Core to control turbine bucket wall thickness and method

摘要

A core for use in casting a turbine bucket including serpentine cooling passages (18) is divided into two pieces including a leading edge core section (12) and a trailing edge core section (14). Wall thicknesses at the leading edge and the trailing edge of the turbine bucket can be controlled independent of each other by separately positioning the leading edge core section and the trailing edge core section in the casting die. The controlled leading and trailing edge thicknesses can thus be optimized for efficient cooling, resulting in more efficient turbine operation