Cooling system with compressor bleed and ambient air for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9822662-B2
Application number	US-201314075140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2013
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A cooling system for a turbine engine for directing cooling fluids from a compressor to a turbine blade cooling fluid supply and from an ambient air source to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply to supply cooling fluids to one or more airfoils of a rotor assembly is disclosed. The cooling system may include a compressor bleed conduit extending from a compressor to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply that provides cooling fluid to at least one turbine blade. The compressor bleed conduit may include an upstream section and a downstream section whereby the upstream section exhausts compressed bleed air through an outlet into the downstream section through which ambient air passes. The outlet of the upstream section may be generally aligned with a flow of ambient air flowing in the downstream section. As such, the compressed air increases the flow of ambient air to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of delivering ambient cooling fluid to an ambient cooled turbine airfoil, comprising: receiving compressed air into a compressor bleed conduit formed by an upstream section in fluid communication with compressed air in a compressor and a downstream section located within an exhaust section of a turbine engine, the downstream section being in fluid communication with a turbine blade cooling fluid supply that supplies cooling fluid to at least one turbine blade, wherein the exhaust section is located downstream of the turbine blade, wherein the downstream section of the compressor bleed conduit has a larger cross-sectional area than the upstream section of the compressor bleed conduit; controlling receipt of the compressed air via at least one compressor shutoff valve in the upstream section of the compressor bleed conduit to control flow of air into the inlet of the compressor bleed conduit, wherein the compressor shutoff valve is operable to be in an open and in a closed position, wherein in the open position, compressed air from the compressor is led, via said upstream section and via said downstream section in said exhaust section of the turbine engine, to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply; receiving ambient air into at least one ambient air supply inlet; controlling receipt of the ambient air via at least one ambient supply shutoff valve positioned between the at least one ambient air supply inlet and the downstream section of the compressor bleed conduit, wherein the ambient air supply shut off valve is operable to be in an open and in a closed position, wherein in the open position during a steady state operation, ambient air from the ambient air supply is in fluid communication with the downstream section of the compressor bleed conduit in the exhaust section of the turbine engine, and is led therethough to supply said ambient air to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply; passing the compressed air and the ambient air to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply, wherein the at least one ambient air supply inlet is positioned at an upstream end of the downstream section and wherein a downstream end of the upstream section is positioned within and surrounded by the downstream section, and is located downstream from the at least one ambient air supply inlet; during start-up and/or shutdown of the turbine engine the compressor shutoff valve is open while the ambient air shutoff valve is closed; and during the steady state operation the compressor shutoff valve is closed while the ambient air shutoff valve is open.

2. The method of delivering ambient cooling fluid to an ambient cooled turbine airfoil of claim 1 , wherein passing the compressed air and the ambient air to the turbine blade cooling fluid supply comprises passing the compressed air and the ambient air to a stage of turbine blades forming a last stage of turbine blades positioned closest to the exhaust section of the turbine engine.

3. The method of delivering ambient cooling fluid to an ambient cooled turbine airfoil of claim 1 , wherein receiving compressed air into a compressor bleed conduit comprises receiving compressed air into a compressor bleed conduit that includes an outlet that emits compressor bleed air in a downstream direction that is generally aligned with flow of ambient air in the downstream section.

4. The method of delivering ambient cooling fluid to an ambient cooled turbine airfoil of claim 1 , wherein controlling receipt of the compressed air via at least one compressor shutoff valve in the compressor bleed conduit comprises opening the at least one compressor shutoff valve during startup of the gas turbine engine, and wherein controlling receipt of the ambient air via at least one ambient supply shutoff valve comprises closing the at least one ambient supply shutoff valve during startup of the gas turbine engine.

5. The method of delivering ambient cooling fluid to an ambient cooled turbine airfoil of claim 1 , wherein controlling receipt of the compressed air via at least one compressor shutoff valve in the compressor bleed conduit comprises closing the at least one compressor shutoff valve during steady state operation after startup of the gas turbine engine, and wherein controlling receipt of the ambient air via at least one ambient supply shutoff valve comprises opening the at least one ambient supply shutoff valve during steady state operation after startup of the gas turbine engine.

Assignees

• Marsh Jan H
• Marra John J
• Siemens Energy Inc

Inventors

• Marsh Jan H
• Marra John J

Classifications

• F01D25/12 Primary

  Cooling · CPC title

• F02C7/185

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

• F02C6/08

  the gas being bled from the gas-turbine compressor · CPC title

• F02C7/12 Primary

  Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) · CPC title

• F05D2260/601

  using an ejector or a jet pump · CPC title