General Electric Company
Turbine bucket cooling

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to rotary machines and, more particularly, to the cooling of at least portions of a turbine bucket. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of cooling at least a portion of a turbine bucket, the method comprising: during operation of a turbine, altering a swirl velocity of purge air between a platform lip extending axially from the platform and an angel wing extending axially from a face of a shank portion of the turbine bucket, wherein altering the swirl velocity of the purge air includes interrupting a flow of the purge air with a plurality of turbulators disposed along at least one of a radially inner surface of the platform lip or the face of the shank portion.