Cooled turbine blade with leading edge flow deflection and division

Abstract

A cooled turbine blade having a base and an airfoil, the base including cooling air inlet and an internal cooling air passageway, and the airfoil including an internal heat exchange path beginning at the base and ending at a cooling air outlet at the trailing edge of the airfoil. The airfoil also includes a “skin” that encompasses a tip wall, an inner spar, a leading edge rib, and a leading edge air deflector. The leading edge rib is configured to form a leading edge chamber in conjunction with the leading edge of the skin. The leading edge air deflector is at least partially intersected by the inner spar.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine blade for use in a gas turbine engine, the turbine blade comprising:
 a base;   an airfoil comprising a skin extending from the base and forming a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, and a lift side, the airfoil having tip end distal from the base;   a leading edge rib extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin, the leading edge rib extending from the base and terminating prior to reaching the tip end, the leading edge rib configured to form a leading edge chamber in conjunction with the leading edge of the skin;   an inner spar extending between the base and the tip end, the inner spar located between the pressure side of the skin and the lift side of the skin, and further extending from the leading edge rib towards the trailing edge; and   a leading edge air deflector extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin, the leading edge air deflector located between the leading edge rib and the tip end, at least a portion of the leading edge air deflector being intersected by the inner spar between the pressure side of the skin and the lift side of the skin.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the leading edge air deflector is located within the leading edge chamber;
 wherein the leading edge air deflector is configured to redirect cooling air from the leading edge chamber toward the trailing edge; and   wherein the leading edge air deflector is configured to divide cooling air from a single flow in the leading edge chamber to four flows, the four flows divided by the intersection of the leading edge air deflector and the inner spar.   
     
     
         3 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , wherein the leading edge air deflector has a first maximum thickness;
 wherein the leading edge rib has a second maximum thickness; and,   wherein the first maximum thickness of the leading edge air deflector is approximately the same as the second maximum thickness of the leading edge rib.   
     
     
         4 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , wherein the leading edge air deflector is positioned such that an inner gap is made between the leading edge air deflector and the leading edge rib, and an outer gap is made between the leading edge air deflector and the leading edge of the airfoil; and
 wherein the leading edge air deflector is also positioned such that cooling air must pass through either the inner gap or the outer gap to leave the leading edge chamber.   
     
     
         5 . The turbine blade of  claim 4 , wherein the leading edge air deflector is also positioned such that there is at least a twenty percent difference between cooling air that must pass through the inner gap and cooling air that must pass through the outer gap to leave the leading edge chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine blade of  claim 5 , wherein the leading edge air deflector is also positioned such that at least twenty percent more cooling air must pass through the outer gap than through the inner gap to leave the leading edge chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine blade of  claim 4 , wherein the leading edge air deflector has a maximum thickness; and
 wherein the inner gap has a maximum gap distance that is approximately the same as the maximum thickness of the leading edge air deflector.   
     
     
         8 . The turbine blade of  claim 4 , wherein the leading edge rib has a maximum thickness; and
 wherein the inner gap has a minimum gap that is approximately the same as the maximum thickness of the leading edge rib.   
     
     
         9 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , further comprising
 at least one cooling air passageway in the base;   a single-bend heat exchange path within the airfoil, the single-bend heat exchange path interfacing with and beginning at the at least one cooling air passageway in the base, and terminating at the trailing edge, the single-bend heat exchange path configured to redirect the cooling air from the at least one cooling air passageway in the base toward the trailing edge;   wherein the single-bend heat exchange path if further configured to redirect the cooling air such that the cooling air is redirected in a single turn; and   wherein at least a portion of the single-bend heat exchange path is sub-divided by the inner spar.   
     
     
         10 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of trailing edge cooling fins extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin;   a plurality of first inner spar cooling fins extending from the inner spar to the skin on the lift side of the airfoil, wherein the plurality of first inner spar cooling fins extend from the inner spar with a density of at least 80 fins per square inch; and   a plurality of second inner spar cooling fins extending from the inner spar to the skin on the pressure side of the airfoil, wherein the plurality of second inner spar cooling fins extend from the inner spar with a density of at least 80 fins per square inch.   
     
     
         11 . The turbine blade of  claim 1 , wherein the turbine blade is cast from a single material. 
     
     
         12 . A gas turbine engine including a turbine having a turbine rotor assembly that includes a plurality of turbine blades of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A turbine blade for use in a gas turbine engine, the turbine blade comprising:
 a base including at least one cooling air passageway;   an airfoil comprising a skin extending from the base and forming a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, a lift side, and a tip end distal from the base and configured to interrupt the cooling air from escaping the turbine blade and directing the cooling air toward the trailing edge;   a leading edge rib extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin, the leading edge rib extending from the base and terminating prior to reaching the tip end and forming a leading edge chamber between the leading edge rib and the leading edge of the skin;   a single-bend heat exchange path within the airfoil, the single-bend heat exchange path interfacing with and beginning at the at least one cooling air passageway in the base, and terminating at the trailing edge, the single-bend heat exchange path including the leading edge chamber, the single-bend heat exchange path configured to redirect the cooling air from the at least one cooling air passageway in the base toward the trailing edge;   an inner spar extending between the base and the tip end, the inner spar located between the pressure side of the skin and the lift side of the skin, and further extending from the leading edge rib towards the trailing edge; and   a leading edge air deflector extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin, the leading edge air deflector located between the leading edge rib and the tip end, the leading edge air deflector configured to redirect cooling air from the leading edge chamber toward the trailing edge.   
     
     
         14 . The turbine blade of  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the leading edge air deflector is located within the leading edge chamber, and at least a portion of the leading edge air deflector is intersected by the inner spar between the pressure side of the skin and the lift side of the skin; and
 wherein the leading edge air deflector is configured to divide cooling air from the leading edge chamber to four flows divided by the intersection of the inner spar and the leading edge air deflector.   
     
     
         15 . The turbine blade of  claim 13 , wherein the leading edge air deflector is positioned such that an inner gap is made between the leading edge air deflector and the leading edge rib, and an outer gap is made between the leading edge air deflector and the leading edge of the airfoil;
 wherein the leading edge air deflector is also positioned such that cooling air passes through the inner gap or the outer gap to leave the leading edge chamber; and   wherein the leading edge air deflector is also positioned such that at least twenty percent more cooling air must pass through the outer gap than through the inner gap from the leading edge chamber.   
     
     
         16 . The turbine blade of  claim 13 , wherein the leading edge air deflector is positioned such that an inner gap is made between the leading edge air deflector and the leading edge rib, and an outer gap is made between the leading edge air deflector and the leading edge of the airfoil;
 wherein the leading edge air deflector has a first maximum thickness;   wherein the leading edge rib has a second maximum thickness approximately the same as the second maximum thickness of the leading edge rib; and   wherein the inner gap has a minimum gap that is approximately the same as the first maximum thickness of the leading edge air deflector and the second maximum thickness of the leading edge rib.   
     
     
         17 . The turbine blade of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a plurality of trailing edge cooling fins extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin;   a plurality of first inner spar cooling fins extending from the inner spar to the skin on the lift side of the airfoil, wherein the plurality of first inner spar cooling fins extend from the inner spar with a density of at least 80 fins per square inch; and   a plurality of second inner spar cooling fins extending from the inner spar to the skin on the pressure side of the airfoil, wherein the plurality of second inner spar cooling fins extend from the inner spar with a density of at least 80 fins per square inch.   
     
     
         18 . The turbine blade of  claim 13 , wherein the turbine blade is cast from a single material. 
     
     
         19 . A gas turbine engine including a turbine having a turbine rotor assembly that includes a plurality of turbine blades of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         20 . A gas turbine engine including a turbine having a turbine rotor assembly that includes a plurality of turbine blades, each turbine blade including
 a base;   an airfoil comprising a skin extending from the base and forming a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side, and a lift side, the airfoil having tip end distal from the base;   a leading edge rib extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin, the leading edge rib extending from the base and terminating prior to reaching the tip end, the leading edge rib configured to form a leading edge chamber in conjunction with the leading edge of the skin;   an inner spar extending between the base and the tip end, the inner spar located between the pressure side of the skin and the lift side the skin, and further extending from the leading edge rib towards the trailing edge; and   a leading edge air deflector extending from the pressure side of the skin to the lift side of the skin, the leading edge air deflector located between the leading edge rib and the tip end, at least a portion of the leading edge air deflector being intersected by the inner spar between the pressure side of the skin and the lift side of the skin.