Microcircuit cooling for blades

Abstract

A turbine engine component, such as a turbine blade, includes at least one cooling circuit having a plurality of legs through which a cooling fluid flows, and a plurality of cooling devices in at least one of the legs. Each of the cooling devices has a heat transfer multiplier in the range of from 1.8 to 2.4 and a reattachment length in the range of from 1.9 to 2.5.

1 . A turbine engine component comprising:
 at least one cooling circuit having a plurality of legs through which a cooling fluid flows; and   a plurality of cooling devices in at least one of said legs, each of said cooling devices having a heat transfer multiplier in the range of from 1.8 to 2.4 and a reattachment length in the range of from 1.9 to 2.5.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , further comprising an airfoil portion having a pressure side and suction side and said at least one cooling circuit being imbedded between said pressure and suction sides. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , further comprising said turbine engine component having a root portion and an inlet for said cooling fluid located within said root portion. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of legs includes a first leg, a second leg in fluid communication with said first leg, and a third leg in fluid communication with said second leg. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 4 , further comprising a refresher inlet within said root portion for introducing said cooling fluid into said third leg. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of cooling fluid outlets communicating with said first and third legs. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , wherein said cooling devices have a heat transfer multiplier in the range of from 2.2 to 2.4. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said cooling devices has a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said cooling devices has a cube shape. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 9 , wherein each said cube shaped cooling device has one sidewall oriented substantially normal to a flow direction of said cooling fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said cooling devices has a diamond shape. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 11 , wherein each diamond shaped cooling device has a tip and said tip is aligned with a flow direction of said cooling fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The turbine engine component according to  claim 1 , wherein said component comprises a turbine blade. 
     
     
         14 . A cooling microcircuit for use in a turbine engine component comprising:
 a first leg for receiving a cooling fluid;   a second leg for receiving said cooling fluid from said first leg;   a third leg for receiving said cooling fluid from said second leg;   at least one of said first and second legs containing a plurality of cooling devices; and   each of said cooling devices having a heat transfer multiplier in the range of from 1.8 to 2.4 and a reattachment length in the range of from 1.9 to 2.5.   
     
     
         15 . The cooling microcircuit according to  claim 14 , wherein said cooling microcircuit has a serpentine shape. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling microcircuit according to  claim 14 , further comprising an inlet for introducing a first flow of said cooling fluid into said first leg and a refresher inlet for introducing a second flow of said cooling fluid into said third leg. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling microcircuit according to  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of outlets communicating with at least one of said first and third legs of said cooling microcircuit. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling microcircuit according to  claim 14 , wherein each of said cooling devices has a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling microcircuit according to  claim 14 , wherein each of said cooling devices has a cube shape. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling microcircuit according to  claim 14 , wherein each of said cooling devices has a diamond shape. 
     
     
         21 . The cooling microcircuit according to  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of cooling devices arranged in at least one of said legs and said plurality of cooling devices being arranged in a staggered configuration.