Gas turbine engine buffer system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10487734-B2
Application number	US-201414246175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2014
Priority date	Jan 31, 2012
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a fan, a compressor section, and a turbine section configured to drive the compressor section and the fan. A buffer system is configured to communicate a buffer supply air to a portion of the gas turbine engine. The buffer system includes a first bleed air supply having a first pressure, a second bleed air supply having a second pressure that is greater than the first pressure, and an ejector that selectively augments the first bleed air supply to prepare the buffer supply air for communication to the portion of the gas turbine engine. A method and a buffer system are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
a fan;
a compressor section;
a turbine section configured to drive said compressor section and said fan; and
a buffer system configured to communicate a buffer supply air to a portion of the gas turbine engine, wherein said portion is at least one bearing structure and said buffer system includes:
a first bleed air supply having a first pressure;
a second bleed air supply having a second pressure that is greater than said first pressure; and

an ejector that selectively augments said first bleed air supply with the second bleed air supply to prepare and discharge said buffer supply air for communication to said portion of the gas turbine engine, wherein a portion of the buffer supply air is communicated to a second portion of the gas turbine engine to deice the second portion.

2. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein said ejector is powered by said second bleed air supply.

3. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 2 , wherein said first bleed air supply is sourced from a location of the gas turbine engine that is upstream from a source of said second bleed air supply.

4. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3 , wherein said ejector augments said first bleed air supply to a higher pressure to prepare said buffer supply air in response to detecting at least one condition of the gas turbine engine.

5. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4 , wherein said first bleed air supply is augmented by said ejector in response to detecting a low power condition of the gas turbine engine.

6. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4 , wherein said first bleed air supply is not augmented by said ejector in response to a high power condition of the gas turbine engine.

7. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4 , comprising a controller that selectively commands said ejector to augment said first bleed supply air in response to detecting said at least one condition of the gas turbine engine.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 7 , comprising a sensor that detects said at least one power condition.

9. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein said at least one bearing structure is a first bearing structure configured to support a shaft interconnecting at least a portion of said compressor section and said turbine section, said first bearing structure including a bearing compartment.

10. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 , wherein said bearing compartment is located upstream from a source of said first bleed air supply and said second bleed air supply.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein said compressor section includes a first compressor upstream of a second compressor, said first bleed air supply and said second bleed air supply each being sourced from said second compressor.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 , wherein said turbine section is configured to drive said fan through a gear arrangement; and said at least one bearing structure includes a second bearing structure and a third bearing structure, said second bearing structure being forward of said geared architecture and said third bearing structure being aft of said geared architecture.

13. A method of designing a buffer system of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising the steps of:
configuring a source to provide a first bleed air supply to an ejector;
configuring a second bleed air supply to said ejector, said second bleed air supply having a pressure that is greater than a pressure of the first bleed air supply;
causing said ejector to selectively augment the first bleed air supply with the second bleed air supply to prepare a buffer supply air for communication to a portion of the gas turbine engine, wherein said portion is at least one bearing structure; and
causing the ejector to communicate a portion of the buffer supply air to a second portion of the gas turbine engine to deice the second portion.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , comprising the step of:
causing said ejector to be powered by the second bleed air supply.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein said step of causing said ejector includes configuring said ejector to augment the buffer supply air in response to identifying a condition of the gas turbine engine.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , comprising the step of:
configuring a controller to identify the condition.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein said step of causing said ejector includes configuring said ejector to communicate the first bleed supply air with augmentation in response to identifying a first condition of the gas turbine engine, and configuring said ejector to communicate the first bleed supply air without augmentation in response to identifying a second condition of the gas turbine engine.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the first condition includes one of a ground condition, a ground idle condition and a descent idle condition.

19. The method as recited in claim 13 , comprising the step of:
causing the ejector to communicate a portion of the buffer supply air to ventilate the gas turbine engine.

20. A buffer system for a gas turbine engine comprising:
an ejector configured to be secured to a static structure and being in fluid communication with a first bleed air supply and a second bleed air supply, said ejector being configured to selectively augment the first bleed air supply with the second bleed air supply to prepare and discharge a buffer supply air for communication to a portion of the gas turbine engine;
wherein said first bleed air supply having a first pressure and said second bleed air supply having a second pressure that is greater than said first pressure;
wherein said portion is at least one bearing structure configured to be secured to the static structure; and
wherein a portion of the buffer supply air is communicated to a second portion of the gas turbine engine to deice the second portion.

21. The buffer system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said ejector is powered by said second bleed air supply.

22. The buffer system as recited in claim 20 , wherein said ejector is configured to augment said first bleed air supply to a higher pressure to prepare said buffer supply air in response to detecting a condition of the gas turbine engine.

23. The buffer system as recited in claim 22 , comprising:
a sensor that detects said the condition; and
a controller that selectively commands said ejector to augment said first bleed supply air in response to said sensor detecting the condition.

24. The buffer system as recited in claim 22 , wherein said first bleed air supply is augmented to a higher pressure by said ejector in response to a first power condition of the gas turbine engine and said first bleed air supply is not augmented by said ejector in response to a second, higher power condition of the gas turbine engine.

25. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein said ejector is configured to receive flow from said first bleed air supply and flow from said second bleed air supply for preparing said buffer supply air.

26. The buffer system as recited in claim 22 , wherein said ejector is configured to receive flow from said first bleed air supply and flow from said second bleed air supply for preparing said buffer supply air.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Munsell Peter M
• Stripinis Philip S

Classifications

• F02C7/06

  Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F02C6/08 Primary

  the gas being bled from the gas-turbine compressor · CPC title

• F01D11/06

  Control thereof · CPC title

• F02C9/18

  by bleeding, bypassing or acting on variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or their stages {(F02C3/113 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F01D11/04

  using sealing fluid, e.g. steam · CPC title