Cooling of turbine blades

Claim 2

Gas turbine engine comprising a rotor including turbine blades, and having an axis of rotation, a hollow stationary structure situated adjacent the rotor and axially separated therefrom by a space, means provided in the hollow structure defining an annular nozzle concentric with said axis and arranged to communicate the interior of the hollow structure to said space, means provided in the rotor defining an annular arrangement of passages concentric with said axis, means provided in the rotor defining an annular arrangement of inlet openings arranged to confront the nozzle across said space and arranged to communicate the space to the passages, the rotor including radial walls cooperating to define the passages and having edge portions cooperating to define the inlet openings, the edge portions being shaped to define splitters in respect of flow across the space towards the inlet openings, and means defining cooling ducts provided in the blades and arranged to communicate with the passages.

Claim 3

Engine according to claim 1, the rotor comprising an annular extension projecting toward the stationary structure, the inlet openings being defined by the extension at the free end thereof and the extension including said splitters, and means defining passages extending radially through the splitters between parts of said space lying respectively radially inside and outside said extension.

Claim 4

Engine according to claim 2, each said blade comprising a root portion including a said radial wall, the wall having an extension projecting towards the stationary structure, the extension being shaped to define a said splitter, and the root portion including walls extending transversely to the radial wall; wherein the ribs, the extensions and the walls of the respective blades cooperate to define between them said inlet openings and passages.

Claim 5

Engine according to claim 1, the rotor comprising circumferentially arranged walls cooperating with the splitters and with the radial walls to define said passages, and wherein the circumferential walls are divergent in the direction away from the inlet opening to define diffusers.

Claim 6

Engine according to claim 1, the stationary structure including a wall arranged between the interior of the structure and said space, the wall being shaped to define a circumferentially continuous annular outlet opening to said space, the wall further including means defining radially spaced apart annular surfaces which are circumferentially continuous and which are mutually convergent toward and terminating at said opening, the surfaces defining said nozzle, and the wall including duct means for communicating the interior of the structure to the nozzle.

Claim 7

Engine according to claim 1, the stationary structure including a wall separating the interior of the structure from said space, means provided in the wall defining radially spaced apart annular surfaces which are mutually convergent toward said space, vanes connecting said surfaces, the surfaces and vanes defining between them nozzle ducts communicating the interior of the hollow structure to said space, the vanes each having an edge portion shaped to be convergent toward said space and to terminate at a single edge extending between the surfaces and cooperating therewith to define a nozzle throat.

Claim 8

Gas turbine engine comprising a rotor including turbine blades and haVing an axis of rotation, a hollow stationary structure situated adjacent the rotor and axially separated therefrom by a space, means provided in the hollow structure defining an annular nozzle concentric with said axis and arranged to communicate the interior of the hollow structure to said space, the rotor including two radially spaced apart circumferential walls and radial walls extending between the circumferential walls and cooperating therewith to define an annular array of passages concentric with said axis, the circumferential and radial walls further defining in respect of each passage an inlet opening therefor confronting the nozzle and arranged to receive airflow therefrom, the radial walls having edge portions shaped to define splitters in respect to said flow, the circumferential walls being divergent in the direction away from the inlet openings to define diffusers, and means defining cooling ducts provided in the blades and arranged to communicate with the passages.

Claim 9

Gas turbine engine comprising a rotor including turbine blades and haVing an axis of rotation, a hollow stationary structure situated adjacent the rotor and axially separated therefrom by a space, means provided in the hollow structure defining an annular nozzle concentric with said axis and arranged to communicate the interior of the hollow structure to said space, the rotor including two radially spaced apart circumferential walls and radial walls extending between the circumferential walls and cooperating therewith to define an annular array of passages concentric with said axis, the circumferential and radial walls further defining in respect of each passage an inlet opening therefor confronting the nozzle and arranged to receive airflow therefrom, the radial walls having edge portions shaped to define splitters in respect to said flow, the circumferential walls being divergent in the direction away from the inlet openings to define diffusers, and means defining cooling ducts provided in the blades and arranged to communicate with the passages.