Platform cooling of a turbine blade assembly

Abstract

A turbine blade generally includes a platform having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side slash face and a suction side slash face. A platform cooling circuit extends within the platform. The platform cooling circuit may extend from the suction side of the platform to the pressure side of the platform. The platform cooling circuit generally defines a fluid flow path that directs a cooling medium from the platform suction side to the platform pressure side.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine blade, comprising:
 a. a platform having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side slash face and a suction side slash face;   b. a platform cooling circuit within the platform, wherein the platform cooling circuit extends from the suction side to the pressure side of the platform; and   c. wherein the platform cooling circuit defines a fluid flow path that directs a cooling medium from the platform suction side to the platform pressure side.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine blade as in  claim 1 , wherein the platform cooling circuit reverses direction at least once along the pressure side of the platform. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine blade as in  claim 1 , wherein the platform cooling circuit reverses direction at least once along the suction side of the platform. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine blade as in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one outlet port in fluid communication with the platform cooling circuit. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine blade as in  claim 4 , wherein the at least one outlet port provides fluid communication through at least one of the pressure side slash face or the suction side slash face. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine blade as in  claim 4 , wherein the platform further includes a top surface that extends between the platform leading edge, the pressure side slash face and the suction side slash face, the at least one outlet port extending through the top surface of the platform. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine blade as in  claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust passage that extends within the platform generally parallel to the leading edge, the exhaust passage fluidly connected to the pressure side portion of the platform cooling circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine blade as in  claim 1 , further comprising an airfoil that extends from the platform, the airfoil at least partially separating the platform pressure side from the platform suction side. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine blade as in  claim 8 , wherein the platform cooling circuit passes under the airfoil from the suction side to the pressure side of the platform. 
     
     
         10 . A turbine blade, comprising:
 a. a main body defining a primary cooling circuit within the main body;   b. a platform that at least partially surrounds the main body, the platform having a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side slash face and a suction side slash face;   c. a platform cooling circuit within the platform, the platform cooling circuit in fluid communication with the primary cooling circuit of the main body; and   d. wherein the platform cooling circuit extends within the platform from a point on the suction side of the platform, along the trailing edge and to the pressure side of the platform, the platform cooling circuit defining a fluid flow path that directs a cooling medium from the primary cooling circuit of the main body, across the platform trailing edge and to the platform pressure side.   
     
     
         11 . The turbine blade as in  claim 10 , further comprising at least one outlet port in fluid communication with the platform cooling circuit. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine blade as in  claim 11 , wherein the at least one outlet port extends through at least one of the pressure side slash face or the suction side slash face of the platform. 
     
     
         13 . The turbine blade as in  claim 11 , wherein the platform further includes a top surface that extends between the platform leading edge, the pressure side slash face and the suction side slash face, the at least one outlet port extending through the top surface of the platform. 
     
     
         14 . The turbine blade as in  claim 10 , wherein the platform cooling circuit reverses direction at least once along the pressure side of the platform. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine blade as in  claim 10 , wherein the platform cooling circuit reverses direction at least once along the trailing edge of the platform. 
     
     
         16 . The turbine blade as in  claim 10 , wherein the at least one outlet port includes a first outlet port and a second outlet port. 
     
     
         17 . The turbine blade as in  claim 16 , wherein the platform further includes a top surface that extends between the platform leading edge, the pressure side slash face and the suction side slash face, the first outlet port extends through at least one of the pressure side slash face or the suction side of the platform, and the second outlet port extends through the platform top surface. 
     
     
         18 . The turbine blade as in  claim 10 , wherein the platform cooling circuit extends across the leading edge of the platform. 
     
     
         19 . The turbine blade as in  claim 10 , further comprising an airfoil that extends from the platform, the airfoil at least partially separating the platform pressure side from the platform suction side, wherein the platform cooling circuit passes under the airfoil from the suction side to the pressure side of the platform. 
     
     
         20 . A gas turbine, comprising:
 a. a compressor, a combustor downstream form the compressor and a turbine downstream from the combustor, the turbine having at least one turbine blade;   b. a platform that at least partially surrounds the turbine blade, the platform having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a pressure side slash face, a suction side slash face, and a top surface, the top surface having a pressure side and a suction side, the platform defining one or more outlet ports that extend through at least one of the pressure side slash face, the suction side slash face or the top surface of the platform;   c. a platform cooling circuit within the platform and in fluid communication with the at least one outlet port, wherein the platform cooling circuit extends beneath the top surface of the platform from a point generally adjacent to the suction side slash face, along the trailing edge and to the pressure side of the platform; and   d. wherein the platform cooling circuit defines a fluid flow path that directs a cooling medium from the platform suction side to the platform pressure side and exhaust the cooling medium through the at least one outlet port.