TURBINE AIRFOIL COOLING SYSTEM WITH SPANWISE EXTENDING FLOW BLOCKERS

摘要

A cooling system (10) for a turbine airfoil (12) of a gas turbine engine is disclosed, whereby the cooling system (10) includes spanwise extending midflow blockers (14) positioned within one or more cooling channels (16) to maintain an internal through flow channel Mach number. One or more cooling channels (16) may have a larger cross-sectional area proximate to an outer end (18) of the airfoil (12) than at an inner end. One or more cooling channels (16) may include midflow blockers (14) extending into the cooling channel (16). In at least one embodiment, the midflow blocker (14) may extend radially inward from the outer end (18) of the airfoil (12). The midflow blocker (14) may limit movement of cooling fluid from the pressure side (36) to the suction side (38) or vice versa. The midflow blocker (14) may increase in size moving radially outward as the cross-sectional area of the cooling channel (16) increases as well. Such configuration keeps the internal through flow channel Mach number within design limits.