Heat pipe cooling system for a turbomachine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016290230-A1
Application number	US-201514676905-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A turbomachine includes a compressor configured to compress air received at an intake portion to form a compressed airflow that exits into an outlet portion. A combustor is operably connected with the compressor, and the combustor receives the compressed airflow. A turbine is operably connected with the combustor. The turbine receives combustion gas flow from the combustor. The compressor has a compressor casing. A cooling system is operatively connected to the compressor casing. The cooling system includes a plurality of heat pipes attached to and in thermal communication with the compressor casing. The plurality of heat pipes are operatively connected to one or more manifolds. The plurality of heat pipes and the one or more manifolds are configured to transfer heat from the compressor casing to a plurality of heat exchangers.

First claim

1 . A turbomachine comprising:
a compressor configured to compress air received at an intake portion to form a compressed airflow that exits into an outlet portion, the compressor having a compressor casing; a combustor operably connected with the compressor, the combustor receiving the compressed airflow; a turbine operably connected with the combustor, the turbine receiving combustion gas flow from the combustor; a cooling system operatively connected to the compressor casing, the cooling system including a plurality of heat pipes attached to and in thermal communication with the compressor casing, the plurality of heat pipes operatively connected to one or more manifolds, the plurality of heat pipes and the one or more manifolds are configured to transfer heat from the compressor casing to a plurality of heat exchangers.

2 . The turbomachine of claim 1 , the plurality of heat pipes further comprising a heat transfer medium including one or combinations of:
aluminum, beryllium, beryllium-fluorine alloy, boron, calcium, cobalt, lead-bismuth alloy, liquid metal, lithium-chlorine alloy, lithium-fluorine alloy, manganese, manganese-chlorine alloy, mercury, molten salt, potassium, potassium-chlorine alloy, potassium-fluorine alloy, potassium-nitrogen-oxygen alloy, rhodium, rubidium-chlorine alloy, rubidium-fluorine alloy, sodium, sodium-chlorine alloy, sodium-fluorine alloy, sodium-boron-fluorine alloy, sodium nitrogen-oxygen alloy, strontium, tin, zirconium-fluorine alloy.

3 . The turbomachine of claim 1 , the plurality of heat pipes further comprising a molten salt heat transfer medium including one or combinations of, potassium or sodium.

4 . The turbomachine of claim 1 , the plurality of heat pipes attached to the compressor casing via one or more of:
welds, bolts, fasteners, welded brackets or clamps.

5 . The turbomachine of claim 1 , the plurality of heat pipes located circumferentially around the compressor casing.

6 . The turbomachine of claim 1 , each of the plurality of heat pipes located in a heat pipe heat exchanger, the heat pipe heat exchanger attached to the compressor casing.

7 . The turbomachine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more manifolds form part of a heat transfer loop, and the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer loop is at least one of:
water, steam, glycol, oil, sodium, potassium or cesium.

8 . The turbomachine of claim 1 , the plurality of heat exchangers including a heat pipe heat exchanger operably connected to the plurality of heat pipes and the one or more manifolds, and the heat pipe heat exchanger also operably connected to:
a fuel heating heat exchanger; or a heat recovery steam generator heat exchanger; or a fuel heating heat exchanger and a heat recovery steam generator heat exchanger.

9 . The turbomachine of claim 3 , further comprising:
the plurality of heat pipes attached to the compressor casing via one or more of, welds, bolts, fasteners, welded brackets or clamps; the plurality of heat pipes located circumferentially around the compressor casing; each of the plurality of heat pipes located in a heat pipe heat exchanger, the heat pipe heat exchanger attached to the compressor casing; and wherein the one or more manifolds form part of a heat transfer loop, and the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer loop is at least one of, water, steam, glycol, oil, sodium, potassium or cesium.

10 . The turbomachine of claim 9 , wherein the heat pipe heat exchanger is operably connected to at least one of:
a fuel heating heat exchanger; a heat recovery steam generator heat exchanger; or a fuel heating heat exchanger and a heat recovery steam generator heat exchanger.

11 . A cooling system for a turbomachine, the turbomachine including a compressor, a combustor operably connected with the compressor, and a turbine operably connected with the combustor, the compressor having a compressor casing, the cooling system operatively connected to the compressor casing, the cooling system comprising:
a plurality of heat pipes attached to and in thermal communication with the compressor casing, the plurality of heat pipes operatively connected to one or more manifolds, the plurality of heat pipes and the one or more manifolds are configured to transfer heat from the compressor casing to a plurality of heat exchangers.

12 . The cooling system of claim 11 , the plurality of heat pipes further comprising a heat transfer medium including one or combinations of:
aluminum, beryllium, beryllium-fluorine alloy, boron, calcium, cobalt, lead-bismuth alloy, liquid metal, lithium-chlorine alloy, lithium-fluorine alloy, manganese, manganese-chlorine alloy, mercury, molten salt, potassium, potassium-chlorine alloy, potassium-fluorine alloy, potassium-nitrogen-oxygen alloy, rhodium, rubidium-chlorine alloy, rubidium-fluorine alloy, sodium, sodium-chlorine alloy, sodium-fluorine alloy, sodium-boron-fluorine alloy, sodium nitrogen-oxygen alloy, strontium, tin, zirconium-fluorine alloy.

13 . The cooling system of claim 11 , the plurality of heat pipes further comprising a molten salt heat transfer medium including one or combinations of, potassium, sodium or cesium.

14 . The cooling system of claim 11 , the plurality of heat pipes attached to the compressor casing via one or more of:
welds, bolts, fasteners, welded brackets or clamps.

15 . The cooling system of claim 11 , the plurality of heat pipes located circumferentially around the compressor casing.

16 . The cooling system of claim 11 , each of the plurality of heat pipes located in a heat pipe heat exchanger, the heat pipe heat exchanger attached to the compressor casing.

17 . The cooling system of claim 13 , the plurality of heat exchangers including a heat pipe heat exchanger operably connected to the plurality of heat pipes and the one or more manifolds, and the heat pipe heat exchanger also operably connected to at least one of:
a fuel heating heat exchanger; a heat recovery steam generator heat exchanger; or a fuel heating heat exchanger and a heat recovery steam generator heat exchanger.

18 . The cooling system of claim 13 , further comprising:
the plurality of heat pipes attached to the compressor casing via one or more of, welds, bolts, fasteners, welded brackets or clamps; the plurality of heat pipes located circumferentially around the compressor casing; each of the plurality of heat pipes located in a heat pipe heat exchanger, the heat pipe heat exchanger attached to the compressor casing; and wherein the one or more manifolds form part of a heat transfer loop, and the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer loop is at least one of, water, steam, glycol, oil, sodium, potassium or cesium.

19 . A method of extracting heat from a compressor casing of a turbomachine, the method comprising:
passing an airflow through a compressor, the compressor casing forming an outer shell of the compressor; the compressor acting on the airflow to create a compressed airflow; extracting heat from the compressor casing by thermally conducting the heat to a plurality of heat pipes, the plurality of heat pipes comprising a molten salt heat transfer medium including one or combinations of, potassium, sodium or cesium; and conducting heat from the plurality of heat pipes to a heat pipe heat exchanger, the heat pipe heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to a fuel heating heat exchanger.

20 . The method of claim 19 , the heat pipe heat exchanger operably connected to a circuit including a heat recover

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Ekanayake Sanji
• Scipio Alston Ilfrod
• Davis Dale Joel
• Yang Timothy Tahteh

Classifications

• F02C7/12 Primary

  Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) · CPC title

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title

• F01D11/24 Primary

  by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components · CPC title

• F02C6/18

  using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) · CPC title

• Y02E20/16

  Combined cycle power plant [CCPP], or combined cycle gas turbine [CCGT] · CPC title