Patent ID: 9004866
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: F01D,F05D

Abstract:
1. A blade positionable about an axis of rotation in a gas turbine engine, the blade being of the type having a relatively thick leading edge and a relatively thin trailing edge wherein, when the blade is mounted to a rotor or stator during operation of the engine, a flow of fluid passes along the leading edge before passing along the trailing edge, the blade comprising: an airfoil having first and second opposing ends, the airfoil extending between a tip at the first end and a platform at the second end, the airfoil including an exterior wall extending between the tip and the platform, the exterior wall comprising a concave sidewall joined to a convex sidewall, with each sidewall extending from the relatively thick leading edge region of the airfoil to the relatively thin trailing edge region of the airfoil, the blade comprising (i) at least one leading edge chamber extending between the first and second airfoil ends in the relatively thick leading edge region, and (ii) at least first and second trailing edge chambers each extending between the first and second airfoil ends in the relatively thin trailing edge region, the airfoil including multiple interior wall portions, each extending between the first and second opposing ends, each wall portion separating at least one chamber from another one of the chambers, wherein: (a) the trailing edge is an edge of the airfoil which extends in a first direction toward the first end, (b) a first of the wall portions is positioned between the first and second trailing edge chambers and comprises (i) a first plurality of flow paths adjacent the concave sidewall and extending through the first wall portion from the first trailing edge chamber to the second trailing edge chamber and (ii) a second plurality of flow paths adjacent the convex sidewall and also extending through the first wall portion from the first trailing edge chamber to the second trailing edge chamber, the first plurality of paths positioned between the concave sidewall and the second plurality of paths, and the second plurality of paths positioned between the convex sidewall and the first plurality of paths, each of the flow paths extending from an inlet opening in the first trailing edge chamber for receiving fluid from the first trailing edge chamber to an exit opening in the second trailing edge chamber for passing the fluid into the second chamber, (c) the first wall portion includes a first region having a first thickness measurable as a distance between the first and second chambers and one of the paths extends a first path distance, through the first region, as measured from the associated path opening in the first chamber, through the first region and to the exit opening in the second chamber which path distance is greater than the first thickness, (d) with respect to both the first direction and the trailing edge, said one of the paths through the first region is a straight path having a non-zero slope whereby the inlet opening of said one of the paths through the first region is closer to the tip than the exit opening of said one of the paths, or the exit opening of said one of the paths is closer to the tip than the inlet opening of said one of the paths, (e) the blade further comprises a third trailing edge chamber extending between the first and second airfoil ends in the relatively thin trailing edge region with a second of the wall portions between the second and third trailing edge chambers, the second wall portion including: (i) a third plurality of flow paths adjacent the concave sidewall and extending through the second wall portion from the second trailing edge chamber to the third trailing edge chamber and (ii) a fourth plurality of flow paths adjacent the convex sidewall and also extending through the second wall portion from the second trailing edge chamber to the third trailing edge chamber, the third plurality of paths positioned between the concave sidewall and the fourth plurality of paths, and the fourth plurality of paths positioned between the convex sidewall and the third plurality of paths, each of the flow paths of the third and fourth pluralities of paths extending from an inlet opening in the second trailing edge chamber for receiving fluid from the second trailing edge chamber to an exit opening in the third trailing edge chamber for passing the fluid into the third chamber, (f) the second wall portion includes a second region having a second thickness measurable as a distance between the second and third chambers and one of the paths extends a second path distance, through the second wall portion, as measured from the associated path opening in the second chamber, through the second region and to the exit opening in the third chamber which second path distance is greater than the second thickness, (g) with respect to both the first direction and the trailing edge, said one of the paths through the second region is a straight path having a non-zero slope, whereby the inlet opening of said one of the paths through the second region is closer to the tip than the exit opening of said one of the paths through the second region, or the exit opening of said one of the paths through the second region is closer to the tip than the inlet opening of said one of the paths through the second region, and: the slope of the straight path through the first region, as measured from the associated inlet opening to the associated exit opening is a positive slope with respect to the first direction, and the slope of the straight path through the second region, as measured from the associated inlet opening to the associated exit opening is a negative slope with respect to the first direction; or the slope of the straight path through the first region, as measured from the associated inlet opening to the associated exit opening is a negative slope with respect to the first direction, and the slope of the straight path through the second region, as measured from the associated inlet opening to the associated exit opening is a positive slope with respect to the first direction.