Enhanced film cooling system

Abstract

A turbine blade in an industrial gas turbine includes a blade surface to be cooled by a film of cooling fluid, a plurality of cooling holes on the blade surface through which cooling fluid flows, each cooling hole including an inlet portion and an outlet portion, and a trench on the blade surface surrounding at least one outlet portion of the cooling hole, the trench extending in an axial direction and a radial direction from the outlet portion of the cooling hole, wherein the outlet portion of the cooling hole has a shape configured to generate a first stage diffusion of the cooling fluid and a wall of the trench is positioned in the axial direction from the outlet portion of the cooling hole to generate a second stage diffusion of the cooling fluid, thereby forming the film of cooling fluid.

Claims

1. A masking apparatus for a turbine blade of a gas turbine, the turbine blade having a blade surface in which a plurality of cooling holes are arranged in a radial direction of the turbine blade, the masking apparatus comprising: a base plate configured to fit over a tip of the turbine blade; and a masking arm extending from the base plate in the radial direction and including one end having a connecting structure connected to the base plate, the masking arm configured to cover the plurality of cooling holes.

2. The masking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the masking arm is further configured to block a thermal barrier coating (TBC) material applied to the blade surface and to form a trench in the TBC material.

3. The masking apparatus of claim 2, wherein the masking arm includes a plurality of masking arms configured such that the trench is formed as a plurality of trenches arranged in the radial direction in correspondence to the arrangement of the plurality of cooling holes.

4. The masking apparatus of claim 2, wherein the masking arm is further configured such that the trench is formed so as to surround the plurality of cooling holes.

5. The masking apparatus of claim 2, wherein the masking arm is further configured such that the trench is formed to have a width extending in an axial direction, a length extending in the radial direction, and a height equal to a thickness of the TBC material deposited on the blade surface.

6. The masking apparatus of claim 2, wherein the masking arm is further configured such that the trench is formed to have a downstream wall that extends in the radial direction for the length of the trench, the downstream wall having a flat continuous surface facing outlets of the plurality of cooling holes.

7. The masking apparatus of claim 6, wherein the masking arm is further configured such that the downstream wall of the trench is disposed so as to be offset in the axial direction from the cooling hole outlets in order to generate a second stage diffusion of cooling fluid subsequent to a first stage diffusion of the cooling fluid respectively exiting the cooling hole outlets.

8. The masking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting structure of the masking arm includes a hook portion connected to the base plate.

9. The masking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting structure of the masking arm includes a hinge connected to the base plate to enable the masking arm to rotate with respect to the base plate.

10. The masking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting structure of the masking arm includes a L-shaped flange having one end connected to the base plate.

11. The masking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting structure of the masking arm is configured to be fixedly connected to the base plate by one of soldering, welding, and riveting.

12. The masking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting structure of the masking arm is configured to be removably connected to the base plate by a fastening device including at least one of a screw, a nut, and a bolt.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an industrial gas turbine.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a turbine blade.

(3) FIG. 3 is a diagram depicting the boundary conditions at a cooling hole under different blowing ratios.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a turbine blade according to an exemplary embodiment.

(5) FIG. 5A and 5B are top views of various cooling holes according to a first exemplary embodiment.

(6) FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the cooling hole according to the first exemplary embodiment.

(7) FIG. 7 is a diagram depicting the boundary conditions at the cooling hole according to the first exemplary embodiment.

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment.

(9) FIG. 9 is a top view of cooling holes according to a second exemplary embodiment.

(10) FIG. 10 is a diagram depicting the boundary conditions at the cooling holes according to the second exemplary embodiment.

(11) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a masking apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

(12) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the masking apparatus in operation before coating a turbine blade in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

(13) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the masking apparatus in operation after coating the turbine blade in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(14) Various embodiments of an enhanced film cooling system in an industrial gas turbine are described. It is to be understood, however, that the following explanation is merely exemplary in describing the devices and methods of the present disclosure. Accordingly, any number of reasonable and foreseeable modifications, changes, and/or substitutions are contemplated without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

(15) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment. Turbine blade 495 according to an exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of cooling holes 400 arranged in trench 410.

(16) As shown in FIG. 5A, each cooling hole 400 has an inlet 400a and outlet 400b. In an exemplary embodiment, inlet 400a has a round shape for good flow control management while outlet 400b has a fan shape to diffuse the cooling fluid exiting from the outlet 400b. However, it is to be understood that other shapes for inlet 400a and outlet 400b may be used. For example, the outlet 400b may be a trapezoidal shape as shown in FIG. 5B. Other shapes may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

(17) In an exemplary embodiment, each outlet 400b of cooling hole 400 is surrounded by a trench 410. The trench 410 is located at the exit of the outlet 400b and extends axially and radially from the outlet 400b to act as a second stage diffuser. FIGS. 6 and 7 show a cross section on the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A along line A-A. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, even under a high blow ratio, a boundary layer of the cooling fluid existing from the outlet 400h is formed to create a cooling film 700.

(18) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment. Turbine blade 895 according to an exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of cooling holes 800 arranged in trench 810. The cooling holes 800 has the same configuration as cooling holes 400 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Like cooling holes 400, it is to be understood that other shapes for cooling holes 800 may be used.

(19) As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of cooling holes 800 are surrounded by a trench 810. In an exemplary embodiment, each trench 810 extends in the radial direction such that a plurality of cooling holes 800 are arranged in each trench 810 and an outlet portion of each cooling hole 800 in the same trench 810 is arranged near wall W of the trench 810 that extend in the axial direction from the edge of the outlet portion of each cooling hole 800. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10 viewed along cross sectional line B-B, even under a high blow ratio, a boundary layer of the cooling fluid existing from the outlet portion of cooling hole 800 is formed to create a cooling film 1000.

(20) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a masking apparatus 1100. The masking apparatus 1100 includes a base plate 1110 and a plurality of masking arms 1120 that extend from the base plate 1110. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of masking arms 1120 includes a hook portion 1130 such that one end of the hook portion 1130 is connected to the base plate 1110. Other configurations, such as a flange forming an L-shape may be used to connect one end of the masking arm 1120 to the base plate 1110.

(21) In one exemplary embodiment, the masking arms 1120 are fixedly connected to the base plate 1110, such as by solder, weld, or rivet, for example. In another exemplary embodiment, the masking arms 1120 are removably connected to the base plate 1110, such as by screws or nuts and bolts, for example. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the masking arms 1120 are rotatably connected to the base plate 1110, such as by a hinge, for example.

(22) As shown in FIG. 12, the base plate 1110 and the plurality of masking arms 1120 of the masking apparatus 1100 are configured to fit over the turbine blade 895 such that the masking arms 1120 are arranged over the cooling holes 800. After the masking apparatus 1100 have been placed over the turbine blade 895, the turbine blade 895 is coated with TBC material. As shown in FIG. 13, the masking apparatus 1100 is removed after the turbine blade 895 has been coated with TBC material leaving trenches 810 around select cooling holes 800 in a configuration left by masking arms 1120.

(23) By virtue of the masking apparatus 1100, expensive and time consuming task of plugging and unplugging the cooling holes are eliminated while leaving no residue around the cooling holes that disrupt the flow of cooling fluid that exit from the cooling holes. Further, by shaping the outlet portion of the cooling holes to generate a first level of diffusion and surrounding the outlet portion of the cooling holes with a trench to generate a second level of diffusion, the film cooling effectiveness over a broad range of blowing and momentum flux ratios are optimized depending on the gas side boundary conditions at the cooling hole exit plane. Additional advantages can be achieved by tailoring the size, shape, and depth of the trenches that are easily configured by designing the masking apparatus accordingly, thereby simplifying what is otherwise a time consuming and expensive process that leaves imperfections around the cooling holes that degrades cooling performance.

(24) The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. Moreover, the above advantages and features are provided in described embodiments, but shall not limit the application of the claims to processes and structures accomplishing any or all of the above advantages.

(25) Additionally, the section headings herein are provided for consistency with the suggestions under 37 CFR 1.77 or otherwise to provide organizational cues. These headings shall not limit or characterize the invention(s) set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. Further, a description of a technology in the “Background” is not to be construed as an admission that technology is prior art to any invention(s) in this disclosure. Neither is the “Brief Summary” to be considered as a characterization of the invention(s) set forth in the claims found herein. Furthermore, any reference in this disclosure to “invention” in the singular should not be used to argue that there is only a single point of novelty claimed in this disclosure. Multiple inventions may be set forth according to the limitations of the multiple claims associated with this disclosure, and the claims accordingly define the invention(s), and their equivalents, that are protected thereby. In all instances, the scope of the claims shall be considered on their own merits in light of the specification, but should not be constrained by the headings set forth herein.