Patent ID: 6018950
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: F01D,F23R,Y10T

Abstract:
A cooling panel for a gas turbine for enhancing cooling of a segment of a turbine member having a wall with an inner and outer surface, where in operation of the turbine the inner surface of the wall houses a working gas that travels along an axial dimension of the turbine member defining its length, which is perpendicular to its width, said cooling panel comprising:a first modular cooling panel having a relative width (W) and Length (L), which are substantially less than a corresponding dimension of the turbine member wall measured along the same line of measurement of the dimension of the cooling panel when the panel is positioned on the turbine member wall, an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface of the cooling panel defining at least one channeled portion traversing along a portion of the inner surface of the cooling panel, said channeled portion defining a cooling flow channel through which a cooling fluid can travel to cool the segment of the turbine member, said cooling flow channel having at least one inlet opening extending into the inner surface of the cooling panel for enabling the cooling fluid to enter into the cooling flow channel from a cooling gas plenum in the turbine that extends over at least a portion of the turbine member's wall, said inner surface of the cooling panel having a portion thereof adapted to be removably attached to the outer surface of the turbine member wall in a manner that does not obstruct the inlet opening from being in fluid communication with the cooling gas plenum, and the cooling panel having a closed end, spaced along said cooling flow channel from said inlet opening, to direct the cooling fluid to an outlet opening which is machined through the turbine member's wall and aligned with the cooling channel to permit the cooling fluid to be in fluid communication with the inner surface of the turbine member wall, the first cooling panel being capable of being replaced without materially affecting or requiring disassembly of the wall or requiring the dismantling of any other cooling panel affixed to the outer surface of the wall.