Cooled pocket in a turbine vane platform

Abstract

An airfoil includes a platform including a pocket, a continuous solid cover plate bonded over the pocket, and a plurality of apertures in the platform in fluid communication with the pocket and adjacent the continuous solid cover plate. A gas turbine engine including the airfoil and a method of cooling an article of a gas turbine engine are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An airfoil, comprising:
 a platform including a pocket;   a continuous solid cover plate bonded over the pocket; and   a plurality of apertures in the platform in fluid communication with the pocket and adjacent the continuous solid cover plate.   
     
     
         2 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the cover plate includes a contour extending into the pocket to define a height of the pocket. 
     
     
         3 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the cover plate is bonded over the pocket by being welded to the platform. 
     
     
         4 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein a total cross-section of the plurality of apertures is less than approximately 30% of a cross-section of the pocket. 
     
     
         5 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a first set of apertures adjacent a first side of the cover plate and a second set of apertures adjacent a second side of the cover plate, the second side being opposite the first side. 
     
     
         6 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein the pocket includes a heat-transfer-enhancing surface feature. 
     
     
         7 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein a first side of the platform is adjacent a gas path, and where in the pocket is in a second side opposite the first side. 
     
     
         8 . The airfoil of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the pocket is substantially uniform. 
     
     
         9 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a compressor section;   a turbine section downstream from the compressor section; and   a combustor section in communication with the compressor section and the turbine section;   wherein at least one of the compressor and turbine sections includes a platform including a pocket in a first side of the platform, an airfoil extending from a second side of the platform opposite the first side, a continuous solid cover plate bonded over the pocket, and a plurality of apertures in the platform adjacent the continuous solid cover plate in fluid communication with the pocket.   
     
     
         10 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a first set of apertures adjacent a first side of the cover plate and a second set of apertures adjacent a second side of the cover plate, the second side being opposite the first side. 
     
     
         11 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 10 , wherein cooling air is supplied to the first set of apertures from the compressor section. 
     
     
         12 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 11 , wherein the first side of the platform is radially inward from the second side with respect to a longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         13 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 9 , wherein the platform is a first platform, and further comprising a second platform, the airfoil supported between the first and second platforms. 
     
     
         14 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 13 , wherein the first platform is radially inward from the second platform with respect to a longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         15 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 9 , wherein the airfoil is cantilever-mounted on the platform. 
     
     
         16 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 9 , wherein the platform and airfoil are in the turbine section. 
     
     
         17 . A method of cooling an article of a gas turbine engine, comprising the steps of:
 supplying cooling air to a pocket in a platform covered by a continuous solid cover plate via a first set of apertures adjacent to a first side of the continuous solid cover plate; and   removing cooling air from the pocket via a second set of apertures adjacent to a second side of the continuous solid cover plate, the second side being opposite the first side.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of cooling an article with the cooling air prior to the supplying step. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the cooling air is supplied from a compressor section. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the article is an airfoil supported on the platform.