Cooled rotor blade with leading edge impingement cooling

Abstract

A rotor blade is provided having a hollow airfoil and a root. The hollow airfoil has a cavity defined by a suction side wall, a pressure side wall, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a base, and a tip. An internal passage configuration is disposed within the cavity. The configuration includes a first radial passage, a second radial passage, and a rib disposed between and separating the first radial passage and second radial passage. A plurality of crossover apertures are disposed within the rib. A portion of the plurality of crossover apertures are oblong having a length extending through the rib, and a height and a width. The height of each oblong aperture is greater than the width. In some embodiments, the oblong crossover apertures are aligned heightwise along the rib. The root includes a conduit that is operable to permit airflow through the root and into the first radial passage.

1 . A rotor blade, comprising: 
 a hollow airfoil having a cavity defined by a suction side wall, a pressure side wall, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a base, and a tip;    an internal passage configuration disposed within the cavity, which configuration includes a first radial passage, a second radial passage, a rib disposed between and separating the first radial passage and second radial passage, and a plurality of crossover apertures disposed within the rib, wherein a portion of the plurality of crossover apertures are oblong having a length extending through the rib, and a height and a width, and wherein the height of each oblong crossover aperture is greater than the width;    a root having a conduit that is operable to permit airflow through the root and into the first radial passage.    
   
   
       2 . The rotor blade of  claim 1 , wherein substantially all of the crossover apertures are oblong.  
   
   
       3 . The rotor blade of  claim 2 , wherein the height of each crossover aperture is approximately twice the magnitude of the width of that crossover aperture.  
   
   
       4 . The rotor blade of  claim 1 , wherein the oblong crossover apertures are aligned heightwise along the rib.  
   
   
       5 . The rotor blade of  claim 4 , wherein the second radial passage is contiguous with the leading edge.  
   
   
       6 . A rotor blade, comprising: 
 a hollow airfoil having a cavity defined by a suction side wall, a pressure side wall, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a base, and a tip;    an internal passage configuration disposed within the cavity, which configuration includes a first radial passage, a second radial passage, a rib disposed between and separating the first radial passage and second radial passage, and a plurality of crossover apertures disposed within the rib, wherein a portion of the plurality of crossover apertures are oblong having a length extending through the rib, and a height and a width, and wherein the height of each oblong crossover aperture is greater than the width, and wherein the rib is separated from the leading edge by a distance “L”, and the oblong crossover apertures have a hydraulic diameter “D”, and the ratio of L/D is on average in the approximate range of 2.8 to 3.0; and    a root having a conduit that is operable to permit airflow through the root and into the first radial passage.    
   
   
       7 . The rotor blade of  claim 6 , wherein substantially all of the crossover apertures are oblong.  
   
   
       8 . The rotor blade of  claim 7 , wherein the height of each crossover aperture is approximately twice the magnitude of the width of that crossover aperture.  
   
   
       9 . The rotor blade of  claim 6 , wherein the oblong crossover apertures are aligned heightwise along the rib.