Airfoil with customized convective cooling

Abstract

An airfoil suitable for use in the turbine section of a jet engine. Said airfoil contains a core having a passage for conducting a coolant through said airfoil and discharging the coolant through a radially disposed slot at the trailing edge of the airfoil. A flow barrier is mounted adjacent to the discharge slot within the flow passage which contains openings for tailoring the coolant flow distribution profile in the trailing edge region based upon some identifiable airfoil property such as the airfoil's pressure and/or temperature profile, or a combination of the pressure and temperature profiles.

1 . An airfoil having a core containing passage for conducting a coolant through the airfoil and discharging the coolant through a slot extending radially along the trailing edge of the airfoil, wherein said airfoil further includes:
 a flow barrier mounted adjacent to said slot for presenting blockage to coolant moving through the trailing edge region of the airflow; and   said flow barrier having openings therein for tailoring the coolant trailing edge flow profile along the radial span of the airfoil.   
   
   
       2 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier is fabricated of the same material as the airfoil core. 
   
   
       3 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier is fabricated of a material that is different from the core material. 
   
   
       4 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier is constructed of a ceramic material. 
   
   
       5 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier is constructed of a material containing a refractory metal. 
   
   
       6 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein said coolant is air. 
   
   
       7 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the coolant trailing edge flow profile is based upon the pressure profile along the radial span of the airfoil. 
   
   
       8 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the coolant trailing edge flow profile is based upon the temperature profile along the radial span of the airfoil. 
   
   
       9 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier contains a plurality of spaced apart cylindrical pedestals that are mounted perpendicularly to the coolant trailing edge flow. 
   
   
       10 . The airfoil of  claim 9 , wherein the coolant flow profile is generated by varying the gap between the adjacent pedestals. 
   
   
       11 . The airfoil of  claim 9 , wherein the coolant flow profile is generated by varying the pedestal diameters. 
   
   
       12 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the coolant trailing edge flow profile is based upon both the pressure profile and the temperature profile along the radial span of the blade. 
   
   
       13 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein said barrier is at least one wall that is mounted adjacent to the trailing edge slot, said wall containing holes passing there through for tailoring the trailing edge flow distribution profile of the coolant. 
   
   
       14 . The airflow of  claim 13 , wherein the coolant flow profile is generated by varying the size or shape of said openings.