Abstract: A turbine engine includes a turbine wheel including a rotor disk and turbine blades connected to the rotor disk through blade mounts. The blade mounts and the rotor disk have fore and aft surfaces. The blade mount includes a blade attachment surface connecting the fore and aft surfaces with the turbine blade extending from the blade attachment surface. A gap is defined between and separating adjacent blade mounts and extends into the rotor disk. The gap includes a pocket having a fore opening and a rotor relief hole. The turbine wheel further includes a plug disposed in a rotor relief opening and a pocket seal disposed in the pocket. The turbine engine further includes a fore seal plate having an edge abutting the blade mounts about a circumference of the turbine wheel and a finger extending toward and contacting the plug to maintain the plug in the rotor relief opening.

Abstract: A turbine engine includes a turbine wheel including a rotor disk and turbine blades connected to the rotor disk through blade mounts. The blade mounts and the rotor disk have fore and aft surfaces. The blade mount includes a blade attachment surface connecting the fore and aft surfaces with the turbine blade extending from the blade attachment surface. A gap is defined between and separating adjacent blade mounts and extends into the rotor disk. The gap includes a pocket having a fore opening and a rotor relief hole. The turbine wheel further includes a plug disposed in a rotor relief opening and a pocket seal disposed in the pocket. The turbine engine further includes a fore seal plate having an edge abutting the blade mounts about a circumference of the turbine wheel and a finger extending toward and contacting the plug to maintain the plug in the rotor relief opening.

Abstract: Turbine wheels, turbine engines, and methods of forming the turbine wheels are provided herein. In an embodiment, a turbine wheel includes a rotor disk and a plurality of turbine blades. Each turbine blade is operatively connected to the rotor disk through a blade mount, which is bonded to the rotor disk. The blade mount and the rotor disk have a fore surface on a higher pressure side thereof and an aft surface on a lower pressure side thereof. The blade mount includes a blade attachment surface that extends between and connects the fore surface and the aft surface. The turbine blade extends from the blade attachment surface. A gap is defined between adjacent blade mounts. The gap separates the blade mounts and extends into the rotor disk. The gap includes a pocket that has a fore opening in the fore surface. A pocket seal is disposed in the pocket.

Abstract: Turbine wheels, turbine engines, and methods of fabricating the turbine wheels are provided. An exemplary method includes fabricating a turbine wheel that includes a rotor disk and a plurality of turbine blades operatively connected to the rotor disk through a blade mount. The method includes locating a cooling passage within a blade mount preliminary configuration and a cooling inlet on a surface of the blade mount preliminary configuration. A rotor disk bonding surface geometry and a blade mount bonding surface geometry are designed based upon a stress analysis of the turbine wheel and locations of the cooling passage and cooling inlet. A rotor disk production configuration and a blade mount production configuration are generated based upon the preliminary configurations. A blade mount and a rotor disk are formed based upon the production configurations. A blade ring including a plurality of blade mounts is formed and bonded to the rotor disk.

Abstract: A turbine blade with an integral flow meter is provided. The turbine blade includes a trailing edge and a leading edge opposite the trailing edge. The turbine blade includes a plurality of cooling passages each having a respective inlet in fluid communication with a source of cooling fluid to receive a cooling fluid. The turbine blade includes a plurality of flow meters, with at least a respective one of the plurality of flow meters associated with a respective one of the plurality of cooling passages at the respective inlet.

Abstract: Turbine wheels, turbine engines, and methods of fabricating the turbine wheels are provided. An exemplary method includes fabricating a turbine wheel that includes a rotor disk and a plurality of turbine blades operatively connected to the rotor disk through a blade mount. The method includes locating a cooling passage within a blade mount preliminary configuration and a cooling inlet on a surface of the blade mount preliminary configuration. A rotor disk bonding surface geometry and a blade mount bonding surface geometry are designed based upon a stress analysis of the turbine wheel and locations of the cooling passage and cooling inlet. A rotor disk production configuration and a blade mount production configuration are generated based upon the preliminary configurations. A blade mount and a rotor disk are formed based upon the production configurations. A blade ring including a plurality of blade mounts is formed and bonded to the rotor disk.

Abstract: A turbine blade with an integral flow meter is provided. The turbine blade includes a trailing edge and a leading edge opposite the trailing edge. The turbine blade includes at least one cooling passage defined internally within the turbine blade, and the at least one cooling passage is in fluid communication with a source of cooling fluid via an inlet to receive a cooling fluid. The turbine blade also includes at least one flow meter formed within the turbine blade at the inlet that supplies the cooling fluid to the at least one cooling passage.

Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a first side wall; a second side wall joined to the first side wall at a leading edge and a trailing edge; and an internal cooling system arranged within the first and second side walls configured to direct cooling air through and out of the airfoil. The internal cooling system has a first cooling circuit that includes an acceleration channel generally extending in a radial outward direction. A first section of the acceleration channel decreases in cross-sectional area along the radial outward direction such that the cooling air is accelerated through the first section of the acceleration channel. The first cooling circuit further includes a trailing edge chamber fluidly coupled to receive at least a portion of the cooling air from the acceleration channel and extending generally in a chordwise aft direction from the acceleration channel to the trailing edge.

Abstract: Turbine wheels, turbine engines, and methods of forming the turbine wheels are provided herein. In an embodiment, a turbine wheel includes a rotor disk and a plurality of turbine blades. Each turbine blade is operatively connected to the rotor disk through a blade mount, which is bonded to the rotor disk. The blade mount and the rotor disk have a fore surface on a higher pressure side thereof and an aft surface on a lower pressure side thereof. The blade mount includes a blade attachment surface that extends between and connects the fore surface and the aft surface. The turbine blade extends from the blade attachment surface. A gap is defined between adjacent blade mounts. The gap separates the blade mounts and extends into the rotor disk. The gap includes a pocket that has a fore opening in the fore surface. A pocket seal is disposed in the pocket.

Abstract: Turbine wheels, turbine engines, and methods of forming the turbine wheels are provided herein. In an embodiment, a turbine wheel includes a rotor disk and a plurality of turbine blades. Each turbine blade is operatively connected to the rotor disk through a blade mount, which is bonded to the rotor disk. The blade mount and the rotor disk have a fore surface on a higher pressure side thereof and an aft surface on a lower pressure side thereof. The blade mount includes a blade attachment surface that extends between and connects the fore surface and the aft surface. The turbine blade extends from the blade attachment surface. A gap is defined between adjacent blade mounts. The gap separates the blade mounts and extends into the rotor disk. The gap includes a pocket that has a fore opening in the fore surface. A pocket seal is disposed in the pocket.

Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes a first side wall; a second side wall joined to the first side wall at a leading edge and a trailing edge; and an internal cooling system arranged within the first and second side walls configured to direct cooling air through and out of the airfoil. The internal cooling system has a first cooling circuit that includes an acceleration channel generally extending in a radial outward direction. A first section of the acceleration channel decreases in cross-sectional area along the radial outward direction such that the cooling air is accelerated through the first section of the acceleration channel. The first cooling circuit further includes a trailing edge chamber fluidly coupled to receive at least a portion of the cooling air from the acceleration channel and extending generally in a chordwise aft direction from the acceleration channel to the trailing edge.

Abstract: Turbine wheels, turbine engines, and methods of fabricating the turbine wheels are provided. An exemplary method includes fabricating a turbine wheel that includes a rotor disk and a plurality of turbine blades operatively connected to the rotor disk through a blade mount. The method includes locating a cooling passage within a blade mount preliminary configuration and a cooling inlet on a surface of the blade mount preliminary configuration. A rotor disk bonding surface geometry and a blade mount bonding surface geometry are designed based upon a stress analysis of the turbine wheel and locations of the cooling passage and cooling inlet. A rotor disk production configuration and a blade mount production configuration are generated based upon the preliminary configurations. A blade mount and a rotor disk are formed based upon the production configurations. A blade ring including a plurality of blade mounts is formed and bonded to the rotor disk.

Abstract: Turbine wheels, turbine engines, and methods of forming the turbine wheels are provided herein. In an embodiment, a turbine wheel includes a rotor disk and a plurality of turbine blades. Each turbine blade is operatively connected to the rotor disk through a blade mount, which is bonded to the rotor disk. The blade mount and the rotor disk have a fore surface on a higher pressure side thereof and an aft surface on a lower pressure side thereof. The blade mount includes a blade attachment surface that extends between and connects the fore surface and the aft surface. The turbine blade extends from the blade attachment surface. A gap is defined between adjacent blade mounts. The gap separates the blade mounts and extends into the rotor disk. The gap includes a pocket that has a fore opening in the fore surface. A pocket seal is disposed in the pocket.

Abstract: A turbine blade with an integral flow meter is provided. The turbine blade includes a trailing edge and a leading edge opposite the trailing edge. The turbine blade includes at least one cooling passage defined internally within the turbine blade, and the at least one cooling passage is in fluid communication with a source of cooling fluid via an inlet to receive a cooling fluid. The turbine blade also includes at least one flow meter formed within the turbine blade at the inlet that supplies the cooling fluid to the at least one cooling passage.

Abstract: The turbine rotor blade includes a platform with a first side and a second side; an airfoil extending from the first side of the platform; and an attachment portion extending from the second side of the platform. The attachment portion includes first and second side surfaces and a base surface on an underside of the attachment portion between the first and second side surface. The base surface includes at least one curved segment or angled segment.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade is provided. The turbine rotor blade includes a root, a platform coupled to the root, and an airfoil extending from the platform. The platform has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side edge, and a pressure side edge. The pressure side edge includes a first concave portion.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade for a turbine section of an engine is provided. The rotor blade includes a platform and an airfoil extending from the platform into a mainstream gas path of the turbine section. The airfoil includes a pressure side wall, a suction side wall joined to the pressure side wall at a leading edge and a trailing edge, and a tip cap extending between the suction side wall and the pressure side wall. The rotor blade further includes an internal cooling circuit having a tip cap passage configured to deliver cooling air to the tip cap and a flow accelerator positioned within the tip cap passage of the internal cooling circuit.

Abstract: A turbine blade includes a blade portion, the blade portion comprising a tip outer wall and a trailing edge, an internal cooling circuit, the internal cooling circuit being configured for directing cooling air within the blade portion, and a tip trailing edge slot positioned adjacent to the tip outer wall and the trailing edge, the tip trailing edge slot being fluidly connected to the internal cooling circuit. The tip outer wall is recessed at the tip trailing edge slot such that the tip outer wall is not provided over the trailing edge slot, thereby allowing cooling air to flow from the cooling circuit, into the trailing edge slot, and radially over the tip outer wall.

Abstract: The turbine rotor blade includes a platform with a first side and a second side; an airfoil extending from the first side of the platform; and an attachment portion extending from the second side of the platform. The attachment portion includes first and second side surfaces and a base surface on an underside of the attachment portion between the first and second side surface. The base surface includes at least one curved segment or angled segment.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade is provided. The turbine rotor blade includes a root, a platform coupled to the root, and an airfoil extending from the platform. The platform has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side edge, and a pressure side edge. The pressure side edge includes a first concave portion.