United Technologies Corporation

Frederick W Steinbauer, Jr

James Preston Downs

Thomas A Auxier

Friedrich O Soechting

Martin G Tabbita

Erik A Lindstrom

A hollow airfoil is provided which includes a body having an external wall and an internal cavity. The external wall includes a suction side portion and a pressure side portion. The portions extend chordwise between a leading edge and a trailing edge and spanwise between an inner radial surface and an outer radial surface. A stagnation line extends along the leading edge. A plurality of cooling apertures, disposed spanwise along the leading edge. According to one aspect of the present invention, the apertures extend through the external wall along a helical path. According to another aspect of the present invention, the apertures are alternately directed towards the suction side portion and the pressure side portions of the airfoil.

Hollow airfoil for a gas turbine engine

To improve cooling and simplify construction the cavity of a hollow airfoil is divided into separate longitudinally extending pressure and suction side compartments each of which extend from the leading edge to the trailing edge portion of the airfoil for providing cooling air to their respective sides of the airfoil. Air enters one compartment from one end of the airfoil and is closed at its opposite end. Air enters the other compartment from the end opposite the inlet end of the first compartment and is closed at its other end. In a preferred embodiment a tubular insert provides the dividing wall between the compartments and forms a plenum within the suction side compartment from which cooling air is directed against the suction-side wall through impingement cooling holes in the insert.

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West Palm Beach, FL, United States of America

Frederick W Steinbauer, Jr