IP Library Granted Patent US 11,396,817
Granted Patent B2
US 11,396,817 · App. 16/957,244 · Granted Jul 26, 2022

Gas turbine blade and method for producing such blade

Inventors: Daniel M. Eshak (Orlando, FL); Susanne Kamenzky (Berlin, DE); Andrew Lohaus (Berlin, DE); Daniel Vöhringer (Berlin, DE); Samuel R. Miller, Jr. (Port St. Lucie, FL)
Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
F01D5/18F01D5/147F05D2230/21F05D2240/301F05D2240/304F05D2260/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,396,817
App. No.
16/957,244
Granted
Jul 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gas turbine blade having a casted metal airfoil, the airfoil has a main wall defining at least one interior cavity, having a first side wall and a second side wall, which are coupled to each other at a leading edge and a trailing edge, extending in a radial direction from a blade root to a blade tip and defining a radial span from 0% at the blade root to 100% at the blade tip. The main airfoil has a radial span dependent chord length defined by a straight line connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge as well as a radial span dependent solidity ratio of metal area to total cross-sectional area. Solidity ratios in a machined zone of the airfoil from 80% to 85% of span are below 35%, in particular all solidity ratios in the zone.

Claims (40)

1. A gas turbine blade, comprising:

a casted metal airfoil, said airfoil comprising a main wall defining at least one interior cavity and having a first side wall and a second side wall, which are coupled to each other at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the first and second side walls extend in a radial direction from a blade root to a blade tip and define a radial span from 0% at the blade root to 100% at the blade tip,

wherein said airfoil has a radial span dependent chord length defined by a straight line connecting the leading edge and the trailing edge as well as a radial span dependent solidity ratio of metal area to total cross-sectional area,

wherein the solidity ratio in a machined zone of the airfoil from 75% to 90% of span is below 35%.

2. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the solidity ratio at 80% to 85% of span is below 35%.

3. The gas turbine blade according to claim 2 ,

wherein the airfoil comprises a plurality of solidity ratios in the machined zone, and wherein the plurality of solidity ratios in the machined zone are below 35%.

4. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein a wall thickness of the main wall extending from an external surface of the main wall to the at least one interior cavity is constant in a zone from 85% to 100% of span.

5. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein a wall thickness of the main wall extending from an external surface of the main wall to the at least one interior cavity increases by a rate of 1% or greater from 60% to 0% of span.

6. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein a wall thickness of the main wall at the blade tip extending from an external surface of the main wall to the at least one interior cavity is within a range from 1 to 2 mm.

7. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the chord length in a zone from 50% to 70% of span is shorter than the chord length at 100% of span.

8. The gas turbine blade according to claim 7 ,

wherein the airfoil comprises a plurality of chord lengths in the zone, and wherein the plurality of chord lengths in the zone are shorter than the chord length at 100% of span.

9. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein a trailing edge thickness is thinnest in a zone from 60% to 80% of span.

10. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein a trailing edge thickness at 100% of span is within a range from 2.5 to 4.0 mm.

11. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the machined zone extends along an entire circumference of the airfoil at a given radial height.

12. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein an external surface of the airfoil is an as-cast region over a partial span starting from the blade root.

13. The gas turbine blade according to claim 12 ,

wherein the partial span is at least in a region from 0% to 5% of span.

14. A method for producing the gas turbine blade according to claim 1 , comprising:

obtaining the casted airfoil by casting and machining an external surface of said casted airfoil exclusively within a zone from 16% to 100% of span in order to reduce a wall thickness of the main wall and/or a trailing edge thickness in said zone.

15. The method according to claim 14 ,

wherein the machining is done by milling, grinding, EDM or ECM.

16. A gas turbine, comprising:

a last turbine stage comprising the gas turbine blade of claim 1 .

17. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the airfoil comprises a plurality of solidity ratios in the machined zone, and wherein the plurality of solidity ratios in the machined zone are below 35%.

18. The gas turbine blade according to claim 1 ,

wherein the chord length in a zone from 50% to 90% of span is shorter than the chord length at 100% of span.

19. The gas turbine blade according to claim 18 ,

wherein the airfoil comprises a plurality of chord lengths in the zone, and wherein the plurality of chord lengths in the zone are shorter than the chord length at 100% of span.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2021
From: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 055615/0389 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2021
From: VÖHRINGER, DANIEL; KAMENZKY, SUSANNE; LOHAUS, ANDREW
To: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 055223/0192 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2021
From: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
To: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 055223/0374 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2021
From: ESHAK, DANIEL M.; MILLER, SAMUEL R., JR.
To: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 055209/0123 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,398,672 US 12,509,988