Separator assembly for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036319-B2
Application number	US-201514867379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

A separator assembly for removing entrained particles from a fluid stream passing through a gas turbine engine includes a first particle separator for separating the fluid stream into a reduced-particle stream and a particle-laden stream, and emitting the particle-laden stream through a scavenge outlet. Another particle remover is fluidly coupled to the scavenge outlet to remove more particles from the air stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A separator assembly for removing entrained particles from a fluid stream passing through a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first particle separator for separating the fluid stream into a reduced-particle stream and a particle-laden stream, comprising:
an inlet receiving the fluid stream;
a reduced-particle outlet emitting the reduced-particle stream; and
a scavenge outlet emitting the particle-laden stream; and

a particle remover fluidly coupled to the scavenge outlet to receive all of the particle-laden stream and form a closed loop separator system and comprising a return outlet emitting a second reduced-particle stream from the particle-laden stream;
wherein the return outlet is fluidly coupled to the first particle separator to return the second reduced-particle stream to the first particle separator; wherein the first particle separator comprises a plurality of swirl vanes located within the fluid stream and imparting a tangential velocity to the fluid stream, thereby providing the fluid stream with a swirling motion downstream of the swirl vane; and wherein the particle remover comprises a filter.

2. The separator assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter is configured to capture particles greater than 0.01 microns in size.

3. The separator assembly of claim 1 wherein the filter comprises a filter media of porous ceramic, porous metal, metal foam, metal fiber, ceramic fiber, metal honeycomb, or ceramic honeycomb.

4. The separator assembly of claim 1 wherein the particle remover comprises a second particle separator separating the particle-laden stream into the second reduced-particle stream and a second particle-laden stream.

5. The separator assembly of claim 4 wherein the second particle separator comprises a swirler imparting a tangential velocity to the particle-laden stream.

6. The separator assembly of claim 5 wherein the second particle separator further comprises a deswirler configured to remove the tangential velocity from the second reduced-particle stream.

7. The separator assembly of claim 5 wherein the second particle separator comprises a scavenge outlet configured to receive the second particle-laden stream.

8. The separator assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the swirl vanes comprises a return passage fluidly coupled with the return outlet and having a passage outlet fluidly coupled to the fluid stream, and wherein the second reduced-particle stream is returned to the fluid stream through the return passage.

9. The separator assembly of claim 8 wherein the at least one of the swirl vanes comprises a root and a tip, with the passage outlet provided at the root and a passage inlet of the return passage provided at the tip.

10. The separator assembly of claim 8 wherein more than one of the plurality of swirl vanes defines a return passage, and the return outlet of the particle remover is fluidly coupled to each return passage.

11. The separator assembly of claim 8 wherein the first particle separator comprises a plurality of deswirl vanes located downstream of the plurality of swirl vanes and removing the tangential velocity from the fluid stream.

12. The separator assembly of claim 11 wherein the first particle separator comprises a body having a peripheral wall defining a flow passage through which the fluid stream flows.

13. The separator assembly of claim 12 wherein the plurality of swirl vanes and plurality of deswirl vanes are located within the body and define a development region therebetween.

14. The separator assembly of claim 13 wherein the return passage is fluidly coupled with the flow passage downstream of the plurality of swirl vanes to return the second reduced-particle stream to the development region.

15. The separator assembly of claim 13 wherein the first particle separator further comprises a centerbody within the peripheral wall, with the development region defined between the peripheral wall and centerbody.

16. The separator assembly of claim 13 wherein the first particle separator further comprises a scavenge annulus within the peripheral wall and defining an annular passage therebetween in fluid communication with the scavenge outlet.

17. The separator assembly of claim 13 wherein the plurality of deswirl vanes are located within the scavenge annulus.

18. The separator assembly of claim 12 wherein the particle remover is disposed about the peripheral wall.

19. The separator assembly of claim 18 wherein the particle remover comprises a filter.

20. The separator assembly of claim 12 wherein the particle remover is coupled with the particle separator via at least one conduit.

21. The separator assembly of claim 20 wherein the at least one conduit comprises a first conduit extending from the scavenge outlet to the particle remover and a second conduit extending from the return outlet to the return passage.

22. The separator assembly of claim 21 wherein the second conduit comprises a plenum located axially to the plurality of swirl vanes and in fluid communication with the return outlet and the return passage.

23. The separator assembly of claim 22 wherein the plenum comprises a volute.

24. A separator assembly for removing entrained particles from a fluid stream passing through a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a first particle separator for separating the fluid stream into a reduced-particle stream and a particle-laden stream, comprising:
a body having a peripheral wall defining a flow passage through which the fluid stream flows;
a centerbody within the peripheral wall;
an inlet receiving the fluid stream;
a reduced-particle outlet emitting the reduced-particle stream; and
a scavenge outlet emitting the particle-laden stream; and

a particle remover located within the centerbody and fluidly coupled to the scavenge outlet to receive all of the particle-laden stream and form a closed loop separator system, comprising:
a return outlet emitting a second reduced-particle stream from the particle-laden stream;
wherein the return outlet is fluidly coupled to the flow passage to return the second reduced-particle stream to the flow passage; further comprising a first vane extending from the centerbody and defining an inlet passage to the second particle separator, wherein the first vane comprises one of a swirl vane or a deswirl vane and the second vane comprises the other one of a swirl vane or a deswirl vane; wherein the particle remover comprises a second particle separator separating the particle-laden stream into the second reduced-particle stream and a second particle-laden stream; and wherein the particle remover comprises a filter.

25. The separator assembly of claim 24 , wherein the centerbody further comprises a return passage coupled with the return outlet.

26. The separator assembly of claim 25 , wherein the return passage comprises a passage outlet within the inlet or the reduced-particle outlet of the first particle separator.

27. The separator assembly of claim 24 wherein the filter is configured to capture particles greater than 0.01 microns in size.

28. The separator assembly of claim 24 wherein the filter comprises a filter media of porous ceramic, porous metal, metal foam, metal fiber, ceramic fiber, metal honeycomb, or ceramic honeycomb.

29. The separator assembly of claim 24 wherein the second particle separator comp

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Murray Robert Carl
• Bourassa Corey
• Parker David Vickery
• Pritchard Jr Byron Andrew
• Ratzlaff Jonathan Russell
• Vining William Collins
• Krammer Erich Alois

Classifications

• B01D45/16 Primary

  generated by the winding course of the gas stream {, the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes} · CPC title

• B04C3/06

  Construction of inlets or outlets to the vortex chamber · CPC title

• B04C2003/006

  Construction of elements by which the vortex flow is generated or degenerated · CPC title

• B01D50/002

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F02C7/052 Primary

  with dust-separation devices · CPC title