Method and apparatus for supplying cooling air to a turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10544702-B2
Application number	US-201715411549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2017
Priority date	Jan 20, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A gas turbine engine that includes a turbine interstage region. The turbine interstage region is configured to conduct bore bleed air outwardly. The interstage region includes a central plenum. The interstage region also includes a first mid-seal and a second mid-seal. The central plenum is fluidly connected to bore bleed air by a flow circuit that passes between the first mid-seal and the second mid-seal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine having a turbine interstage region that is configured to conduct bore bleed air outwardly, the interstage region comprising:
a central plenum having an inner boundary element, a forward boundary element, an aft boundary element, and an outer boundary element;
wherein the forward boundary element includes a first mid-seal and the aft boundary element includes a second mid-seal which is spaced-apart from the first mid-seal, and wherein the inner boundary element includes a coupling; a plurality of impeller blades positioned radially inward of the coupling; and
wherein the central plenum is fluidly connected to bore bleed air by a flow circuit that passes between the first mid-seal and the second mid-seal.

2. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , comprising:
an outer band; and
wherein the outer band is fluidly connected to bore bleed air by the flow circuit that passes between the first mid-seal and the second mid-seal.

3. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , comprising:
passageways formed through the coupling; and
wherein the passageways fluidly connect the central plenum with an inner chamber.

4. The gas turbine engine according to claim 3 , comprising:
an outer band plenum;
a nozzle vane positioned radially inward of the outer band plenum; and
a pipe that is positioned through the nozzle vane and fluidly connects the central plenum with the outer band plenum.

5. The gas turbine engine according to claim 4 , wherein the pipe has a plurality of feed holes defined therein.

6. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of radial diffuser vanes positioned in the central plenum.

7. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein the forward boundary element is comprised of a forward stator plate and the aft boundary element is comprised of an aft stator plate.

8. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 , wherein:
the forward boundary element is connected to a first rotor disk;
the aft boundary element is connected to a second rotor disk; and
the outer boundary element is defined by a plurality of nozzle vanes positioned between the first and second rotor disks.

9. A gas turbine engine having an interstage region that is configured to conduct bore bleed air to outer bands of a turbine section, the engine comprising:
a central plenum, wherein the central plenum is defined in part by a coupling positioned radially inward from a nozzle vane;
a plurality of impeller vanes located radially inward of the coupling;
a first mid-seal and a second mid-seal; and
wherein the first mid-seal and the second mid-seal are at different radial distances from an axis of the engine.

10. The gas turbine engine according to claim 9 , wherein a plurality of radial diffuser vanes is located radially outward of the coupling.

11. The gas turbine engine according to claim 10 , wherein a flow circuit flows radially outward from an air duct, through an impeller, the coupling, a diffuser, and a transfer pipe to the central plenum radially outward to the outer bands.

12. A method for supplying cooling air to a turbine in a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas turbine engine is according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
conveying the cooling air along a path defined between a first disk and a second disk radially outward.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of:
conveying the cooling air between the first mid-seal and the second mid-seal to an outer band plenum.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
conveying the air through passageways defined in the coupling that is configured to link the first disk and the second disk.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
conveying the air from the outer band plenum through a pipe that extends through a nozzle vane.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
conveying the air from an inner chamber through the passageways into the central plenum that is defined radially outward of the coupling.

17. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
conveying the air through the plurality of impeller blades positioned radially inward of the coupling.

18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
conveying the air through a plurality of radial diffuser vanes.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Johnson Steven Douglas
• Dinsmore Nicholas R
• Jarboe Daniel Tyler

Classifications

• F01D11/06

  Control thereof · CPC title

• F01D25/12 Primary

  Cooling · CPC title

• F05D2260/20

  Heat transfer, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• F01D11/02

  by non-contact sealings, e.g. of labyrinth type (for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator F01D11/08) · CPC title

• F01D11/001

  for sealing space between stator blade and rotor · CPC title