Aerodynamic element of turbine engine

Abstract

An aerodynamic element of a turbine engine is provided and includes leading and trailing edges defined with respect to a predominant direction of a flow of working fluid through a pathway defined through the turbine engine, suction and pressure sides oppositely extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge and at least first and second contour features proximate to the leading edge on the suction side. The first and second contour features are substantially aligned along a spanwise dimension of the aerodynamic element.

1 . An aerodynamic element of a turbine engine, comprising:
 leading and trailing edges defined with respect to a predominant direction of a flow of working fluid through a pathway defined through the turbine engine;   suction and pressure sides oppositely extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and   at least first and second contour features proximate to the leading edge on the suction side,   the first and second contour features being substantially aligned along a spanwise dimension of the aerodynamic element.   
     
     
         2 . The aerodynamic element of the turbine engine according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second contour features comprises one of a protrusion or a depression. 
     
     
         3 . The aerodynamic element of the turbine engine according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second contour features comprises a teardrop shape. 
     
     
         4 . The aerodynamic element of the turbine engine according to  claim 3 , wherein each teardrop shaped contour feature comprises a bulbous front end and a narrowed tail end. 
     
     
         5 . The aerodynamic element of the turbine engine according to  claim 4 , wherein the bulbous front end has a convex shape and the narrowed tail end has a concave shape. 
     
     
         6 . The aerodynamic element of the turbine engine according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second contour features have substantially similar shapes. 
     
     
         7 . A turbine engine through which a pathway is defined, comprising:
 an aerodynamic element disposed to traverse the pathway, the aerodynamic element including leading and trailing edges defined with respect to a predominant direction of a flow of working fluid through the pathway and suction and pressure sides oppositely extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and   at least first and second contour features proximate to the leading edge and to one another on the suction side,   the first and second contour features being substantially aligned along a spanwise dimension of the aerodynamic element to encourage counter-rotating vortex flow generation oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to a main flow direction along the suction side.   
     
     
         8 . The turbine engine according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second contour features comprises one of a protrusion or a depression. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine engine according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second contour features comprises a teardrop shape. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine engine according to  claim 9 , wherein each teardrop shaped contour feature comprises a bulbous front end and a narrowed tail end. 
     
     
         11 . The turbine engine according to  claim 10 , wherein the bulbous front end has a convex shape and the narrowed tail end has a concave shape. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine engine according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second contour features have substantially similar shapes. 
     
     
         13 . A turbine engine through which a pathway is defined, comprising:
 an aerodynamic element disposed to traverse the pathway, the aerodynamic element including leading and trailing edges defined with respect to a predominant direction of a flow of working fluid through the pathway and suction and pressure sides oppositely extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge; and   contour features arrayed proximate to the leading edge and to one another on the suction side,   each of the contour features being substantially aligned with an adjacent contour feature along a spanwise dimension of the aerodynamic element to encourage counter-rotating vortex flow generation oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to a main flow direction along the suction side.   
     
     
         14 . The turbine engine according to  claim 13 , wherein each of the contour features comprises a protrusion. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine engine according to  claim 13 , wherein each of the contour features comprises a teardrop shape. 
     
     
         16 . The turbine engine according to  claim 15 , wherein each of the teardrop shaped contour features comprises a bulbous front end and a narrowed tail end. 
     
     
         17 . The turbine engine according to  claim 16 , wherein the bulbous front end has a convex shape and the narrowed tail end has a concave shape. 
     
     
         18 . The turbine engine according to  claim 15 , wherein each of the contour features comprises a depression. 
     
     
         19 . The turbine engine according to  claim 15 , wherein each of the contour features has a substantially similar shape as another one of the contour features. 
     
     
         20 . The turbine engine according to  claim 15 , wherein shapes or sizes of each of the contour features steadily vary along a span of the aerodynamic element.