US Patent 7195448 Cooled rotor blade

A rotor blade is provided that includes a root, a hollow airfoil, and a conduit disposed within the root. The hollow airfoil has a cavity defined by a suction side wall, a pressure side wall, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a base, and a tip. An internal passage configuration is disposed within the cavity. The configuration includes a first radial passage, a second radial passage, a rib disposed between and separating the first radial passage and second radial passage, a plurality of crossover apertures disposed within the rib, and a plurality of trip strips disposed within the second radial passage. The trip strips are attached to an interior surface of one or both of the pressure side wall and the suction side wall. The trip strips are disposed within the first radial passage at an angle α that is skewed relative to a cooling airflow direction within the first radial passage, and positioned such that each of the plurality of trip strips converges toward the rib. The rib end of at least a portion of the plurality of trip strips is located between a pair of adjacent crossover apertures. The conduit is operable to permit airflow through the root and into the first passage.