Cooled combustor configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019107059-A1
Application number	US-201715729148-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2017
Priority date	Oct 10, 2017
Publication date	Apr 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combustor cooling system for a combustor of a gas turbine engine is provided. The combustor cooling system comprising: a heat exchanger fluidly connected to a compressor section of the gas turbine engine, the heat exchanger being configured to receive compressor bleed air from the compressor section and cool the compressor bleed air; and a plenum assembly fluidly connected to the heat exchanger, the plenum assembly configured to receive cooled compressor bleed air from the heat exchanger and distribute the cooled compressor bleed air to one or more areas of the combustor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A combustor cooling system for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the combustor cooling system comprising:
a heat exchanger fluidly connected to a compressor section of the gas turbine engine, the heat exchanger being configured to receive compressor bleed air from the compressor section and cool the compressor bleed air; and a plenum assembly fluidly connected to the heat exchanger, the plenum assembly configured to receive cooled compressor bleed air from the heat exchanger and distribute the cooled compressor bleed air to one or more areas of the combustor.

2 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly is fluidly connected to the heat exchanger through a valve configured to adjust the flow of cooled compressor bleed air from the heat exchanger to the combustor.

3 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises at least one of a frontal plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to an inlet of the combustor, an inner plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially inward area of the combustor, an outer plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially outward area of the combustor, and a bypass plenum to provide cooled compressor air to an engine component located downstream of the combustor.

4 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises a frontal plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to an inlet of the combustor, an inner plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially inward area of the combustor, an outer plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially outward area of the combustor, and a bypass plenum to provide cooled compressor air to an engine component located downstream of the combustor.

5 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises a frontal plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to an inlet of the combustor.

6 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises an inner plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially inward area of the combustor and an outer plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially outward area of the combustor.

7 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly further an inner plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially inward area of the combustor.

8 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises an outer plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially outward area of the combustor.

9 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises a bypass plenum to provide cooled compressor air to an engine component downstream of the combustor.

10 . The combustor cooling system of claim 9 , wherein the plenum assembly further an inner plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially inward area of the combustor.

11 . The combustor cooling system of claim 9 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises an outer plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially outward area of the combustor.

12 . The combustor cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the plenum assembly is fluidly connected to one or more engine components located downstream of the combustor and the plenum assembly is configured to provide the cooled compressor bleed air to one or more engine components.

13 . The combustor cooling system of claim 12 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises an inner plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially inward area of the combustor, and wherein the inner plenum assembly provides cooled compressor bleed air to an inner vane of a turbine section of the gas turbine engine.

14 . The combustor cooling system of claim 12 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises an outer plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a radially outward area of the combustor, and wherein the outer plenum assembly provides cooled compressor bleed air to an outer vane of a turbine section of the gas turbine engine or a blade outer air seal of the turbine section of the gas turbine engine.

15 . The combustor cooling system of claim 12 , wherein the plenum assembly further comprises a bypass plenum to provide cooled compressor bleed air to a blade of a turbine section of the gas turbine engine.

16 . A method of cooling a combustor of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
extracting compressor bleed air from a compressor section of the gas turbine engine; cooling compressor bleed air using a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the compressor section; and distributing cooled compressor bleed air to one or more areas of the combustor using a plenum assembly.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
adjusting flow of cooled compressor bleed air from the heat exchanger to the combustor using a valve.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
detecting a temperature of the combustor; determining a cooling requirement for the combustor in response to the temperature of the combustor; and adjusting flow of cooled compressor bleed air from the heat exchanger to the combustor using a valve.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more areas comprises at least one of an inlet of the combustor, a radially inward area of the combustor, and a radially outward area of the combustor.

20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
distributing cooled compressor bleed air to one or more engine components located downstream of the combustor.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Zacchera Kevin
• Lemoine Jonathan

Classifications

• F02C7/18

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

• F23R3/04

  Air inlet arrangements · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F23R2900/03043

  Convection cooled combustion chamber walls with means for guiding the cooling air flow · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

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