Patent ID: 7513738
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: F01D,F05D

Abstract:
1. A method for cooling a platform of a turbine blade, the turbine blade having an airfoil connected to the platform and a dovetail extending from the platform, a main cooling circuit extending through the dovetail and into the airfoil, the main cooling circuit including an exit for main cooling flow from the airfoil to exit out through the dovetail, said method comprising the steps of: extracting a portion of the coolant flowing through the main cooling circuit into a platform cooling circuit defined within the platform of the turbine blade; discharging the coolant from the platform cooling circuit such that a first portion of the coolant is channeled directly to the exit, and such that a second portion of the coolant is channeled into a separate airfoil cooling circuit that is at least partially defined within the airfoil.