Abstract: An airfoil, and in a disclosed embodiment a rotor blade, has film cooling holes formed at a leading edge. A supplemental film cooling channel is positioned near the leading edge, but spaced toward the trailing edge from the leading edge. The supplemental film cooling channel directs film cooling air onto a suction wall. The supplemental film cooling channel air is generally directed to a location on the suction wall that has raised some challenges in the past. In a disclosed embodiment, the airfoil is provided with a thermal barrier coating, and the supplemental film cooling air protects this thermal barrier coating.

Abstract: A component for use in a gas turbine engine is provided. The component has an airfoil portion with a plurality of internal cooling passages and a non-linear trailing edge. The component further has a non-linear array of teardrop shaped assemblies which form a plurality of injection slots for injecting a coolant fluid into a fluid passing over the airfoil portion. The teardrop shaped assemblies are designed to maximize thermal performance of the component by reducing a relative diffusion angle between the injected coolant flow and the streamline direction of the fluid passing over the airfoil portion.

Abstract: An airfoil, and in a disclosed embodiment a rotor blade, has a serpentine cooling path. To best account for the Coriolis effect, the paths of the serpentine cooling channel have trapezoidal cross-sections. An area of the rotor blade between a smaller side of the trapezoidal-shaped paths, and a facing wall of the rotor blade has high thermal and mechanical stresses, and is a challenge to adequately cool. A microcircuit, which is a very thin cooling circuit having crossing pedestals, is embedded into the blade in this area. The microcircuit provides additional cooling, and addresses the challenges with regard to cooling these areas.

Abstract: An airfoil, and in a disclosed embodiment a rotor blade, has film cooling holes formed at a leading edge. A supplemental film cooling channel is positioned near the leading edge, but spaced toward the trailing edge from the leading edge. The supplemental film cooling channel directs film cooling air onto a suction wall. The supplemental film cooling channel air is generally directed to a location on the suction wall that has raised some challenges in the past. In a disclosed embodiment, the airfoil is provided with a thermal barrier coating, and the supplemental film cooling air protects this thermal barrier coating.

Abstract: An airfoil, and in a disclosed embodiment a rotor blade, has a serpentine cooling path. To best account for the Coriolis effect, the paths of the serpentine cooling channel have trapezoidal cross-sections. An area of the rotor blade between a smaller side of the trapezoidal-shaped paths, and a facing wall of the rotor blade has high thermal and mechanical stresses, and is a challenge to adequately cool. A microcircuit, which is a very thin cooling circuit having crossing pedestals, is embedded into the blade in this area. The microcircuit provides additional cooling, and addresses the challenges with regard to cooling these areas.

Abstract: A component for use in a gas turbine engine is provided. The component has an airfoil portion with a plurality of internal cooling passages and a non-linear trailing edge. The component further has a non-linear array of teardrop shaped assemblies which form a plurality of injection slots for injecting a coolant fluid into a fluid passing over the airfoil portion. The teardrop shaped assemblies are designed to maximize thermal performance of the component by reducing a relative diffusion angle between the injected coolant flow and the streamline direction of the fluid passing over the airfoil portion.

Abstract: A turbine engine component, such as a blade or vane, has a system for cooling a trailing edge portion thereof. The system includes a plurality of rows of pedestals which vary in density along a span of the component. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of rows of pedestals increases as one moves along the span of the component from an inner diameter region to an outer diameter region.