General Electric Company
TURBINE ROTOR BLADE WITH EXITING HOLE TO DELIVER FLUID TO BOUNDARY LAYER FILM

Abstract:

A turbine blade including an airfoil extending radially from a platform above a shank is disclosed. The airfoil has a leading edge; a trailing edge; and a pressure side wall and a suction side wall extending between the leading edge and trailing edge. The turbine blade includes a chamber in at least one of the airfoil and platform. The chamber is configured to deliver a first fluid therein having a higher pressure than a second fluid in a wheel space adjacent the shank. The turbine blade includes an exiting hole in fluid communication with the chamber, positioned at a location upstream of the leading edge and circumferentially to a side of a selected side wall of the pressure side wall and suction side wall. In operation, the first fluid exits the exiting hole to increase a momentum of a boundary layer film near the selected side wall, preventing wheel space leakage from negatively impacting the boundary layer film.