Tilted turbine vane with impingement cooling

Abstract

A turbine airfoil having enhanced cooling capabilities. The turbine vane may be configured such that when a generally elongated airfoil of the turbine vane is attached to a turbine engine, a longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil may be positioned nonparallel relative to a radial axis of the turbine engine in which the turbine vane is mounted. In this position, cooling orifices may be positioned in a region that is typically a dead zone in a conventional turbine vane where no cooling occurs. In one embodiment, a plurality of cooling orifices in an inner shroud of the turbine vane may be positioned between an outer edge of the inner shroud in closest proximity to a suction side of the airfoil near a leading edge of the airfoil and an intersection between the suction side and the inner shroud.

1 . A turbine airfoil, comprising: 
 a generally elongated hollow airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, an outer shroud coupled to an end of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and adapted to be coupled to a hook attachment, an inner shroud coupled to the generally elongated hollow airfoil at an end that is opposite to the outer shroud and adapted to be coupled to an inner endwall, and a cooling system formed from at least one cooling channel extending through the generally elongated airfoil and including a plurality of cooling orifices in the inner shroud; and    wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner shroud such that a longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is positioned nonparallel with a radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted.    
   
   
       2 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one impingement plate forming at least one inner shroud cooling channel in the inner shroud that extends generally along a non-gaspath surface of the inner shroud, wherein the at least one inner shroud cooling channel is defined by an outer wall and an impingement plate.  
   
   
       3 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of film cooling orifices extend through the impingement plate.  
   
   
       4 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of cooling orifices in the inner shroud are positioned between an outer edge of the inner shroud in closest proximity to the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil near the leading edge of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and an intersection between the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and the inner shroud.  
   
   
       5 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cooling orifices surround an intersection between the generally elongated hollow airfoil and the inner shroud.  
   
   
       6 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner attachment end such that the longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is tilted between about one degree and about seven degrees from the radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted.  
   
   
       7 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 6 , wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner attachment end such that the longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is tilted about four degrees from the radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted.  
   
   
       8 . A turbine airfoil, comprising: 
 a generally elongated hollow airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, an outer shroud coupled to an end of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and adapted to be coupled to a hook attachment, an inner shroud coupled to the generally elongated hollow airfoil at an end that is opposite to the outer shroud and adapted to be coupled to an inner endwall, and a cooling system formed from at least one cooling channel extending through the generally elongated airfoil and including a plurality of cooling orifices in the inner shroud;    wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner shroud such that a longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is positioned nonparallel with a radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted; and    wherein at least a portion of the plurality of cooling orifices in the inner shroud are positioned between an outer edge of the inner shroud in closest proximity to the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil near the leading edge of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and an intersection between the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and the inner shroud.    
   
   
       9 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 8 , further comprising at least one impingement plate forming at least one inner shroud cooling channel in the inner shroud that extends generally along a non-gaspath surface of the inner shroud, wherein the at least one inner shroud cooling channel is defined by an outer wall and an impingement plate.  
   
   
       10 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of film cooling orifices extend through the impingement plate.  
   
   
       11 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of cooling airfoils surround an intersection between the generally elongated hollow airfoil and the inner shroud.  
   
   
       12 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 8 , wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner attachment end such that the longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is tilted between about one degree and about seven degrees from the radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted.  
   
   
       13 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 12 , wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner attachment end such that the longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is tilted about four degrees from the radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted.  
   
   
       14 . A turbine airfoil, comprising: 
 a generally elongated hollow airfoil formed from an outer wall, and having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a suction side, an outer shroud coupled to an end of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and adapted to be coupled to a hook attachment, an inner shroud coupled to the generally elongated hollow airfoil at an end that is opposite to the outer shroud and adapted to be coupled to an inner endwall, and a cooling system formed from at least one cooling channel extending through the generally elongated airfoil and including a plurality of cooling orifices in the inner shroud;    wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner shroud such that the longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is tilted between about one degree and about seven degrees from the radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted; and    wherein at least a portion of the plurality of cooling orifices in the inner shroud are positioned between an outer edge of the inner shroud in closest proximity to the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil near the leading edge of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and an intersection between the suction side of the generally elongated hollow airfoil and the inner shroud.    
   
   
       15 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cooling orifices surround an intersection between the generally elongated hollow airfoil and the inner shroud.  
   
   
       16 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 14 , wherein the generally elongated airfoil is coupled to the inner attachment end such that the longitudinal axis of the generally elongated airfoil is tilted about four degrees from the radial axis of a turbine engine in which the turbine airfoil is configured to be mounted.  
   
   
       17 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one impingement plate forming at least one inner shroud cooling channel in the inner shroud that extends generally along a non-gaspath surface of the inner shroud, wherein the at least one inner shroud cooling channel is defined by an outer wall and an impingement plate.  
   
   
       18 . The turbine airfoil of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of film cooling orifices extend through the impingement plate.