The present invention generally relates to a rotor blade for a turbine. More particularly, this invention involves a rotor blade having a tip configured for promoting coolant flow through the rotor blade.
In an air-ingesting turbo machine (e.g., a gas turbine), air is pressurized by a compressor and then mixed with fuel and ignited within an annular array of combustors to generate hot gases of combustion. The hot gases flow from each combustor through a transition piece for flow along an annular hot gas path. Turbine stages are typically disposed along the hot gas path such that the hot gases flow across first-stage nozzles and rotor blades and across the nozzles and rotor blades of follow-on turbine stages. The rotor blades may be secured to a plurality of rotor disks which are coupled to a turbine rotor shaft, with each rotor disk being mounted to the rotor shaft.
A rotor blade generally includes an airfoil that extends radially outwardly from a substantially planar platform and a mounting portion that extends radially inwardly from the platform for securing the rotor blade to one of the rotor disks. A tip of the airfoil is typically spaced radially inwardly from a stationary shroud or seal of the turbine such that a small clearance gap is defined between the tip and the shroud. A plurality of cooling passages is defined within the airfoil for routing a coolant such as compressed air through the airfoil. In particular configurations, a plurality of coolant outlets are defined along the tip for routing the coolant out of the cooling passages at the tip.
The flow of the coolant through the cooling passages is primarily driven by a pressure difference defined between a supply pressure of the coolant and a static pressure which is typically defined at the tip of the airfoil at or just downstream from the coolant outlets. If the supply pressure is too low, for example, due to aerodynamic loading optimization, a decrease in operating speed and/or a change in turbine load requirements, a lower or reduced static pressure is required in order to meet cooling flow needs. Therefore, an improved rotor blade tip design which provides a lower or reduced static pressure at the tip to increase or enhance coolant flow through the airfoil would be useful.
Aspects and advantages of the invention are set forth below in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
One embodiment of the present invention is a rotor blade having an airfoil. The airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls which extend radially outwardly from a platform in span from a root to a tip and in chord between a leading edge and a trialing edge. The tip includes a tip floor and a plurality of coolant outlets disposed along the tip floor. The tip further includes a tip rail that extends radially outwardly from the tip floor. The tip rail has a pressure side portion and a suction side portion which are joined at the leading and trailing edges. A plurality of cooling passages is circumscribed within the airfoil for routing a coolant therethrough. Each or at least some of the cooling passages is/are in fluid communication with one or more of the coolant outlets. A baffle extends radially outwardly from and transversely across the tip floor from the pressure side portion to the suction side portion so as to define a first tip pocket and a second tip pocket. A slot is disposed along the suction side portion of the tip rail and provides for fluid communication out of one of the first or second tip pockets.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a system for promoting coolant flow through a rotor blade. The system includes a coolant source for supplying a pressurized coolant to a cooling passage inlet formed along the rotor blade. The rotor blade comprises a mounting portion which includes a mounting body. The mounting body is interconnectable with a rotor shaft. At least one of the cooling passage inlets is formed by the mounting body. An airfoil extends radially outwardly from the mounting portion and includes pressure and suction side walls which extend radially outwardly from a platform in span from a root to a tip and in chord between a leading edge and a trialing edge. The tip includes a tip floor and a plurality of coolant outlets disposed along the tip floor. The tip further includes a tip rail that extends radially outwardly from the tip floor. The tip rail includes a pressure side portion and a suction side portion which are joined at the leading and trailing edges. A plurality of cooling passages is circumscribed within the airfoil for routing a coolant therethrough. Each cooling passage is in fluid communication with one or more of the coolant inlets. A baffle extends radially outwardly from and transversely across the tip floor from the pressure side portion to the suction side portion to define a first tip pocket and a second tip pocket. A slot is disposed along the suction side portion of the tip rail and provides for fluid communication out of one of the first or second tip pockets.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a gas turbine. The gas turbine includes a compressor, a combustor disposed downstream from the compressor and a turbine disposed downstream from the combustor. The turbine includes a rotor shaft that extends axially through the turbine. An outer casing circumferentially surrounds the rotor shaft to define a hot gas path therebetween. A plurality of rotor blades is interconnected to the rotor shaft, which together, define a stage of rotor blades. Each rotor blade comprises a mounting portion which includes a mounting body. The mounting body is interconnectable with a rotor shaft and at least one of the cooling passage inlets is formed in the mounting body. The rotor blade further includes an airfoil that is coupled to the mounting portion and that includes pressure and suction side walls which extend radially outwardly from a platform in span from a root to a tip and in chord between a leading edge and a trialing edge. The tip includes a tip floor and a plurality of coolant outlets disposed along the tip floor. The tip further includes a tip rail that extends radially outwardly from the tip floor. The tip rail includes a pressure side portion and a suction side portion which are joined at the leading and trailing edges. A plurality of cooling passages is circumscribed within the airfoil for routing a coolant through the airfoil. Each cooling passage is in fluid communication with one or more of the coolant inlets. A baffle extends radially outwardly from and transversely across the tip floor from the pressure side portion to the suction side portion to define a first tip pocket and a second tip pocket. At least one coolant outlet is disposed along the tip floor within the first tip pocket and at least one coolant outlet is disposed along the tip floor within the second tip pocket. A slot is disposed along the suction side portion of the tip rail and provides for fluid communication out of one of the first or second tip pockets.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will better appreciate the features and aspects of such embodiments, and others, upon review of the specification.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof to one skilled in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to present embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the invention. As used herein, the terms “first”, “second”, and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the direction to which the fluid flows. The term “radially” refers to the relative direction that is substantially perpendicular to an axial centerline of a particular component, and the term “axially” refers to the relative direction that is substantially parallel and/or coaxially aligned to an axial centerline of a particular component.
Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Although an industrial or land based gas turbine is shown and described herein, the present invention as shown and described herein is not limited to a land based and/or industrial gas turbine unless otherwise specified in the claims. For example, the invention as described herein may be used in any type of turbine including but not limited to a steam turbine, an aircraft gas turbine or marine gas turbine.
Referring now to the drawings,
The turbine section 18 may generally include a rotor shaft 24 having a plurality of rotor disks 26 (one of which is shown) and a plurality of rotor blades 28 extending radially outwardly from and being interconnected to each rotor disk 26. Each rotor disk 26 may, in turn, be coupled to a portion of the rotor shaft 24 that extends through the turbine section 18. The turbine section 18 further includes an outer casing 30 that circumferentially surrounds the rotor shaft 24 and the rotor blades 28, thereby at least partially defining a hot gas path 32 through the turbine section 18.
During operation, a working fluid such as air flows through the inlet section 12 and into the compressor section 14 where the air is progressively compressed, thus providing pressurized air to the combustors of the combustion section 16. The pressurized air is mixed with fuel and burned within each combustor to produce hot gases of combustion 34. The hot gases of combustion 34 flow through the hot gas path 32 from the combustor section 16 to the turbine section 18, wherein energy (kinetic and/or thermal) is transferred from the hot gases 34 to the rotor blades 28, thus causing the rotor shaft 24 to rotate. The mechanical rotational energy may then be used to power the compressor section 14 and generate electricity. The hot gases of combustion 34 exiting the turbine section 18 may then be exhausted from the gas turbine 10 via the exhaust section 20.
The airfoil 40 includes a pressure side wall 44 and an opposing suction side wall 46. The pressure side wall 44 and the suction side wall 46 extend substantially radially outwardly from the platform 42 in span from a root 48 of the airfoil 40 which may be defined at an intersection between the airfoil 40 and the platform 42, and a tip 50 of the airfoil 40. The pressure side wall 44 and suction side wall 46 extend in chord between a leading edge 52 and a trialing edge 54 of the airfoil 40. The pressure side wall 44 generally comprises an aerodynamic, concave outer surface of the airfoil 40. Similarly, the suction side wall 46 may generally define an aerodynamic, convex outer surface of the airfoil 40. The tip 50 is disposed radially opposite the root. As such, the tip 50 may generally define the radially outermost portion of the rotor blade 28 and thus, may be configured to be positioned adjacent to a stationary shroud or seal (not shown) of the gas turbine 10.
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In operation, the hot gases 34 are directed onto the pressure side wall 44 of the airfoil 40, thus creating a high pressure region 78 along the pressure side wall 44 of each rotor blade 28. As the rotor blades 28 rotate and/or as a portion of the hot gases 34 leaks over the tip 50, a reduced or low pressure (with respect to the high pressure region) region 80 develops along the suction side wall 46. Typically, the coolant 58 is supplied from a coolant source, such as the compressor section 14 (
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As described and illustrated herein, the present invention provides various technical benefits over existing rotor blade tip technologies. For example, the present invention provides lower static pressures for various cooling flows, especially for flows along the leading edge of the rotor blade airfoil. The lower static pressures are achieved by segregating the tip into separate tip pockets or regions, and connecting the different tip pockets with different pressure zones. The reduced static pressure at the tip may reduce the required coolant supply pressure at the cooling passage inlets, thus resulting in improved overall turbine performance.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other and examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.