IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,841,828
Granted Patent B2
US 7,841,828 · App. 11/543,648 · Granted Nov 30, 2010

Turbine airfoil with submerged endwall cooling channel

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,841,828
App. No.
11/543,648
Granted
Nov 30, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A turbine airfoil usable in a turbine engine and having at least one cooling system. At least a portion of the cooling system may be positioned in an endwall attached to the turbine airfoil. The endwall may include a submerged endwall cooling channel at the intersection between the generally elongated airfoil and the first endwall. The second endwall attached to the endwall on an end generally opposite to the first endwall may have a submerged endwall cooling channel as well. The submerged endwall cooling channels may include film cooling orifices to form vortices of cooling fluids to enhance cooling capacity of the cooling system of the turbine airfoil.

Claims (39)

1. A turbine airfoil, comprising:

a generally elongated hollow airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, a first endwall at a first end, a second endwall at a second end opposite the first end;

at least one submerged endwall cooling channel positioned in the first endwall proximate to an intersection between the generally elongated airfoil and the first endwall such that the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel extends around the leading edge, along the pressure side, around the trailing edge, and along the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil;

wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel has an outer surface positioned inward of an outer surface of the first endwall;

wherein the outer surface of the first endwall defines a portion of the at least one submerged endwall; and

a plurality of film cooling orifices in the outer wall extending from an internal cooling system to the outer surface of the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel;

wherein at least one of the film cooling orifices is positioned at a bottommost portion of the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel.

2. The turbine airfoil of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the film cooling orifices is positioned at an acute angle relative to the outer surface of the first endwall such that cooling fluids are exhausted in a downstream direction.

3. The turbine airfoil of claim 1 , wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel has a generally semicircular cross-section.

4. The turbine airfoil of claim 1 , further comprising a combined submerged exhaust channel positioned in the outer wall of the first endwall and extending between the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel at the trailing edge of the generally elongated airfoil and a downstream edge of the first endwall.

5. The turbine airfoil of claim 1 , further comprising at least one submerged endwall cooling channel positioned in the second endwall proximate to an intersection between the generally elongated airfoil and the second endwall such that the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel extends around the leading edge, along the pressure side, around the trailing edge, and along the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil; and

wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel has an outer surface positioned inward of an outer surface of the second endwall.

6. The turbine airfoil of claim 5 , further comprising at least one film cooling orifice in the outer wall of the second endwall extending from an internal cooling system to the outer surface of the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel.

7. The turbine airfoil of claim 6 , wherein the at least one film cooling orifice in the outer wall of the second endwall comprises a plurality of film cooling orifices in the outer wall and positioned in the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel.

8. The turbine airfoil of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the film cooling orifices is positioned at an acute angle relative to the outer surface of the second endwall such that cooling fluids are exhausted in a downstream direction.

9. The turbine airfoil of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the film cooling orifices is positioned at a bottommost portion of the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel in the second endwall.

10. The turbine airfoil of claim 5 , wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel in the second endwall has a generally semicircular cross-section.

11. The turbine airfoil of claim 5 , further comprising a combined submerged exhaust channel positioned in the outer wall of the second endwall and extending between the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel at the trailing edge of the generally elongated airfoil and a downstream edge of the second endwall.

12. A turbine airfoil, comprising:

a generally elongated hollow airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, a first endwall at a first end, a second endwall at a second end opposite the first end;

at least one submerged endwall cooling channel positioned in the first endwall proximate to an intersection between the generally elongated airfoil and the first endwall such that the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel extends around the leading edge, along the pressure side, around the trailing edge, and along the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil;

wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel in the first endwall has an outer surface positioned inward of an outer surface of the first endwall;

at least one submerged endwall cooling channel positioned in the second endwall proximate to an intersection between the generally elongated airfoil and the second endwall such that the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel extends around the leading edge, along the pressure side, around the trailing edge, and along the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil;

wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel in the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel has an outer surface positioned inward of an outer surface of the second endwall;

wherein the outer surface of the first endwall defines a portion of the at least one submerged endwall;

at least one film cooling orifice in the outer wall extending from an internal cooling system to the outer surface of the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel in the first endwall; and

at least one film cooling orifice in the outer wall of the second endwall extending from an internal cooling system to the outer surface of the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel.

13. The turbine airfoil of claim 12 , wherein the at least one film cooling orifice in the outer wall comprises a plurality of film cooling orifices in the outer wall and positioned in the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel and the at least one film cooling orifice in the outer wall of the second endwall comprises a plurality of film cooling orifices in the outer wall and positioned in the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel.

14. The turbine airfoil of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the film cooling orifices in the first endwall is positioned at an acute angle relative to the outer surface of the first endwall such that cooling fluids are exhausted in a downstream direction and wherein at least one of the film cooling orifices in the second endwall is positioned at an acute angle relative to the outer surface of the second endwall such that cooling fluids are exhausted in a downstream direction.

15. The turbine airfoil of claim 12 , wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel in the first endwall has a generally semicircular cross-section and the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel in the second endwall has a generally semicircular cross-section.

16. The turbine airfoil of claim 12 , further comprising a combined submerged exhaust channel positioned in the outer wall of the first endwall and extending between the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel at the trailing edge of the generally elongated airfoil and a downstream edge of the first endwall.

17. The turbine airfoil of claim 16 , further comprising a combined submerged exhaust channel positioned in the outer wall of the second endwall and extending between the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel at the trailing edge of the generally elongated airfoil and a downstream edge of the second endwall.

18. A turbine airfoil, comprising:

a generally elongated hollow airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, a first endwall at a first end, a second endwall at a second end opposite the first end;

at least one submerged endwall cooling channel positioned in the first endwall proximate to an intersection between the generally elongated airfoil and the first endwall such that the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel extends around the leading edge, along the pressure side, around the trailing edge, and along the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil;

wherein the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel has an outer surface positioned inward of an outer surface of the first endwall;

wherein the outer surface of the first endwall defines a portion of the at least one submerged endwall; and

a plurality of film cooling orifices in the outer wall extending from an internal cooling system to the outer surface of the at least one submerged endwall cooling channel;

wherein at least one of the film cooling orifices is positioned at an acute angle relative to the outer surface of the first endwall such that cooling fluids are exhausted in a downstream direction.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 31, 2009
From: SIEMENS POWER GENERATION, INC.
To: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 022488/0630 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2006
From: LIANG, GEORGE
To: SIEMENS POWER GENERATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 018393/0993 →