Integrated inducer heat exchanger for gas turbines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9249730-B2
Application number	US-201313755500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2013
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

An integrated inducer heat exchanger is provided. The integrated inducer heat exchanger includes multiple airfoil devices disposed in an annular array within an inner circular casing and an outer circular casing forming multiple passages for allowing a flow of fluid from a forward side to an aft side of the integrated inducer heat exchanger. The integrated inducer heat exchanger also includes multiple annular manifolds arranged about the outer circular casing configured for supplying a flow of coolant at low temperature from one or more coolant sources and returning the flow of coolant at high temperature to the one or more coolant sources via an external heat exchanger for dissipating heat and multiple transfer tubes connecting the multiple annular manifolds with the multiple airfoil devices for transferring the flow of coolant within the airfoil devices for exchanging heat between the coolant and the fluid passing through the multiple passages.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated inducer heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of airfoil devices disposed in an annular array within an inner circular casing and an outer circular casing forming a plurality of passages for allowing a flow of fluid from a forward side to an aft side of the integrated inducer heat exchanger, wherein each of the plurality of airfoil devices within the integrated inducer heat exchanger pre-swirl the flow of fluid passing through the plurality of passages before the flow of fluid enters into regions with hot gas turbine components;
a plurality of annular manifolds arranged about the outer circular casing configured for supplying a flow of coolant at low temperature from one or more coolant sources and returning the flow of coolant at high temperature to the one or more coolant sources via one or more external heat exchangers for dissipating heat; and
a plurality of transfer tubes connecting the plurality of annular manifolds with the plurality of airfoil devices for transferring the flow of coolant within the airfoil devices for exchanging heat between the flow of coolant and the flow of fluid passing through the plurality of passages.

2. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of annular manifolds comprises a cold heat-exchange supply manifold towards the forward side and a warm heat-exchange return manifold towards the aft side of the inducer heat exchanger.

3. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the cold heat-exchange supply manifold is in a fluid communication with a leading edge of each of the airfoil devices via a plurality of forward most transfer tubes.

4. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the warm heat-exchange return manifold is in a fluid communication with a trailing edge of each of the airfoil devices via a plurality of aft most transfer tubes.

5. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 2 , wherein the cold heat-exchange supply manifold and the warm-heat exchange return manifold carry a cold coolant and a warm coolant respectively in opposite directions.

6. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the cold heat-exchange supply manifold comprises one or more inlet ports for supply of the cold coolant.

7. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 5 , wherein the warm heat-exchange supply manifold comprises one or more outlet ports for return of the warm coolant.

8. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airfoil devices comprises a plurality of serpentine paths for allowing the flow of coolant from the forward side to the aft side of the inducer heat exchanger.

9. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airfoil devices comprises a plurality of serpentine paths having multiple turbulence generators on the inner walls of the paths for generating turbulence during the flow of the coolant to enhance heat transfer from the coolant to the wall.

10. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airfoil devices comprises an inner airfoil block with an array of impingement holes configured for impinging jets of coolant at inner surface of the airfoil device to enhance heat transfer from the coolant to the wall.

11. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of airfoil devices comprises a plurality of channels forming a serpentine flow circuit proximate to the wall of the airfoil device for near wall cooling.

12. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the coolant comprises a liquid coolant or a phase change coolant.

13. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the coolant comprises a compressor bleed air, a flow of steam, a gaseous fuel or a liquid fuel.

14. The inducer heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the flow of fluid comprises a compressor discharged fluid or a bleed air or a compressed ambient air.

15. A cooling system for a gas turbine comprising:
one or more coolant sources for supplying one or more flows of coolant;
one or more integrated inducer heat exchangers located in one or more high pressure turbine stages for swirling and cooling one or more flows of fluid being used for cooling turbine components before the one or more flows of fluid enter into regions with hot gas turbine components, wherein each of the integrated inducer heat exchanger comprises an internal flow circuit for the flow of coolant and an external flow circuit for the flow of fluid;
a pump for pumping the flow of coolant into the one or more integrated inducer heat exchangers located in the gas turbine;
one or more external heat exchanger for removing heat from the flow of coolant; and
a control subsystem configured to maximize efficiency at each high pressure turbine stage by tuning the respective flow of coolant from the coolant source into the integrated inducer heat exchanger and attaining an optimal cooling amount for the flow of fluid required for the corresponding high pressure turbine stage.

16. The cooling system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more integrated inducer heat exchanger comprises a plurality of airfoil devices disposed in an annular array within an inner circular casing and an outer circular casing forming the external flow circuit for allowing the flow of fluid through external passages from a forward side to an aft side of the integrated inducer heat exchanger.

17. The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein the internal flow circuit of the each of the integrated inducer heat exchanger comprises a plurality of passages for the flow of coolant through a plurality of annular manifolds arranged about the outer circular casing into a plurality of serpentine paths within the plurality of airfoil devices via a plurality of transfer tubes.

18. The cooling system of claim 15 , wherein the control subsystem is further configured to increase operational flexibility by selecting a coolant source, tuning an optimal amount of flow of coolant into the integrated inducer heat exchanger and attaining an optimal cooling amount required for the corresponding high pressure turbine stage based on optimization of a cycle performance, availability of coolant sources and cost of the flow of fluid and coolant used in the cooling system.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bourassa Corey
• Gerstler William Dwight

Classifications

• F01D5/189

  the insert having a tubular cross-section, e.g. airfoil shape · CPC title

• F05D2260/213

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

• F05D2250/185

  serpentine-like · CPC title

• F28F2250/02

  Streamline-shaped elements · CPC title

• F02C7/185 Primary

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