Modulated turbine component cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11591966-B2
Application number	US-202017060162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2020
Priority date	Aug 9, 2016
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

Features and methods for modulating a flow of cooling fluid to gas turbine engine components are provided. In one embodiment, an airfoil is provided having a flow modulation insert for modulating a flow of cooling fluid received in a cavity of a body of the airfoil. In another embodiment, a shroud is provided comprising a cooling channel for a flow of cooling fluid and an insert that varies in position to modulate the flow of cooling fluid through the cooling channel. In yet another embodiment, a method for operating a gas turbine engine having a cooling circuit for cooling one or more components of the gas turbine engine comprises increasing power provided to the engine and decreasing power provided to the engine to modulate a position of a flow modulation insert located in the cooling circuit and thereby modulate the flow of cooling fluid through the cooling circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling circuit for a gas turbine engine, comprising: a cooling channel for a flow of cooling fluid, the cooling channel defined between a radially outer surface and a radially inner surface, the radially outer surface opposite the radially inner surface, the radially inner surface exposed to a hot gas path of the gas turbine engine, the cooling channel having an inlet and an outlet defined adjacent a cooling passage; and
an insert that varies in position between a first position and a second position based on changes in an environmental temperature of the insert,
wherein the first position blocks the cooling channel to reduce the flow of cooling fluid therethrough,
wherein the second position unblocks the cooling channel to increase the flow of cooling fluid therethrough,
wherein the insert is positioned over the inlet in both the first position and the second position such that at least a first portion of the insert and a second portion of the insert opposite the first portion remain in a same location in both the first position and the second position, and
wherein the first portion of the insert is disposed on one side of the inlet of the cooling channel and the second portion of the insert is disposed on an opposite side of the inlet of the cooling channel.

2. The cooling circuit of claim 1 , wherein the inlet has an inlet flow area, and wherein the first position of the insert reduces the inlet flow area by at least 50%.

3. The cooling circuit of claim 2 , wherein the first position of the insert reduces the inlet flow area by at least 80%.

4. The cooling circuit of claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel is defined in a shroud, wherein the radially inner surface is positioned radially adjacent a plurality of turbine rotor blades, and wherein the inlet of the cooling channel is defined in a forward end of the shroud.

5. The cooling circuit of claim 4 , wherein the insert is made from a material that has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than a material from which the shroud is made such that the insert expands to a greater extent than the shroud at a given temperature.

6. The cooling circuit of claim 1 , wherein the insert is made from a shape memory alloy.

7. The cooling circuit of claim 6 , wherein the shape memory alloy is a two-way shape memory alloy.

8. A shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
a shroud having a radially outer surface opposite a radially inner surface, the radially inner surface exposed to a hot gas path of the gas turbine engine and positioned radially adjacent a plurality of turbine rotor blades;
a cooling channel for a flow of cooling fluid defined in the shroud, the cooling channel having an inlet defined in a forward end of the shroud and an outlet defined within the shroud adjacent an internal cooling passage of the shroud, the forward end defined upstream of the internal cooling passage relative to the hot gas path of the gas turbine engine; and
an insert that varies in position between a first position and a second position based on changes in an environmental temperature or pressure of the shroud assembly,
wherein the first position blocks the cooling channel to reduce the flow of cooling fluid therethrough,
wherein the second position unblocks the cooling channel to increase the flow of cooling fluid therethrough,
wherein the insert surrounds the inlet in both the first position and the second position,
wherein the insert includes a first portion and a second portion of the insert opposite the first portion, wherein at least the first portion and the second portion of the insert remain in a same location in both the first position and the second position, and
wherein the first portion of the insert is disposed on one side of the inlet of the cooling channel and the second portion of the insert is disposed on an opposite side of the inlet of the cooling channel.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Groves Ii Robert Charles
• Gallier Kirk Douglas
• Craig Iii Charles William

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F05D2260/201

  by impingement of a fluid · CPC title

• F05D2260/202

  by film cooling · CPC title

• F01D9/065

  Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids (see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26) · CPC title

• F05D2300/505

  Shape memory behaviour · CPC title