Casing for a gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9388738-B2
Application number	US-201113252325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2011
Priority date	Oct 4, 2011
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A casing for a can annular gas turbine engine, including: a compressed air section ( 40 ) spanning between a last row of compressor blades ( 26 ) and a first row of turbine blades ( 28 ), the compressed air section ( 40 ) having a plurality of openings ( 50 ) there through, wherein a single combustor/advanced duct assembly ( 64 ) extends through each opening ( 50 ); and one top hat ( 68 ) associated with each opening ( 50 ) configured to enclose the associated combustor/advanced duct assembly ( 64 ) and seal the opening ( 50 ). A volume enclosed by the compressed air section ( 40 ) is not greater than a volume of a frustum ( 54 ) defined at an upstream end ( 56 ) by an inner diameter of the casing at the last row of compressor blades ( 26 ) and at a downstream end ( 60 ) by an inner diameter of the casing at the first row of turbine blades ( 28 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A casing for a can annular gas turbine engine, comprising:
a compressed air section comprising an upstream portion configured to secure to a compressor casing at a last row of compressor blades and a downstream portion configured to secure to a turbine casing at a first row of turbine blades such that the compressed air section, the compressor casing, and the turbine casing share a common longitudinal axis, the compressed air section further comprising a plurality of openings therethrough and arranged in an annular array having an origin located on the common longitudinal axis, wherein a respective combustor/advanced duct assembly extends through a respective opening of the plurality of openings; and
one top hat from a plurality of top hats for each opening of the plurality of openings, each one of the plurality of top hats configured to attach to the compressed air section, to enclose the respective combustor/advanced duct assembly, and to seal the respective opening of the plurality of openings,
wherein a volume enclosed by the compressed air section is not greater than a volume of a frustum that is defined at an upstream end by an inner diameter of the compressor casing at the last row of compressor blades and at a downstream end by an inner diameter of the turbine casing at the first row of turbine blades.

2. The casing of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of each combustor/advanced duct assembly intersects a plane perpendicular to the common longitudinal axis at an angle of less than 30 degrees.

3. The casing of claim 1 , wherein a largest inner diameter of the compressed air section does not exceed the inner diameter of the turbine casing at the first row of turbine blades.

4. The casing of claim 1 , wherein the upstream portion of the compressed air section also acts as an outside wall of a diffuser, and wherein the outside wall guides compressed air.

5. The casing of claim 1 , wherein the upstream portion of the compressed air section extends axially downstream from the compressor casing and toward the turbine casing while maintaining a same diameter, and the downstream portion connects the upstream portion with the turbine casing, wherein the downstream portion comprises the plurality of openings.

6. A casing for a can annular gas turbine engine, comprising:
a compressed air section comprising an upstream portion configured to secure to a compressor casing at a last row of compressor blades and a downstream portion configured to secure to a turbine casing at a first row of turbine blades such that the compressed air section, the compressor casing, and the turbine casing share a common longitudinal axis, the compressed air section further comprising a plurality of openings therethrough and arranged in an annular array having an origin located on the common longitudinal axis, wherein a respective combustor and a respective advanced duct extend through- a respective opening of the plurality of openings, the respective advanced duct defining a fluid path between the respective combustor and the first row of turbine blades; and
one top hat from a plurality of top hats associated with each opening of the plurality of openings, each one of the plurality of top hats configured to attach to the compressed air section, to seal a respective opening of the plurality of openings, and to surround a respective combustor as well as a portion of a respective advanced duct that provides fluid communication between the respective combustor and the first row of turbine blades,
wherein the upstream portion of the compressed air section extends axially downstream from the compressor casing at the last row of compressor blades and toward the turbine casing while maintaining a same diameter, wherein the downstream portion connects the upstream portion with the turbine casing at the first row of turbine blades, and wherein the downstream portion comprises the plurality of openings.

7. The casing of claim 6 , wherein each one of the plurality of top hats surrounds a majority of a combined axial length of the respective combustor and the respective advanced duct.

8. The casing of claim 6 , wherein the upstream portion curves radially outward in a downstream direction and forms a diffuser outer wall that guides compressed air exiting a compressor.

9. The casing of claim 6 , wherein each one of the plurality of top hats is sized to permit extraction of the respective combustor and the respective advanced duct extending there through.

Assignees

• Wiebe David J
• Little David A
• Charron Richard C
• Siemens Energy Inc

Inventors

• Wiebe David J
• Little David A
• Charron Richard C

Classifications

• F02C3/14 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant (combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F23R3/02

  characterised by the air-flow or gas-flow configuration (reverse- flow combustion chambers F23R3/54; cyclone or vortex type combustion chambers F23R3/58) · CPC title

• F23R3/46

  Combustion chambers comprising an annular arrangement of {several essentially tubular} flame tubes within a common annular casing or within individual casings · CPC title

• F01D9/023

  Transition ducts between combustor cans and first stage of the turbine in gas-turbine engines; their cooling or sealings · CPC title