Compressor stator inner diameter platform bleed system

The present invention relates to a bleed system for extracting turbine cooling air from a compressor stage of a turbine engine.

In order to ensure sufficient pressure differential to drive a bleed flow, bleed ports are located aft of a vane trailing edge where the static pressure, which increases with axial distance, is highest. However, in the vicinity of the vane trailing edge, the gas path air has little or no tangential velocity. As a result, the air introduced into an annular cavity radially inboard of the vane platform is accelerated to compressor wheel speed by the compressor disks that axially bound the annular cavity. The acceleration of the air in the annular cavity elevates the air temperature, which is highly disadvantageous from the standpoint of component cooling and engine efficiency.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bleed system which takes advantage of the tangential velocity component of the air coming off the trailing edges of upstream blades to avoid a temperature rise.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bleed system as above which improves engine efficiency.

The foregoing objects are attained by the bleed system of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, a bleed system for a compressor stage of a turbine engine is provided. The bleed system broadly comprises a plurality of blades with each of the blades having an airfoil member extending from a platform structure, a plurality of interblade passages formed by adjacent ones of the airfoil members and adjacent ones of the platform structures, and a bleed hole located in at least some of the interblade passages for extracting a portion of a fluid flowing through each interblade passage. The system further has means for tangentially injecting the extracted air in a direction of rotation.

The invention also relates to a component for use in a turbine engine. The component broadly comprises a blade having an airfoil member with a pressure side and a suction side. The blade further has a platform structure and a bleed hole in the platform structure.

Other details of the bleed system of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages attendant thereto, are set forth in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a compressor stage having the bleed system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the bleed system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the bleed system of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is another sectional view of the bleed system of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a portion of a compressor stage of a turbine engine. As can be seen in these figures, the compressor stage has a plurality of blades or vanes 10 , such as stator vanes, with adjacent ones of the blades 10 forming interblade passages 12 . Each of the stator blades 10 has an airfoil member 14 and a platform structure 16 . The blade platform structures 16 form an inner endwall 18 for the passages 12 .

Each airfoil member 14 has a leading edge 20 , a pressure side 22 , and a suction side 24 . Each interblade passage 12 is bounded on one side by the suction side 24 of a first airfoil member 14 and the pressure side 22 of a second adjacent airfoil member 14 .

In accordance with the present invention, at least some, if not all, of the interblade passages 12 are provided with a bleed hole 30 for extracting a portion of the fluid passing through the interblade passage. Each bleed hole 30 may be machined into the platform structure 16 of a respective blade 10 . Each bleed hole 30 is preferably located closer to the airfoil member 14 having the pressure side 22 than it is to the airfoil member 14 having the suction side 24 . By taking advantage of the passagewise pressure gradient, the bleed can deliver cooling air at a pressure level equivalent to stator trailing edge pressure. Further, each bleed hole 30 is located in close proximity to the leading edge 20 of the airfoil member 14 having the pressure side 22 . The bleed is located axially in the stator passage at the point where the pressure side bleed pressure is equivalent to stator trailing edge pressure. It is desirable to have the bleed as close to the leading edge as possible to obtain the highest tangential velocity. By positioning each bleed hole 30 in this location, one is able to take advantage of the tangential velocity component of the fluid coming off the trailing edges of upstream blades (not shown).

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the bleed system of the present invention further comprises a plurality of passageways 40 internal to the endwall structure. Each passageway 40 is machined into the platform structure of a respective blade 10 . Each passageway 40 communicates with a respective bleed hole 30 and terminates in an injection hole 42 . As can be seen from FIG. 4, each passageway 40 has a first portion 44 which receives extracted fluid from the bleed hole 30 and a second portion 46 which extends between the first portion 44 and the injection hole 42 . The second portion 46 is angled relative to the first portion 44 so that the injection hole 42 is axially offset from the bleed hole 30 . The second portion 46 is angled so that bleed fluid is delivered by the injection hole 42 tangentially in the direction of rotation of the compressor rotor into an inner diameter cavity 50 . The bleed fluid, usually air, thus introduced into the cavity 50 may be used for a wide variety of purposes such as turbine cooling air. By injecting the bleed fluid in this manner, the injected fluid will be swirled in the direction of rotation to minimize any temperature rise that would otherwise be imparted to the fluid as compressor disks accelerate the air to the disk speed inboard of the compressor flowpath.

The bleed system of the present invention allows an engine designer to use less cooling air which improves engine efficiency, or run hotter without sacrificing durability and component life.

It is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention a compressor stator inner diameter platform bleed system which fully satisfies the objects, means, and advantages set forth hereinbefore. While the present invention has been described in the context of specific embodiments thereof, other alternatives, modifications, and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art having read the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace those alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the broad scope of the appended claims.