Rolls-Royce Corporation

David W Artt

Brian Barry

Susan M Allen

John H Sadler

A heat pipe, which may for instance be in the form of an aerofoil blade for a gas turbine engine, is provided with capillary means which is in two different forms. One form is constituted by a porous material and the other constituted by grooves formed in the surface of the internal wall of the heat pipe.

Heat pipes

A gas turbine engine has a turbine which includes an annular array of rotary aerofoil blades surrounded by an annular shroud member. All or a major portion of the annular shroud member is constituted by a heat pipe. A distance measuring device is provided to measure the clearance between the tips of the rotary aerofoil blades and the shroud member and its output is monitored by a control unit. The control unit is adapted to control a valve which regulates the flow rate of cooling air directed onto the heat pipe. The arrangement is such that the temperature of the heat pipe is maintained at a level which is consistent with the clearance between the rotary aerofoil blade tips and the annular shroud member being within a predetermined range of values.

Gas turbine engine

An aerofoil blade for a gas turbine engine is in the form of a heat pipe. The aerofoil blade has an internal passageway adapted to contain a secondary structure and to thermally insulate that secondary structure from the remainder of the aerofoil blade by, for instance, the provision of a cooling air passage between the internal passageway and secondary structure.

Isothermal aerofoil with insulated internal passageway

A stator aerofoil blade for a gas turbine engine is manufactured in the form of a heat pipe so that during engine operation, the blade remains substantially isothermal. Localized thermal gradients within the blade are minimized thereby reducing the possibility of blade distortion or cracking. A shroud ring for a gas turbine engine is manufactured in the form of a heat pipe so that during engine operation, the ring remains substantially isothermal. Localized thermal gradients within the ring are minimized, thereby reducing the possibility of ring distortion occurring.

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Belfast, United Kingdom

David W Artt