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EP-4311913-B1 - TURBOMACHINE AIRFOIL HAVING IMPINGEMENT COOLING PASSAGES

EP4311913B1EP 4311913 B1EP4311913 B1EP 4311913B1EP-4311913-B1

Inventors

  • Matthews, John M.
  • Porter, Christopher Donald
  • HAFNER, MATTHEW TROY

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230626

Claims (12)

  1. An airfoil (56, 106) comprising: a leading edge (112), a trailing edge (114), a base (108), and a tip (110); a pressure side wall (116) and a suction side wall (118) extending between the leading edge (112), the trailing edge (114), the base (108), and the tip (110); and a plurality of passages (122) defined within the airfoil (56, 106) and extending from an inlet (124) at one of the base (108) or the tip (110), characterised in that each passage (122) of the plurality of passages (122) is defined at least partially by a primary impingement wall (138) and a solid side wall (140), the primary impingement wall (138) spaced apart from one of the pressure side wall (116) or the suction side wall (118) such that a primary impingement gap (142) is defined therebetween, the primary impingement wall (138) defining a plurality of impingement apertures (146) that direct air in discrete jets across the primary impingement gap (142) to impinge upon an interior surface of the airfoil (56, 106); wherein each passage (122) of the plurality of passages (122) extends from the inlet (124) at one of the base (108) or the tip (110) to a closed end (126) at the other of the base (108) or the tip (110); wherein each passage (122) of the plurality of passages (122) converges in cross-sectional area as the passage (122) extends between the inlet (124) and the closed end (126).
  2. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 1, wherein the inlets (124) of the plurality of passages (122) are defined in an alternating pattern in the base (108) and the tip (110) of the airfoil (56, 106) with respect to a direction extending from the leading edge (112) to the trailing edge (114) of the airfoil (56, 106), such that the inlets (124) are alternately in the base (108) and in the tip (110).
  3. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 1, wherein the airfoil (56, 106) further includes a suction side secondary impingement wall (148) and a pressure side secondary impingement wall (150) that partially define a collection chamber (152).
  4. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 3, wherein the solid side wall (140) of a first passage (122) of the plurality of passages (122) and the solid side wall (140) of an adjacent second passage (122) of the plurality of passages (122) collectively define a collection passage (154) extending between the primary impingement gap (142) and the collection chamber (152).
  5. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 3, wherein the suction side secondary impingement wall (148) extends from the solid side wall (140) of a leading edge passage (132) of the plurality of passages (122) toward the trailing edge (114), wherein the suction side secondary impingement wall (148) is spaced apart from the suction side wall (118) such that a secondary impingement gap (158) is defined therebetween, and wherein a plurality of impingement apertures (160) is defined in the suction side secondary impingement wall (148) to direct air from the collection chamber (152) in discrete jets across the secondary impingement gap (158) to impinge upon an interior surface of the suction side wall (118).
  6. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 3, wherein the pressure side secondary impingement wall (150) extends from the solid side wall (140) of an aft passage (134) of the plurality of passages (122) toward the trailing edge (114), wherein the pressure side secondary impingement wall (150) is spaced apart from the pressure side wall (116) such that a secondary impingement gap (162) is defined therebetween, and wherein a plurality of impingement apertures (164) is defined in the pressure side secondary impingement wall (150) to direct air from the collection chamber (152) in discrete jets across the secondary impingement gap (162) to impinge upon an interior surface of the pressure side wall (116).
  7. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 6, wherein a trailing edge cooling circuit 166 is disposed within a trailing edge portion 156 of the airfoil (56, 106), the trailing edge cooling circuit (166) being fluidly coupled to the secondary impingement gap (162) and extending from the secondary impingement gap (162) to an outlet (168) at the trailing edge (114) of the airfoil (56, 106).
  8. The airfoil (56,106) as in claim 6, wherein one or more film cooling holes (176) are defined through the pressure side wall (116) or the suction side wall (118), the one or more film cooling holes (176) being in fluid communication with one of the primary impingement gap (142) and the secondary impingement gap (162).
  9. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 1, wherein the primary impingement wall (138) is contoured to correspond with the pressure side wall (116).
  10. The airfoil (56, 106) as in claim 1, wherein the airfoil (56, 106) is integrally formed.
  11. A stator vane (26, 100) comprising: an inner platform (52, 102); an outer platform (54, 104); and an airfoil (56, 106) extending between a base (108) coupled to the inner platform (52, 102) and a tip (110) coupled to the outer platform (54, 104), the airfoil (56, 106) being defined according to any of claims 1 to 10.
  12. The stator vane (26, 100) as in claim 11, wherein the stator vane (26, 100) is configured for installation in a first stage of a turbine section (22) of a gas turbine engine (10).

Description

FIELD The present invention relates to an airfoil having a plurality of cooling passages. BACKGROUND Turbomachines are utilized in a variety of industries and applications for energy transfer purposes. For example, a gas turbine engine generally includes a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. The compressor section progressively increases the pressure of a working fluid entering the gas turbine engine and supplies this compressed working fluid to the combustion section. The compressed working fluid and a fuel (e.g., natural gas) mix within the combustion section and burn in a combustion chamber to generate high pressure and high temperature combustion gases. The combustion gases flow from the combustion section into the turbine section where they expand to produce work. For example, expansion of the combustion gases in the turbine section may rotate a rotor shaft connected, e.g., to a generator to produce electricity. The combustion gases then exit the gas turbine as exhaust gases via the exhaust section. Turbomachine efficiency may be related, at least in part, to the temperature of the combustion gases flowing through the turbine section. For example, the higher the temperature of the combustion gases, the greater the overall efficiency of the turbine. The maximum temperature of the combustion gases may be limited, at least in part, by material properties of the various turbine components such as the airfoils used in the turbine stator vanes and the turbine rotor blades. As such, the components in the turbine section may include various cooling circuits through which compressed air from the compressor section circulates to provide cooling to the various turbine components. However, using a large amount of air from the compressor section to cool the various turbine components may negatively impact the turbomachine efficiency. Accordingly, an improved airfoil having a cooling circuit that provides adequate cooling to the airfoil while minimizing the amount of air supplied to the cooling circuit from the compressor section is desired and would be appreciated in the art. US 2020/277860 relates to a blade for a turbine blade that includes a suction-side side wall and a pressure-side side wall that enclose a cavity at least partially in a manner which extends along a profile centre line from a common front edge to a common rear edge and in a span width direction from a root-side end to a tip-side end. A first perforated impingement cooling wall which is provided with openings for the impingement cooling of the front edge and at least one further perforated impingement cooling wall for the impingement cooling of a section of the suction-side and/or pressure-side side wall are provided in the interior along the span width. The impingement cooling openings of the first impingement cooling wall and the at least one second impingement cooling wall are connected in series in terms of flow. US 4 252 501 A, US 2011/103971 A1 and US 11 199 097 B2 disclose other examples of airfoils. BRIEF DESCRIPTION Aspects and advantages of the airfoils and stator vanes in accordance with the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the technology. In accordance with one embodiment, an airfoil is provided. The airfoil includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, a base, and a tip. The airfoil further includes a pressure side wall and a suction side wall that extend between the leading edge, the trailing edge, the base, and the tip. The airfoil further includes a plurality of passages that are defined within the airfoil and that extend from an inlet at one of the base or the tip. Each passage of the plurality of passages is defined at least partially by a primary impingement wall and a solid side wall. The primary impingement wall is spaced apart from one of the pressure side wall or the suction side wall such that a primary impingement gap is defined therebetween. The primary impingement wall defines a plurality of impingement apertures that direct air in discrete jets across the impingement gap to impinge upon an interior surface of the airfoil. In accordance with another embodiment, a stator vane with said airfoil is provided. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present airfoils and stator vanes will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims, which define the invention. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A full and enabling disclosure of the present airfoils and stator vanes, including the best mode of making and using the present systems and methods, directed to one of ordinary skill in the