Cooling air delivery system and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024026822-A1
Application number	US-202217869060-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 20, 2022
Priority date	Jul 20, 2022
Publication date	Jan 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas turbine engine having a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement to define a diffuser cavity between the compressor section and the combustor section, and an aft cavity. A compressor discharge pressure duct fluidly draws air from the diffuser cavity, passes it through a heat exchanger to cool the air, and then supplies the cooled air to the aft cavity.

First claim

1 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
a compressor section comprising a compressor; a combustion section comprising an outer combustor casing and an inner combustor casing, the inner combustor casing defining in part an aft cavity with the compressor section and defining in part a diffuser cavity with the outer combustor casing; and a cooling system for cooling at least part of the gas turbine engine, the cooling system comprising:
a compressor discharge pressure duct positioned in fluid communication with the diffuser cavity, the compressor section, or both for receiving an airflow from the diffuser cavity, from the compressor section, or both;
a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the compressor discharge pressure duct for reducing a temperature of the airflow; and
a first cooling duct located inward of the outer combustor casing and in fluid communication with the compressor discharge pressure duct and the aft cavity for receiving the airflow and providing a first portion of the airflow to the aft cavity, the first cooling duct including a manifold extending in a circumferential direction of the gas turbine engine;
a second cooling duct located inward of the outer combustor casing and in fluid communication with the compressor discharge pressure duct for receiving the airflow and providing a second portion of the airflow; and
at least one valve located downstream of the manifold and in fluid communication with at least one of the first cooling duct or the second cooling duct.

2 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine further comprises a turbine section, wherein the second cooling duct is in fluid communication with the turbine section for providing the second portion of the airflow to the turbine section.

3 . The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the compressor comprises a material, wherein the material defines a material temperature limit in degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the cooling system is configured to provide the airflow to the aft cavity at a temperature in degrees Fahrenheit less than or equal to 85% of material temperature limit when the gas turbine engine is operated at a rated speed during standard day operating conditions.

4 . The gas turbine engine of claim 2 , wherein the turbine section comprises a high-pressure turbine, wherein the second cooling duct is in fluid communication with the high-pressure turbine of the turbine section.

5 . The gas turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the high-pressure turbine comprises an inlet guide vane and a first stage blade, wherein the inlet guide vane and the first stage blade define a forward wheelspace cavity, and wherein the gas turbine engine defines a purge air flowpath from the aft cavity to the forward wheelspace cavity.

6 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , the cooling system further comprising:
at least one sensor for sensing data indicative of an operative condition of the gas turbine engine, wherein the at least one valve is configured to operate based on the operative condition.

7 . The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the operative condition comprises at least one of: a high operating temperature condition; a high-pressure condition; a supersonic cruise condition; a takeoff condition; or a climb condition.

8 . The gas turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the operative condition is the high operating temperature condition, and wherein the high operating temperature comprises an operating condition wherein a compressor exit temperature is higher than 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.

9 . The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , further comprising a controller, the controller comprising one or more computing devices in operable communication with the at least one sensor and the at least one valve, the one or more computing devices of the controller being configured to receive data indicative of the operative condition from the at least one sensor and control the at least one valve to provide at least the portion of the airflow from the cooling duct to the aft cavity in response to receiving the data indicative of the operative condition of the gas turbine engine.

10 . The gas turbine engine of claim 6 , wherein the cooling system further comprises a controller, the controller comprising one or more computing devices operably coupled to the at least one sensor for receiving the data indicative of the operative condition and the at least one valve for actuating the at least one valve, wherein the one or more computing devices of the controller are configured to move the at least one valve to an open position when the gas turbine engine is in the operative condition and are further configured to move the at least one valve to a closed position when the gas turbine engine is not in the operative condition.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one manifold comprises two segments, wherein each of the two segments extends 180 degrees.

13 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is positioned outside of the outer combustor casing.

14 . The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the compressor discharge pressure duct is in fluid communication with the diffuser cavity for receiving the airflow.

15 . A method of cooling one or more sections in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
receiving an airflow from a diffuser cavity defined by an outer combustor casing of the gas turbine engine; cooling the airflow received from the diffuser cavity with a heat exchanger; providing the airflow from the heat exchanger to a first cooling duct located inward of the outer combustor casing and to a second cooling duct located inward of the outer combustor casing, the first cooling duct including a manifold extending in a circumferential direction of the gas turbine engine; and providing a first portion of the airflow from the first cooling duct to an aft cavity defined at least in part by an inner combustor casing of the gas turbine engine and a compressor section of the gas turbine engine; and providing a second portion of the airflow from the second cooling duct to a turbine section of the gas turbine engine, wherein providing the first portion of the airflow from the first cooling duct to an aft cavity comprises operating at least one valve located downstream of the manifold and in fluid communication with at least one of the first cooling duct of the second cooling duct.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving data indicative of an operative condition of the gas turbine engine, wherein providing the first portion of the airflow from the cooling duct to the aft cavity comprises providing at least a portion of the airflow from the cooling duct to the aft cavity in response to receiving the data indicative of the operative condition of the gas turbine engine.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the operative condition comprises at least one of: a high operating temperature condition; a high-pressure condition; a supersonic cruise condition; or a takeoff condition.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the operative condition comprises receiving data indicative of the gas turbine engine being in the operative condition, and wherein providing the first portion of the airflow from the cooling duct to the aft cavity in response to receiving the data indicative of the operative condition of the gas turbine engine comprises increasing the portion of the airflow provided to the aft cavity in response to receiving the data indicative of

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Jagata Lakshmi Narasimharao
• Jalan Prateek
• Vanapalli Veeraraju
• Saha Atanu
• Schimmels Scott Alan

Classifications

• F01D5/081

  Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades (F01D5/087 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02C7/185

  Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas · CPC title

• F04D29/5833

  flow schemes and regulation thereto · CPC title

• F04D29/5826

  Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger · CPC title

• F02C7/18 Primary

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