Cooled vane of a turbine and corresponding turbine

Abstract

A vane is provided for use in a fluid flow of a turbine engine. The vane includes a thin-walled radially extending aerodynamic vane body having axially spaced leading and trailing edges, and a radially outer platform. The wall of the vane body includes an outer shell and an inner shell and defines an interior cavity therein for flowing a cooling medium. A radially extending load strut is arranged at the inner shell of the wall of the leading edge of the vane body.

Claims

1. A vane for use in a fluid flow of a turbine engine, comprising: a thin-walled radially extending aerodynamic vane body having axially spaced leading and trailing edges, the wall of said vane body comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, the wall of said vane body defining an interior cavity therein for flowing a cooling medium, and a radially outer platform comprising a front rail, wherein the radially outer platform covers an end of the vane body, wherein a radially extending load strut is connected to the inner surface at the leading edge of the vane body, wherein the load stmt braces the vane body against the front rail of the radially outer platform, wherein the load strut tapers in the radially inward direction, wherein the wall of the vane body and the load stmt are integrally formed and are produced in one operation in a common mold.

2. The vane according to claim 1, wherein the load strut is arranged at the outer platform.

3. The vane according to claim 1, wherein the wall of the vane body, the outer platform and the load stmt are integrally formed and are produced in one operation in a common mold.

4. The vane according to claim 1, wherein the load strut is arranged at the inner surface of the wall of the entire leading edge of the vane body.

5. The vane according to claim 2, wherein a protrusion is arranged at the inner surface of the wall and in the central area of the vane body, wherein, the load stmt is averted from the protrusion to the outer platform.

6. The vane according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion has a U-shaped, ring-shaped or ringlike form.

7. The vane according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion and the wall of the vane body are integrally formed and are fabricated in one operation in a common mold.

8. The vane according to claim 5, wherein the load stmt is welded to the protrusion, to the wall of the vane body and to the outer platform.

9. The vane according to claim 1, wherein the vane further comprises an inner platform.

10. The vane according to claim 1, wherein the vane comprises metal, ceramic or fiber composite.

11. The vane according to claim 1, wherein the vane is a guide vane of a guide wheel of a turbine engine.

12. A turbine engine, comprising: at least one rotating wheel with a plurality of rotating vanes, and at least one guide wheel with a plurality of guide vanes, wherein the plurality of rotating vanes and/or the guide vanes includes a vane according to claim 1.

13. The turbine engine according to claim 12, wherein the turbine engine is a gas turbine engine or a steam turbine engine.

14. The vane according to claim 2, wherein the load strut is arranged from a central area of the vane body to the outer platform.

15. The vane according to claim 1, wherein the load strut comprises a rectangular cross-section form.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the present invention, will become more apparent in the light of the following description and the accompanying drawings, where:

(2) FIG. 1 shows schematic in a longitudinal-section a vane for use in a fluid flow of a turbine engine, which is being built according to the construction principle of the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows schematic in a cross-section a vane for use in a fluid flow of a turbine engine, which is being built according to the construction principle of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

(4) Elements with the same function and mode of operation are provided in the FIGS. 1 to 2 with the same references.

(5) FIG. 1 shows schematic in a longitudinal-section one possible embodiment of a vane 1 for use in a fluid flow of a turbine engine, which is being built according to the construction principle of the invention. The vane 1 comprises a thin-walled radially extending aerodynamic vane body 2 having axially spaced a leading edge 3 and a trailing edge 4. The vane body 2 has a wall 5 comprising an outer shell 6 and an inner shell 7. The wall 5 of said vane body 2 defining an interior cavity 8 therein for flowing a cooling medium. The vane 1 further comprises an outer platform 9 and an inner platform. A radially extending load strut 10 is arranged at the inner shell 7 of the wall 5 of the leading edge 3 of the vane body 2.

(6) The load strut 10 is added to the inside of the vane leading edge 3. The load strut 10 stiffens the leading edge 3 and the bending load can be transferred onto a wider portion of the outer platform 9 of the vane 1. The load strut 10 reduces the stresses induced into the vane 1 to an acceptable level without adverse effects on the cooling of the vane body 2 and the aerodynamic performance of the vane. The interior of the vane body 2 is not or only marginal effected by the load strut 10, because the load strut 10 extends parallel to the leading edge 3 of the vane 1.

(7) The load strut 10 protrudes only a little bit into the interior cavity 8 of the vane body 2, so that the flow of the cooling medium, especially the flow of a fluid medium, through the interior cavity 8 of the body vane 2 is not effected in a negative way. The load strut has a rectangular cross-section and a longish form. The load strut 10 protrudes at the inner shell 7 of the wall 5 of the leading edge 3 of the vane body 2.

(8) The outer platform 9 of the vane covers the end of the vane body 2, whereby the load strut 10 is arranged at the outer platform 9. The outer platform 9 is extended in such a way that it covers the end of the load strut 10, as well. Therefore the leading edge 3 can be better stiffened and the bending load is reacted onto a wider portion of the outer platform 9.

(9) The wall 5 of the vane body 2, the inner platform 13, the outer platform 9, the load strut 10 and the protrusion 11 are integrally formed and are fabricated in one operation in a common mold. The load strut 10 stiffens the transition region 14 between the wall 5 of the vane body 2 at the leading edge 3 and the load strut 10 to the outer platform 9. The load strut 10 expands the leading edge 3 of the vane body 2 and therefore increases the contact to the covering outer platform 9.

(10) The load strut 10 is arranged from the central area 12 of the vane body 2 to outer platform 9. Therefore the protrusion 11 which holds the load strut 10 is arranged in the central area 12 of the vane body 2. The load strut 10 has the form of a part of a ring or better is U-shaped and is arranged at the inner shell 7 of the wall 5 of the vane body 2.

(11) The combination of the leading edge 3 and the load strut 10 has an umbrella-like cross-section form, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The combination of the wall 5 of the leading edge 3 and the load strut 10 allows that the bending load of the vane 1, especially of the leading edge 3, is transferred to a greater surface of the covering outer platform 9 of the vane 1. The load strut 10 extends to the interior cavity 8 of the vane 1 without effecting the cooling of the vane 1 negatively. Such a vane 1 enables that the leading edge is stiffened and the bending load is reacted onto a wider portion of the outer platform 9. The stresses induced into the vane 1 are reduced to an acceptable level without adverse effect on the cooling of the vane body 2 or the airfoil, respectively, or the aerodynamic performance of the vane 1. The front rail 18 of the vane 1 is fixed to a mounting arrangement.