The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 2009
Filed:
Feb. 15, 2006
Gary Michael Itzel, Simpsonville, SC (US);
Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala, Simpsonville, SC (US);
Doyle C. Lewis, Greer, SC (US);
Calvin Levy Sims, Mauldin, SC (US);
Gary Michael Itzel, Simpsonville, SC (US);
Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala, Simpsonville, SC (US);
Doyle C. Lewis, Greer, SC (US);
Calvin Levy Sims, Mauldin, SC (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for cooling rotor blades of a gas turbine are provided. The turbine blade has an airfoil connected to the platform and a dovetail extending from the platform. A main cooling circuit extends through the dovetail and into the airfoil. The main cooling circuit includes an exit for main cooling flow from the airfoil to exit out through the dovetail. In one aspect, the method includes the steps of extracting a portion of the coolant flowing through the main cooling circuit into a platform cooling circuit. After cooling a portion of the platform, the platform cooling flow splits with one portion of the flow rejoining the main cooling circuit and is used to cool the airfoil. The rest of the platform cooling flow continues to cool the platform and then returns to the main cooling circuit to flow through the exit.