Turbine Blade Cooling Channel Layout for Balanced Outer-Span Cooling

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing turbine blades suffer from imbalanced cooling, particularly in the radially outer regions, and conventional production methods are complex due to the need for multiple core extensions in serpentine cooling channels.

Innovation Solution

A turbine blade design with a cooling channel arrangement featuring an inner channel portion downstream of the leading and trailing portions, connected via a single core extension in the radially outer region, and U-shaped deflecting portions, along with turbulators and film cooling holes, ensures balanced cooling and simplified production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional serpentine cooling channel routing is used, then the cooling channel can be formed with standard casting methods, but the cooling is imbalanced with poor cooling in the radially outer region and trailing edge region

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling efficiency in radially outer regionVSAvoidcooling channel configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channel is segmented into three distinct portions: a leading channel portion extending radially outward near the leading edge, a trailing channel portion extending radially inward near the trailing edge, and an inner channel portion oriented radially between them. This segmentation allows independent optimization of cooling in different regions, particularly improving cooling efficiency in the radially outer region and trailing edge region where conventional serpentine routing fails.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple core extensions are used to define serpentine cooling channels, then the cooling channel shape can be defined, but the mold core becomes unstable and core extensions interfere with each other in the outer region

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling channel shape definitionVSAvoidmold core configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the cooling channel definition from a complex serpentine routing that requires multiple interfering core extensions. Instead, it uses a simplified inner channel portion with a single core extension that defines the cooling channel shape without the complexity of serpentine routing, eliminating core extension interference while maintaining manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Temperature

If channel portions are deflected through about 180° via bent portions, then the serpentine cooling pattern is achieved, but the deflecting portions and adjacent channel portions create complex structures that are difficult to manufacture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling distributionVSAvoidblade production

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using conventional serpentine routing with 180° deflections that create manufacturing complexity, the invention inverts the approach by using an inner channel portion oriented at least predominantly radially between the leading and trailing channel portions. This inverted configuration achieves balanced cooling distribution while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process by eliminating complex deflected portions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design achieves balanced cooling across the blade, particularly in the leading and trailing edges and radially outer regions, with improved efficiency and simplified manufacturing through the use of a single core extension.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling channel arrangement having at least one cooling channel is formed, which cooling channel has a leading channel portion, which extends at least predominantly radially, close to the leading edge, a trailing channel portion, which extends at least predominantly radially, close to the trailing edge, and an inner channel portion, which is situated between these and is oriented at least predominantly radially

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

in relation to a cooling fluid passed through the cooling channel arrangement during cooling operation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS12571316B2Turbine blade, in particular for a gas turbine engine

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 ROLLS ROYCE DEUT LTD & CO KG

AI summary

A turbine blade, having an airfoil and, in an installed state, extending radially with an axial inclination from a leading edge to a trailing edge, and in which a cooling channel is formed. The cooling channel has a leading channel portion, which extends at least predominantly radially, close to the leading edge, a trailing channel portion, which extends at least predominantly radially, close to the trailing edge, and an inner channel portion, situated between these and oriented at least predominantly radially, as well as a first and second deflecting portion, which connect these channel portions. In relation to a cooling fluid passed through the cooling channel arrangement during cooling operation, the leading channel portion or the trailing channel portion forms the inlet-side channel portion. Efficient cooling is brought about by the inner channel portion being arranged downstream of the leading channel portion and of the trailing channel portion.