Integral main body-tip microcircuits for blades

Abstract

A turbine engine component, such as a turbine blade, has an airfoil portion having a tip and a root portion and a cooling microcircuit arrangement within the airfoil portion. The cooling microcircuit arrangement comprises a multi-leg main body portion for allowing a flow of coolant to convectively cool the airfoil portion and at least one integrally formed tip cooling microcircuit for cooling the tip.

1 . A turbine engine component comprising:
 an airfoil portion having a tip and a root portion;   a cooling microcircuit arrangement within said airfoil portion; and   said cooling microcircuit arrangement comprising a multi-leg main body portion for allowing a flow of coolant to convectively cool said airfoil portion and at least one integrally formed tip cooling microcircuit.   
   
   
       2 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , wherein said multi-leg main body portion comprises a serpentine cooling arrangement. 
   
   
       3 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , further comprising a coolant inlet extending through said root portion and communicating with said multi-leg main body portion. 
   
   
       4 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 3 , wherein said coolant inlet is located adjacent a leading edge of said root portion. 
   
   
       5 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 3 , wherein said multi-leg main body portion has a first leg which allows coolant from said coolant inlet to flow radially upwards towards said tip. 
   
   
       6 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 5 , further comprising said at least one integrally formed cooling microcircuit being in fluid communication with said first leg. 
   
   
       7 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of integrally formed cooling microcircuits being in fluid communication with said first leg. 
   
   
       8 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 5 , wherein said multi-leg main body portion has a second leg which receives coolant from said first leg and in which said coolant flows radially downward. 
   
   
       9 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of film cooling slots located between said first leg and said second leg for allowing coolant to flow over a surface of said airfoil portion. 
   
   
       10 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 8 , further comprising said multi-leg main body portion having a third leg in which coolant moves radially upward. 
   
   
       11 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 10 , further comprising a refresher inlet extending within said root portion and supplying coolant to said third leg. 
   
   
       12 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 10 , further comprising said at least one tip cooling microcircuit communicating with said third leg. 
   
   
       13 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of tip cooling microcircuits communicating with said third leg. 
   
   
       14 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , wherein each said tip cooling microcircuit has an exit for allowing cooling fluid to flow over a pressure side surface of said airfoil portion. 
   
   
       15 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , further comprising a platform positioned intermediate said airfoil portion and said root portion. 
   
   
       16 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , further comprising said airfoil portion having a leading edge, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall, and said leading edge having a plurality of fluid outlets for allowing said coolant to flow over at least one of a leading edge portion of the pressure side wall and a leading edge portion of the suction side wall.