Abstract: Accelerators, methods of manufacturing accelerators, and gas turbine engines are provided. For example, an accelerator for a gas turbine engine defines a radial direction and an axial direction and comprises an annular outer wall, an annular inner wall, an annular channel defined between the outer and inner walls, and a plurality of vanes disposed within the channel. The channel has an inlet for ingress of a cooling fluid and an outlet for egress of the cooling fluid. Each vane extends from the outer wall to the inner wall adjacent the outlet, which is angled such that an exit angle of the cooling fluid is nonzero with respect to both the radial and axial directions. The accelerator may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing method. The accelerator outlet may be disposed immediately upstream of a first turbine rotor blade stage of a gas turbine engine to direct the cooling fluid thereto.

Abstract: Accelerators, methods of manufacturing accelerators, and gas turbine engines are provided. For example, an accelerator for a gas turbine engine defines a radial direction and an axial direction and comprises an annular outer wall, an annular inner wall, an annular channel defined between the outer and inner walls, and a plurality of vanes disposed within the channel. The channel has an inlet for ingress of a cooling fluid and an outlet for egress of the cooling fluid. Each vane extends from the outer wall to the inner wall adjacent the outlet, which is angled such that an exit angle of the cooling fluid is nonzero with respect to both the radial and axial directions. The accelerator may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing method. The accelerator outlet may be disposed immediately upstream of a first turbine rotor blade stage of a gas turbine engine to direct the cooling fluid thereto.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor blade 18 includes a dovetail 22 and integral airfoil 24. The airfoil includes a pair of sidewalls 28,30 extending between leading and trailing edges 32,34, and longitudinally between a root 36 and tip 38. The sidewalls are spaced laterally apart to define a flow channel 40 for channeling cooling air through the airfoil. The tip includes a floor 48 atop the flow channel, and a pair of ribs 50,52 laterally offset from respective sidewalls. The ribs are longitudinally tapered for increasing cooling conduction thereof.