A turbine airfoil apparatus includes: an airfoil including a concave pressure sidewall and a convex suction sidewall joined together at a leading edge and at a trailing edge; an endwall that projects laterally outwardly from the airfoil at one spanwise end thereof, the endwall having an outer surface facing the airfoil and an opposing inner surface; a plenum defined within the endwall between the inner and outer surfaces wherein the plenum is forked in plan view, with at least two branches, each branch terminating at a closed end, each branch having a throat disposed at its upstream end, wherein each throat has a relatively constricted flow area for increasing flow velocity; and at least one film cooling hole passing through the outer surface and communicating with the plenum.

A method of bonding a mini-core to a surface of a core is provided. The method includes providing the mini-core with an attachment device that includes a protrusion of a surface of the mini-core, dipping the protrusion into a supply of paste to transfer a fixed quantity of paste to the protrusion and affixing the protrusion to the surface of the core with the fixed amount of paste interposed between the surface and the protrusion.

A turbine blade has a body enclosing a labyrinth of internal channels for circulation of coolant received through an inlet integrally formed in terminal portion of blade root. The labyrinth includes; inlet arranged on an axially upstream face of terminal portion leading to an upstream duct portion having first section adjacent the inlet and a second section axially downstream of first, second section having reduced cross section compared to first section. Leading edge passage intersects first section and extends through blade body towards the tip. Main blade passage intersects second section. Trailing edge passage intersects downstream duct portion which is in axial alignment with but separate from second section and channel connects second section with the downstream duct portion. Channel has reduced cross section compared to second section and downstream duct portion. The inlet has an inverted keyhole shape with cross section extends through upstream duct portion first section.

A method of removing material from an airfoil includes engaging a root of the airfoil within a root-securing fixture, engaging a tip of the airfoil within a tip-securing fixture, and removing material from the airfoil. The method further includes disengaging the tip of the airfoil from the tip-securing fixture to allow movement of the tip from a clamped state position to a free-state position. The method further includes reengaging the tip of the airfoil within the tip-securing fixture in the free-state position, and removing additional material from the airfoil.

An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes pressure and suction surfaces provided by pressure and suction walls that extend in a radial direction and are joined at a leading edge and a trailing edge. A cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls and extends to the trailing edge. Elongated pedestals are arranged in the cooling passage and interconnect the pressure and suction walls. The elongated pedestals are spaced apart from one another in the radial direction and extend from a plane to the trailing edge. A metering pedestal includes at least a portion that is arranged between the plane and the trailing edge. The portion is provided between adjacent elongated pedestals in the radial direction.

A turbine airfoil apparatus includes: an airfoil including a concave pressure sidewall and a convex suction sidewall joined together at a leading edge and a trailing edge; an endwall projecting laterally outwardly from the airfoil at one spanwise end thereof, the endwall having an outer surface facing the airfoil and an opposing inner surface; a plenum defined within the endwall between the inner and outer surfaces wherein the plenum is forked in plan view, with at least two branches, each branch having a throat disposed at its upstream end; and at least one film cooling hole passing through the outer surface and communicating with the plenum.

A manufacturing method includes forming one or more grooves in a component that comprises a substrate with an outer surface. The substrate has at least one interior space. Each groove extends at least partially along the substrate and has a base and a top. The manufacturing method further includes applying a structural coating on at least a portion of the substrate and processing at least a portion of the surface of the structural coating so as to plastically deform the structural coating at least in the vicinity of the top of a respective groove, such that a gap across the top of the groove is reduced. A component is also disclosed and includes a structural coating disposed on at least a portion of a substrate, where the surface of the structural coating is faceted in the vicinity of the respective groove.

Platform cooling arrangements in a turbine rotor blade include a feedhole that extends from the suction side slash face to the interior cooling passage, and, one or more branch holes that each extends from the feedhole to the suction side slash face such that coolant flows from the interior cooling passage, through the feedhole to the one or more branch holes and exits the platform along the suction side slash face.

A method for manufacturing a contoured hole, the hole being manufactured in a wall, the wall comprising a first, a second surface, and a wall thickness between the wall first and second surface. The comprises manufacturing a first non-penetrating hole extending from the first surface and into the wall, wherein a distal end of the first hole is located within the wall such that the first hole does not penetrate the wall second surface, and manufacturing a through hole, wherein the through hole is fluidly connected with first hole and penetrates the wall second surface.

A method of aligning shear webs for the construction of a wind turbine blade is provided. The method comprises providing one or more jigs (402), each configured to receive one or more spacer elements (701) and providing one or more spacer elements (701). First and second shear web panels are placed on the one or more jigs (402) to align them. The first and second shear web panels are restrained relative to each other and are separated by the one or more spacer elements. The first and second shear web panels are then removed together with the one or more spacer elements from the jig. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.