System and method of reducing post-shutdown engine temperatures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11384690-B2
Application number	US-202016890415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A cooling system configured to reduce a temperature within a gas turbine engine in a shutdown mode of operation includes a first gas turbine engine including a compressor having a bleed port. In a first operating mode of the gas turbine engine, the compressor bleed port is configured to channel a high pressure flow of air from the compressor. During a shutdown mode of operation, the compressor bleed port is configured to channel an external flow of cooling air into the compressor. The cooling system also includes a source of cooling air and a conduit coupled in flow communication between the compressor bleed port and the source of cooling air. The source of cooling air configured to deliver a flow of cooling air into the compressor through the compressor bleed port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of cooling a component of a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine comprising a compressor defining a compressor working fluid path, the method comprising:
channeling a flow of high pressure air from the compressor of the gas turbine engine during a first operating mode of the gas turbine engine through a compressor bleed port disposed within an engine casing; and
channeling a flow of cooling air into the compressor working fluid path of the compressor of the gas turbine engine from a location external to the gas turbine engine during a shutdown operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port, the flow of cooling air reducing a temperature of the component of the gas turbine engine.

2. A method of cooling a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
channeling a flow of high pressure air from a compressor of the gas turbine engine during a first operating mode of the gas turbine engine through a compressor bleed port; and
channeling a flow of cooling air to the compressor of the gas turbine engine during a shutdown operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port, the flow of cooling air reducing a temperature of a component of the gas turbine engine.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling air into the compressor comprises channeling the flow of cooling air into the compressor from a location external to the gas turbine engine.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling air into the compressor comprises channeling the flow of cooling air into a compressor working fluid path of the compressor.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the shutdown operating mode is an operating mode after the engine has been shutdown.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling air into the compressor of the gas turbine engine during the shutdown operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port comprises controlling a rate of a flow of cooling air based on an operating history of the gas turbine engine and a time since shutdown of the gas turbine engine.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling air into the compressor of the gas turbine engine during the shutdown operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port comprises controlling a rate of a flow of cooling air to cool a rotor of the gas turbine engine to a predetermined temperature in a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling air into the compressor of the gas turbine engine during the shutdown operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port comprises channeling the flow of cooling air from a location external to the gas turbine engine.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling air into the compressor of the gas turbine engine during the shutdown operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port comprises channeling a flow of cooling air from an air source, and wherein the air source is at least one of an auxiliary power unit, a ground-based source, or a separate gas turbine engine.

10. A method of cooling a gas turbine engine, said method comprising:
channeling a flow of cooling fluid to a conduit; and
channeling the flow of cooling fluid from the conduit into a compressor bleed port disposed within an engine casing, wherein channeling the flow of cooling fluid from the conduit into the compressor bleed port cools a component of the gas turbine engine; and
channeling a flow of high pressure air from the compressor of the gas turbine engine during a first operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port,
wherein channeling the flow of cooling fluid to the conduit comprises channeling the flow of cooling fluid to the conduit during a shutdown operating mode of the gas turbine engine through the compressor bleed port.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
channeling the flow of cooling fluid from a source of a flow of cooling fluid to the conduit.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling fluid into the compressor bleed port disposed within the engine casing comprises channeling the flow of cooling fluid into a compressor.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling fluid into the compressor comprises channeling the flow of cooling fluid into a compressor working fluid path of the compressor.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling fluid into the compressor bleed port disposed within the engine casing comprises channeling the flow of cooling fluid into a high pressure compressor.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the shutdown operating mode is an operating mode after the engine has been shutdown.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein channeling the flow of cooling fluid from the conduit into the compressor bleed port disposed within the engine casing to cool the compressor of the gas turbine engine comprises channeling the flow of cooling fluid into the compressor.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bayraktar Ilhan
• Bayraktar Tuba
• Elbibary Mohamed

Classifications

• F02C7/18 Primary

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

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F02C7/125

  by partial arc admission of the working fluid or by intermittent admission of working and cooling fluid · CPC title

• F01D21/00

  Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F02C6/08

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