one first protrusion protruding from a surface forming the at least one cooling channel;

a contaminant release orifice in the blade tip;

wherein the first turn section of the flow guide extends generally parallel to the tip of the blade, includes a radius portion that couples the first turn section to the flow guide body, and has a leading end that is positioned in the first turn closer to the leading edge of the blade than a first rib forming the serpentine cooling channel; and

wherein the second turn section is formed in the shape of a quarter-circle and comprises a trailing end of the flow guide that extends into the second turn such that the trailing end of the flow guide is closer to the trailing edge of the blade than a second rib forming the serpentine cooling channel.

18. The turbine blade of claim 17 , wherein the at least one flow guide extends from a first inner surface forming the serpentine cooling channel to a second inner surface forming the serpentine cooling channel that is generally opposite to the first inner surface.

19. The turbine blade of claim 17 , wherein the flow guide is positioned generally equidistant between the first and second ribs forming the serpentine cooling channel.