Cooled snubber structure for turbine blades

1. A turbine blade assembly in a turbine engine comprising:

a turbine blade having a pressure sidewall and an opposed suction sidewall, said turbine blade including an internal cooling passage containing cooling air;

a first snubber structure extending outwardly from one of said pressure sidewall and said suction sidewall, said first snubber structure including a hollow interior portion that receives cooling air from said internal cooling passage of said turbine blade; and

a passageway extending through said turbine blade from said internal cooling passage to said first snubber structure hollow interior portion, said passageway providing cooling air from said turbine blade internal cooling passage to said first snubber structure hollow interior portion, wherein said passageway is formed through said turbine blade at an angle with respect to an axis defined by said first snubber structure.

2. The turbine blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first snubber structure comprises at least one exit aperture formed therein, said exit aperture providing an outlet for the cooling air in said hollow interior portion.

3. The turbine blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first snubber structure extends from said turbine blade at an angle toward a central axis of the turbine engine.

4. The turbine blade assembly of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of said first snubber structure decreases as said first snubber structure extends away from said turbine blade.

5. The turbine blade assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second snubber structure extending outwardly from the other of said pressure sidewall and said suction sidewall, said second snubber structure including a hollow interior portion that receives cooling air from said cooling passage of said turbine blade.

6. The turbine blade assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a damming structure in said turbine blade near an intersection between said internal cooling passage and said passageway, said damming structure effecting a reduction in a velocity of the cooling air flowing through said internal cooling passage near an inner surface of said turbine blade that defines said internal cooling passage to effect an increased flow of cooling air into said passageway.

7. A turbine blade assembly in a turbine engine comprising:

a turbine blade having a pressure sidewall and an opposed suction sidewall, said turbine blade including an internal cooling passage containing cooling air;

a first snubber structure extending outwardly from one of said pressure sidewall and said suction sidewall, said first snubber structure including a hollow interior portion;

a first passageway extending through said turbine blade from said internal cooling passage to said hollow interior portion of said first snubber structure to provide cooling air from said turbine blade to said first snubber structure; and

a damming structure in said turbine blade near an intersection between said internal cooling passage and said passageway, said damming structure effecting a reduction in a velocity of the cooling air flowing through said internal cooling passage to effect an increased flow of cooling air into said passageway.

8. The turbine blade assembly of claim 7 , wherein said first snubber structure comprises at least one exit aperture formed therein, said exit aperture providing an outlet for the cooling air in said hollow interior portion.

9. The turbine blade assembly of claim 7 , wherein said first snubber structure extends from said turbine blade at an angle toward a central axis of the turbine engine.

10. The turbine blade of assembly claim 9 , wherein a diameter of said first snubber structure decreases as said first snubber structure extends away from said turbine blade.

11. The turbine blade assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:

a second snubber structure extending outwardly from the other of said pressure sidewall and said suction sidewall, said second snubber structure including a hollow interior portion; and

a second passageway extending through said turbine blade from said internal cooling passage to said second snubber structure hollow interior portion, said second passageway providing cooling air from said turbine blade internal cooling passage to said second snubber structure hollow interior portion.

12. A method of affixing at least one snubber structure to a turbine blade of a turbine engine, the turbine blade including an internal cooling passage, the method comprising:

forming a first bore in one of a pressure sidewall and a suction sidewall of the turbine blade, the first bore in communication with the internal cooling passage of the turbine blade; and

bonding a first snubber structure to the turbine blade such that a hollow interior portion of the first snubber structure is aligned with the first bore in the turbine blade to provide fluid communication between the internal cooling passage in the turbine blade and the hollow interior portion of the first snubber structure.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising machining a bond joint where the first snubber structure is bonded to the turbine blade to remove any excess material from the bond joint.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein bonding the first snubber structure to the turbine blade comprises inertia welding the first snubber structure to the turbine blade.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming a first bore in one of a pressure sidewall and a suction sidewall comprises forming the first bore at an angle with respect to an axis of the first snubber structure that is to be bonded to the turbine blade.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

forming a second bore in the other of the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall of the turbine blade; and

bonding a second snubber structure to the turbine blade such that a hollow interior portion of the second snubber structure is aligned with the second bore in the turbine blade to provide fluid communication between the internal cooling passage in the turbine blade and the hollow interior portion of the second snubber structure.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein bonding a first snubber structure to the turbine blade comprises bonding the first snubber structure to the turbine blade at an angle toward a central axis of the turbine engine.