Gas Turbine Components with Porous Cooling Features

Abstract

The present application provides a hot gas path component for use with a gas turbine engine. The hot gas path component may include an airfoil, an internal cooling cavity, and a porous section created by a direct metal laser melting technique. The porous section may be built into the airfoil or the airfoil may be built separately and attached to the airfoil.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A hot gas path component for use with a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 an airfoil;   an internal cooling cavity; and   a porous section created by a direct metal laser melting technique.   
     
     
         2 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the porous section is built into the airfoil. 
     
     
         3 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the porous section is built separately and attached to the airfoil. 
     
     
         4 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the airfoil comprises a pressure side and a suction side and wherein the porous section is within the suction side. 
     
     
         5 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , further comprising an impingement sleeve adjacent to the porous section. 
     
     
         6 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of film cooling holes adjacent to the porous section. 
     
     
         7 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the porous section comprises a porous media therein. 
     
     
         8 . The hot gas path component of  claim 7 , wherein the porous media comprises a metal foam, a ceramic foam, and/or a carbon fiber foam. 
     
     
         9 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the porous section comprises a porous trailing edge section with an external sleeve thereon in whole or in part. 
     
     
         10 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the porous section comprises one or more porous side sections. 
     
     
         11 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the porous section comprises a porous external section. 
     
     
         12 . The hot gas path component of  claim 11 , wherein the porous external section comprises an external sleeve with a plurality of external film cooling holes. 
     
     
         13 . The hot gas path component of  claim 1 , wherein the porous section comprises a porous internal section. 
     
     
         14 . A method of cooling a hot gas path component for use with a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 providing the hot gas path component with an internal cooling cavity;   creating a porous section via a direct metal laser melting technique;   flowing a cooling medium to the internal cooling cavity; and   flowing the cooling medium through the porous section to provide transpiration cooling.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the creating step comprises building up the porous section on the hot gas path component or building the porous section separately and attaching the porous section to the hot gas path component. 
     
     
         16 . An airfoil for use with a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a pressure side;   a suction side;   an internal cooling cavity; and   a porous section created by a direct metal laser melting technique.   
     
     
         17 . The airfoil of  claim 16 , wherein the porous section is built into the airfoil or the porous section is built separately and attached to the airfoil. 
     
     
         18 . The airfoil of  claim 16 , wherein the porous section comprises a porous trailing edge section. 
     
     
         19 . The airfoil of  claim 16 , wherein the porous section comprises one or more porous side sections. 
     
     
         20 . The airfoil of  claim 16 , wherein the porous section comprises a porous external section and/or a porous internal section.