System for rotor assembly thermal gradient reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022010727-A1
Application number	US-202016923198-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a system for reducing thermal gradient at a heat engine. The heat engine includes a rotor assembly with a rotor disk and a seal assembly is provided. An interfacing structure at least partially surrounds the rotor assembly at the seal assembly. The seal assembly and the interfacing structure together form a first cavity defining a first environmental condition and a second cavity defining a second environmental condition. A fluid supply manifold is connected to the rotor assembly and is extended at least partially along a radial direction from the first cavity to an outlet opening in thermal communication with the rotor disk of the rotor assembly.

First claim

1 . A heat engine, the engine comprising:
a rotor assembly comprising a rotor disk and a seal assembly; an interfacing structure at least partially surrounding the rotor assembly at the seal assembly, wherein the seal assembly and the interfacing structure together form a first cavity defining a first environmental condition and a second cavity defining a second environmental condition; and a fluid supply manifold connected to the rotor assembly, the fluid supply manifold comprising an inlet opening at the first cavity and an outlet opening at the rotor disk, wherein the fluid supply manifold is extended, at least partially along a radial direction, from the inlet opening at the first cavity to the outlet opening at the rotor disk, wherein the outlet opening is adjacent the rotor disk such that a fluid flowing through the fluid supply manifold is in thermal communication with at least an inner portion in a radial direction of the rotor disk of the rotor assembly.

2 . The heat engine of claim 1 , wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a first manifold portion extended along the radial direction, and wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a second manifold portion extended along an axial direction.

3 . The heat engine of claim 2 , wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a third manifold portion extended along the radial direction, wherein the third manifold portion comprises the outlet opening in fluid communication with the rotor disk of the rotor assembly.

4 . The heat engine of claim 3 , wherein the first manifold portion comprises the inlet opening in fluid communication with the first cavity.

5 . The heat engine of claim 3 , wherein the third manifold portion is positioned inward of the rotor disk along the radial direction.

6 . The heat engine of claim 3 , wherein the third manifold portion forms an airfoil.

7 . The heat engine of claim 3 , wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a plurality of the third manifold portion arranged in circumferential arrangement relative to one another.

8 . The heat engine of claim 2 , wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a plurality of the first manifold portion arranged in circumferential arrangement relative to one another.

9 . The heat engine of claim 8 , wherein a fluid pathway is formed between adjacent pairs of the plurality of the first manifold portion arranged in circumferential arrangement.

10 . The heat engine of claim 1 , wherein the engine forms a first plenum adjacent to a first side of the rotor disk, a second plenum adjacent to a second side of the rotor disk opposite of the first side of the rotor disk, wherein the second plenum is formed between the rotor disk and the seal assembly, and wherein the engine forms a third plenum adjacent to the seal assembly opposite of the second plenum.

11 . The heat engine of claim 10 , wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a fluid discharge manifold positioned between the first plenum and the second plenum, wherein the outlet opening is positioned at the fluid discharge manifold.

12 . The heat engine of claim 10 , wherein a fluid pathway is formed between adjacent pairs of a plurality of a first manifold portion arranged in circumferential arrangement, wherein the fluid pathway provides fluid communication between the second plenum and the third plenum.

13 . The heat engine of claim 12 , wherein the fluid supply manifold comprising the plurality of the first manifold portion forms a fluid flowpath from the first cavity to the outlet opening, and wherein the fluid supply manifold fluidly separates the fluid flowpath from the second plenum and the third plenum.

14 . The heat engine of claim 1 , wherein the outlet opening is positioned in fluid impingement relationship with the rotor disk.

15 . The heat engine of claim 1 , wherein the seal assembly comprises a compressor discharge pressure seal positioned between a compressor section and a turbine section.

16 . The heat engine of claim 15 , wherein the rotor disk is positioned at the compressor section.

17 . The heat engine of claim 15 , wherein the rotor assembly comprises a shaft extended to the compressor section and the turbine section, and wherein the fluid supply manifold is coupled to the shaft.

18 . The heat engine of claim 17 , wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a first manifold portion extended along the radial direction, and wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a second manifold portion extended along an axial direction co-directional to the shaft, and wherein the fluid supply manifold comprises a third manifold portion extended along the radial direction inward of the rotor disk, wherein the third manifold portion comprises the outlet opening in fluid communication with the rotor disk of the rotor assembly.

19 . The heat engine of claim 18 , wherein the first cavity is positioned distal to the compressor section, and wherein the second cavity is positioned proximate to the compressor section relative to the first cavity.

20 . The heat engine of claim 18 , wherein a fluid pathway is formed between adjacent pairs of a plurality of the first manifold portion arranged in circumferential arrangement, and wherein the fluid supply manifold comprising the plurality of the first manifold portion forms a fluid flowpath from the first cavity to the outlet opening, and wherein the fluid supply manifold fluidly separates the fluid flowpath from a third plenum adjacent to the seal assembly opposite of a second plenum.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Namadevan Arvind
• Rambo Jeffrey Douglas
• Sen Arnab

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

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

• F01D5/186

  Film cooling (F01D5/187 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D25/30

  Exhaust heads, chambers, or the like · CPC title

• F01D5/18 Primary

  Hollow blades, {i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities (structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147)}; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades · CPC title

• F01D21/003

  Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H) · CPC title