Turbine blade root configurations

Abstract

A rotor blade for a turbine engine comprising a root and, extending in a radial direction from the root, an airfoil, wherein: the root comprises a shank and a dovetail; the shank extends from the dovetail and comprises a platform at an radial outward surface; the dovetail includes one or more tangs; the platform comprises an axially and circumferentially oriented surface that defines, at least in part, the inner most radial boundary of the flow path through the turbine; the dovetail is linear; and the platform is curved.

1 . A rotor blade for a turbine engine comprising a root and, extending in a radial direction from the root, an airfoil, wherein the root includes a linear dovetail and a curved platform. 
   
   
       2 . The rotor blade according to  claim 1 , wherein the linear dovetail comprises one or more tangs and is configured to engage a linear dovetail groove. 
   
   
       3 . The rotor blade according to  claim 1 , wherein the root comprises a shank, the shank extending from the dovetail and comprising the platform at an radial outward surface;
 wherein:
 the platform comprises an axially and circumferentially oriented surface that defines, at least in part, the inner most radial boundary of the flow path through the turbine; and 
 the airfoil extends in an outward radial direction from the platform. 
   
   
   
       4 . The rotor blade according to  claim 1 , wherein the linear dovetail is configured to engage a linear dovetail groove that is one of parallel in relation to the direction of the centerline axis and skewed in relation to the direction of the centerline axis. 
   
   
       5 . The rotor blade according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the platform comprises a pressure edge that coincides with a pressure side of the airfoil and a suction edge that coincides with a suction side of the airfoil; and   both the pressure edge and the suction edge are curved.   
   
   
       6 . The rotor blade according to  claim 5 , wherein the pressure edge comprises a concave curve and the suction edge comprises a convex curve. 
   
   
       7 . The rotor blade according to  claim 6 , wherein the curvature of the concave curve of the pressure edge and the curvature of the convex curve of the suction edge is substantially the same. 
   
   
       8 . The rotor blade according to  claim 6 , wherein the curvature of the pressure edge and the curvature of the suction edge is configured such that, upon the proper installation of the rotor blade and a second similarly formed rotor blade that is installed in an adjacent position to the rotor blade, the suction edge of the rotor blade engages the pressure edge of the second rotor blade so that the platforms of the adjacent rotor blades form a substantially continuous surface. 
   
   
       9 . The rotor blade according to  claim 6 , wherein the curvature of the pressure edge and the curvature of the suction edge is configured such that, upon the proper installation of the rotor blade and a second similarly formed rotor blade that is installed in an adjacent position to the rotor blade, the pressure edge of the rotor blade engages the suction edge of the second rotor blade so that the platforms of the adjacent rotor blades form a substantially continuous surface. 
   
   
       10 . The rotor blade according to  claim 6 , wherein the curvature of the concave curve of the pressure edge and the curvature of the convex curve of the suction edge comprises the arc of an approximate circle. 
   
   
       11 . The rotor blade according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the root comprises a shank, the shank extending from the dovetail and comprising the platform at an radial outward surface; and   the shank forms a transition between the curved platform and the linear dovetail.   
   
   
       12 . The rotor blade according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotor blade is configured to operate as one of a rotor blade in the turbine of the turbine engine and a rotor blade in the compressor of the turbine engine. 
   
   
       13 . A rotor blade for a turbine engine comprising a root and, extending in a radial direction from the root, an airfoil, wherein:
 the root comprises a shank and a dovetail;   the shank extends from the dovetail and comprises a platform at an radial outward surface;   the dovetail includes one or more tangs;   the platform comprises an axially and circumferentially oriented surface that defines, at least in part, the inner most radial boundary of the flow path through the turbine;   the dovetail is linear; and   the platform is curved.   
   
   
       14 . The rotor blade according to  claim 13 , wherein the linear dovetail is configured to engage a linear dovetail groove that is one of parallel in relation to the direction of the centerline axis and skewed in relation to the direction of the centerline axis. 
   
   
       15 . The rotor blade according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the platform comprises a pressure edge that coincides with a pressure side of the airfoil and a suction edge that coincides with a suction side of the airfoil; and   both the pressure edge and the suction edge are curved.   
   
   
       16 . The rotor blade according to  claim 15 , wherein the pressure edge comprises a concave curve and the suction edge comprises a convex curve. 
   
   
       17 . The rotor blade according to  claim 16 , wherein the curvature of the pressure edge and the curvature of the suction edge is configured such that, upon the proper installation of the rotor blade and a second similarly formed rotor blade that is installed in an adjacent position to the rotor blade, the suction edge of the rotor blade engages the pressure edge of the second rotor blade so that the platforms of the adjacent rotor blades form a substantially continuous surface. 
   
   
       18 . The rotor blade according to  claim 16 , wherein the curvature of the pressure edge and the curvature of the suction edge is configured such that, upon the proper installation of the rotor blade and a second similarly formed rotor blade that is installed in an adjacent position to the rotor blade, the pressure edge of the rotor blade engages the suction edge of the second rotor blade so that the platforms of the adjacent rotor blades form a substantially continuous surface. 
   
   
       19 . The rotor blade according to  claim 16 , wherein the curvature of the concave curve of the pressure edge and the curvature of the convex curve of the suction edge comprises the arc of an approximate circle. 
   
   
       20 . The rotor blade according to  claim 13 , wherein the rotor blade is configured to operate as a rotor blade in the turbine of the turbine engine.