Intercooled cooling air with combined features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10738703-B2
Application number	US-201815928506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a plurality of rotating components housed within a main compressor section and a turbine section. A first tap is connected to the main compressor section and configured to deliver air at a first pressure. A heat exchanger is connected downstream of the first tap. A cooling air valve is configured to selectively block flow of cooling air across the heat exchanger. A cooling compressor is connected downstream of the heat exchanger. A shut off valve stops flow between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor. A second tap is configured to deliver air at a second pressure which is higher than the first pressure. A mixing chamber is connected downstream of the cooling compressor and the second tap. The mixing chamber is configured to deliver air to at least one of the plurality of rotating components. A system stops flow between the cooling compressor and the plurality of rotating components. A controller is configured to modulate flow between the heat exchanger and the plurality of rotating components under certain power conditions of the gas turbine engine. The controller is programmed to control the cooling air valve, the shut off valve and the system such that flow is stopped between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor only after the cooling compressor has been stopped.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a plurality of rotating components housed within a main compressor section and a turbine section;
a first tap connected to said main compressor section and configured to deliver air at a first pressure;
a heat exchanger connected downstream of said first tap;
a cooling air valve configured to selectively block flow of cooling air across the heat exchanger;
a cooling compressor connected downstream of said heat exchanger, a drive for said cooling compressor;
a shut off valve for stopping flow between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor;
a second tap configured to deliver air at a second pressure which is higher than said first pressure;
a mixing chamber connected downstream of said cooling compressor and said second tap, wherein said mixing chamber is configured to deliver air to at least one of said plurality of rotating components; and
a controller configured to modulate flow between the heat exchanger and the plurality of rotating components under certain power conditions of the gas turbine engine, said controller programmed to control said cooling air valve, said shut off valve and said drive for said cooling compressor such that flow is stopped between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor only after the cooling compressor has been stopped.

2. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said drive including a clutch opened by said controller for stopping rotation of said cooling compressor.

3. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the air downstream of the cooling compressor passes through struts in a diffuser downstream of said main compressor section.

4. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said mixing chamber is radially inward of said struts.

5. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a check valve is placed on said tap between said main compressor section and said heat exchanger.

6. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger is received within a chamber defined between an outer core housing and an inner housing which is radially inward of a bypass duct.

7. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said cooling air valve is positioned at an upstream end of said chamber.

8. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said cooling air valve is positioned at a location downstream of said heat exchanger.

9. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said mixing chamber is upstream of a turbine blade in said turbine section.

10. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a cooling compressor pressure ratio of the air downstream of said cooling compressor, and upstream of said mixing chamber, compared to a pressure of air downstream of said downstream most location is selected to be greater than or equal to 1.02.

11. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a plurality of rotating components housed within a main compressor section and a turbine section;
a first tap connected to said main compressor section and configured to deliver air at a first pressure;
a heat exchanger connected downstream of said first tap;
a cooling air valve configured to selectively block flow of cooling air across the heat exchanger;
a cooling compressor connected downstream of said heat exchanger;
means for stopping flow between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor;
a second tap configured to deliver air at a second pressure which is higher than said first pressure;
a mixing chamber connected downstream of said cooling compressor and said second tap, wherein said mixing chamber is configured to deliver air to at least one of said plurality of rotating components;
means for stopping flow between the cooling compressor and the plurality of rotating components; and
a controller configured to modulate flow between the heat exchanger and the plurality of rotating components under certain power conditions of the gas turbine engine, said controller programmed such that flow is stopped between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor only after the cooling compressor has been stopped.

12. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said means for stopping flow between said cooling compressor and the plurality of rotating components includes a clutch.

13. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said means for stopping flow between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor includes a shut off valve.

14. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said means for stopping flow between the heat exchanger and the cooling compressor includes a shut off valve.

15. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the air downstream of the cooling compressor passes through struts in a diffuser downstream of said main compressor section.

16. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein a check valve is placed on said first tap between said main compressor section and said heat exchanger.

17. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said heat exchanger is received within a chamber defined between an outer core housing and an inner housing which is radially inward of a bypass duct.

18. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 17 , wherein said cooling air valve is positioned at an upstream end of said chamber.

19. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 17 , wherein said cooling air valve is positioned at a location downstream of said heat exchanger.

20. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein a cooling compressor pressure ratio of the air downstream of said cooling compressor, and upstream of said mixing chamber, compared to a pressure of air downstream of said downstream most location is selected to be greater than or equal to 1.02.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp
• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Schwarz Frederick M
• Snape Nathan

Classifications

• F02C7/185 Primary

  Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas · CPC title

• F05D2260/211

  by intercooling, e.g. during a compression cycle · CPC title

• F02C6/08

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

• F05D2260/213

  by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit · CPC title

• F05D2260/231

  Preventing heat transfer · CPC title