Method and apparatus for undercowl flow diversion cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10583933-B2
Application number	US-201615284001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2016
Priority date	Oct 3, 2016
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A cooling system includes a first conduit positioned within a cavity and extends from a radially inner casing aperture to a radially outer casing aperture. The cooling system also includes a second conduit coupled in flow communication with the first conduit and extending into the cavity. The cooling system further includes at least one valve positioned within the first conduit and the second conduit. The at least one valve and the first conduit are configured to channel a first fluid from the radially inner casing aperture to the radially outer casing aperture during a first mode of operation. The at least one valve, the second conduit, and the first conduit are configured to channel a second fluid from the radially outer casing aperture to the cavity during a second mode of operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a core engine comprising a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine in a serial flow arrangement;
an upper portion of said gas turbine engine;
a lower portion of said gas turbine engine opposite said upper portion of said gas turbine engine;
an inner casing wall circumscribing said core engine, said inner casing wall defining a plurality of inner casing apertures;
an outer casing wall circumscribing said inner casing wall, said inner casing wall and said outer casing wall defining at least one cavity therebetween, said at least one cavity extends from the outer casing wall to said inner casing wall, said outer casing wall defining a plurality of outer casing apertures; and
at least one cooling system comprising:
a first conduit extending between a first inner casing aperture of said plurality of inner casing apertures and a first outer casing aperture of said plurality of outer casing apertures;
a second conduit having an end coupled in flow communication to said first conduit and a second conduit exit disposed within said at least one cavity and positioned facilitate cooling of said at least one cavity;
a first valve operatively coupled to control a first flow of fluid through said first conduit; and
a second valve operatively coupled to control at least one of a second flow of fluid or a third flow of fluid through said second conduit and between said first outer casing aperture and said at least one cavity;
wherein during a first mode of operation said first conduit channels the first flow of fluid from said first inner casing aperture to said first outer casing aperture, during a second mode of operation a portion of said first conduit and said second conduit channel the second fluid from said first outer casing aperture to said at least one cavity, during a third mode of operation said portion of said first conduit and said second conduit channel said third flow of fluid from said at least one cavity to said first outer casing aperture.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein said at least one cooling system comprises a first cooling system and a second cooling system.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein said first cooling system is operatively coupled with said upper portion of said gas turbine engine.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein said second cooling system is operatively coupled with said lower portion of said gas turbine engine.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein during said first mode of operation said first valve is in an open position and said second valve is in a closed position.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein during said second mode of operation said first valve is in a closed position and said second valve is in an open position.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein during said third mode of operation said first valve is in a closed position and said second valve is in an open position.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the second mode comprises an aircraft in one of a descent configuration or a taxi configuration following a landing.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the third mode comprises an aircraft which has ceased operation.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein said portion of said first conduit and said second conduit define an escape route for hot air within said cavity when in said third mode of operation, wherein allowing the hot air within the cavity to escape reduces a temperature within the cavity and mitigates an effect of soakback.

11. A method of cooling a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
a core engine of said gas turbine engine comprising a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine in a serial flow arrangement;
an upper portion of said gas turbine engine;
a lower portion of said gas turbine engine opposite said upper portion of said gas turbine engine;
an inner casing wall circumscribing said core engine, said inner casing wall defining a plurality of inner casing apertures;
an outer casing wall circumscribing said inner casing wall, said inner casing wall and said outer casing wall defining at least one cavity therebetween, said at least one cavity extends from the outer casing wall to said inner casing wall, said outer casing wall defining a plurality of outer casing apertures; and
at least one cooling system comprising:
a first conduit extending between a first inner casing aperture of said plurality of inner casing apertures and a first outer casing aperture of said plurality of outer casing apertures;
a second conduit having an end coupled in flow communication to said first conduit and a second conduit exit disposed within said at least one cavity and positioned facilitate cooling of said at least one cavity;
a first valve operatively coupled to control a first flow of fluid through said first conduit; and
a second valve operatively coupled to control at least one of a second flow of fluid or a third flow of fluid through said second conduit and between said first outer casing aperture and said at least one cavity;
the method further comprising:
in a first mode of operation, said first conduit channeling a first flow of fluid from a compressor bleed port to ambient;
in a second mode of operation, said first conduit and said second conduit channeling a second flow of fluid from ambient to said at least one cavity; and
in a third mode of operation, said portion of said first conduit and said second conduit channeling a third flow of fluid from the at least one cavity to ambient.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling the first flow of fluid with the first valve.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising controlling the second flow of fluid with the second valve.

14. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a core engine comprising a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine in a serial flow arrangement;
an upper portion of said gas turbine engine;
a lower portion of said gas turbine engine opposite said upper portion of said gas turbine engine;
an inner casing wall circumscribing said core engine, said inner casing wall defining a plurality of inner casing apertures;
an outer casing wall circumscribing said inner casing wall, said inner casing wall and said outer casing wall defining at least one cavity therebetween, said at least one cavity extends from the outer casing wall to said inner casing wall, said outer casing wall defining a plurality of outer casing apertures; and
at least one cooling system comprising:
a first conduit extending between a first inner casing aperture of said plurality of inner casing apertures and a first outer casing aperture of said plurality of outer casing apertures;
a second conduit having an end coupled in flow communication to said first conduit and a second conduit opening disposed within said at least one cavity;
a three-way valve coupled in flow communication with said first conduit and said second conduit; and
wherein during a first mode of operation said three-way valve permits said first conduit to channel the first flow of fluid from said first inner casing aperture to said first outer casing aperture, during a second mode of operation said three-way valve permits said second conduit to channel the second fluid from said first outer casing aperture to said at least one cavity, during a third mode of operation said three-way valve permits a portion of said first conduit and said second conduit to channel said third flow of fluid from said at least one cavity to said first outer casing aperture.

15. The gas turbine engi

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Elbibary Mohamed
• Wiberg Clark George
• Clarke Brandon Christopher
• Nolte Steven Edward

Classifications

• F02K3/075

  controlling flow ratio between flows · CPC title

• F02C7/18

  the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F05D2260/20

  Heat transfer, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• B64D27/16

  of jet type · 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