Gas turbine engines with improved compressor blades

Abstract

A rotor blade for a compressor includes a pressure sidewall; a suction sidewall coupled to the pressure sidewall at a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a through hole extending between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rotor blade for a compressor, comprising:
 a pressure sidewall;   a suction sidewall coupled to the pressure sidewall at a leading edge and a trailing edge; and   a through hole extending between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The rotor blade of  claim 1 , wherein the through hole includes an inlet on the pressure sidewall and an outlet on the suction sidewall. 
     
     
         3 . The rotor blade of  claim 2 , wherein the through hole includes a body extending between the inlet and the outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The rotor blade of  claim 3 , wherein the body has a generally circular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         5 . The rotor blade of  claim 4 , wherein the inlet and outlet each has a generally circular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         6 . The rotor blade of  claim 1 , wherein the through hole is configured to bleed air from the pressure sidewall and inject the air at the suction sidewall. 
     
     
         7 . The rotor blade of  claim 1 , wherein the through hole is a first through hole and wherein the rotor blade further comprises at least one additional through hole extending between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall. 
     
     
         8 . The rotor blade of  claim 1 , wherein the through hole is generally straight. 
     
     
         9 . A compressor for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a rotor platform;   a rotor blade extending radially outwardly from the rotor platform, the rotor blade including a pressure sidewall and a circumferentially opposing suction sidewall extending in a radial direction between a root and a tip and in an axial direction between a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the rotor blade includes a through hole extending between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall; and   a casing having an inner surface surrounding the tip, the casing and the rotor platform defining a primary air flow path therebetween to direct a primary air flow in a downstream direction.   
     
     
         10 . The compressor of  claim 9 , wherein the through hole includes an inlet on the pressure sidewall and an outlet on the suction sidewall. 
     
     
         11 . The compressor of  claim 10 , wherein the through hole includes a body extending between the inlet and the outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The compressor of  claim 11 , wherein the body has a generally circular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         13 . The compressor of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet and outlet each has a generally circular cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         14 . The compressor of  claim 9 , wherein the through hole is configured to bleed air from the pressure sidewall and inject the air at the suction sidewall. 
     
     
         15 . The compressor of  claim 9 , wherein the through hole is a first through hole and wherein the rotor blade further comprises at least one additional through hole extending between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall. 
     
     
         16 . The compressor of  claim 9 , wherein the through hole is generally straight. 
     
     
         17 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a fan section configured to draw air into the gas turbine engine;   a compressor section coupled to the fan section and configured to receive and compress the air, the compressor section comprising a plurality of rotor blades, each rotor blade including a pressure sidewall, a suction sidewall coupled to the pressure sidewall at a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a through hole extending between the pressure sidewall and the suction sidewall;   a combustion section coupled to the compressor section and configured to receive the compressed air, mix the compressed air with fuel, and ignite the compressed air and fuel to generate combustion gases;   a turbine section coupled to the combustion section and configured to extract energy from the combustion gases.   
     
     
         18 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 17 , wherein the through hole includes an inlet on the pressure sidewall and an outlet on the suction sidewall, and wherein the through hole includes a body extending between the inlet and the outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 17 , wherein the through hole is configured to bleed air from the pressure sidewall and inject the air at the suction sidewall. 
     
     
         20 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 17 , wherein the compressor section is an axial compressor section.