System and method for blade tip clearance control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840932-B2
Application number	US-201414507659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2014
Priority date	Oct 6, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A system includes a turbomachine rotor having a shaft and turbomachine blades coupled to the shaft. The system also includes a turbomachine stator having a shroud surrounding the turbomachine blades of the turbomachine rotor. Further, the system includes a cooling channel having at least a first portion of the cooling channel extending upstream of a final stage of a compressor of the system, where the cooling channel is configured to receive cooled compressed air from the compressor and direct the cooled compressed air adjacent to the turbomachine rotor to reduce thermal expansion and/or axial displacement of the turbomachine rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a turbomachine rotor comprising a shaft and turbomachine blades coupled to the shaft;
a turbomachine stator comprising a shroud surrounding the turbomachine blades of the turbomachine rotor; and
a cooling channel having at least a first portion of the cooling channel positioned upstream of a final stage of a compressor of the system, wherein the cooling channel is configured to receive cooled compressed air from the compressor and direct the cooled compressed air adjacent to the turbomachine rotor to reduce thermal expansion and/or axial displacement of the turbomachine rotor, and wherein the first portion of the cooling channel is positioned upstream of the final stage of the compressor so as to cool the turbomachine rotor upstream of the final stage of the compressor.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a heat exchanger positioned in the turbomachine rotor, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive a compressed air and to cool the compressed air to generate the cooled compressed air.

3. The system of claim 1 , comprising a valve and a heat exchanger, wherein the valve is configured to enable a portion of compressed air to be diverted to the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is configured to cool the portion of compressed air to generate the cooled compressed air.

4. The system of claim 3 , comprising a controller configured to regulate operation of the valve to control flow of the portion of compressed air to the heat exchanger.

5. The system of claim 4 , comprising a sensor configured to detect one or more operating conditions of the system and transmit information relating to the one or more operating conditions to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive the one or more operating conditions from the sensor, and the controller is configured to regulate operation of the valve based on the information received from the sensor, based on a manual input, or both.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprise a temperature, a pressure, a stage of operation, or a combination thereof, and wherein the stage of operation comprises a general transient stage, a general steady state stage, a cold start stage, a full speed no load stage, a full speed full load stage, a steady state stage, a shutdown stage, or any combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the turbomachine rotor comprises a first material, the turbomachine stator comprises a second material, and the first and second materials are different.

8. The system of claim 1 , comprising a combustor chamber, wherein the cooling channel extends proximate the combustor chamber from a first end of the combustor chamber to a second end of the combustor chamber opposite the first end.

9. A method for reducing blade tip clearances of a turbomachine, comprising:
diverting a first portion of compressed air to a heat exchanger during certain stages of operation of the turbomachine;
cooling the first portion of compressed air via the heat exchanger to generate a cooled compressed air;
routing the cooled compressed air through a channel proximate a rotor of the turbomachine, wherein the channel includes at least a first portion of the channel extending upstream of a final stage of a compressor of the turbomachine; and
cooling the rotor to effectuate a reduction in thermal expansion and/or axial displacement of the rotor to reduce a blade tip clearance between a blade of the turbomachine and a stator of the turbomachine.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising generating the compressed air via the compressor and diverting the first portion of the compressed air to the heat exchanger via a valve.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising opening or closing the valve to permit the first portion of compressed air to be diverted to the heat exchanger via a controller.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising sensing one or more operating conditions via a sensor and transmitting information relating to the one or more operating conditions from the sensor to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to open or close the valve based on the information relating to the one or more operating conditions, based on a manual input, or both.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more operating conditions comprise a temperature, a pressure, a stage of operation, or a combination thereof, and wherein the stage of operation comprises a general transient stage, a general steady state stage, a cold start stage, a full speed no load stage, a full speed full load stage, a steady state stage, a shutdown stage, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , comprising combusting a second portion of compressed air in a combustor for generating combustion products and heating the stator of the turbomachine via the combustion products, wherein heating the stator of the turbomachine via the combustion products effectuates thermal expansion and axial displacement the stator, wherein the axial displacement of the stator controls the blade tip clearance between the blade of the turbomachine and the stator of the turbomachine.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the rotor comprises a first material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion and the stator comprises a second material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion.

16. A turbomachine system, comprising:
a turbomachine rotor comprising a shaft and turbomachine blades coupled to the shaft;
a turbomachine stator comprising a shroud surrounding the turbomachine blades of the turbomachine rotor;
a cooling channel having at least a first portion of the cooling channel extending upstream of a final stage of a compressor of the turbomachine system, wherein the cooling channel is configured to receive cooled compressed air from the compressor and direct the cooled compressed air adjacent to the turbomachine rotor to reduce thermal expansion and/or axial displacement of the turbomachine rotor; and
a control system configured to selectively enable fluid communication between the compressor and the cooling channel, the control system comprising:
a valve disposed between the compressor and the cooling channel, wherein the valve is configured to be selectively opened to enable fluid communication between the compressor and the cooling channel based on an operating condition of the turbomachine system;
a sensor disposed proximate the cooling channel and configured to detect a parameter relating to the operating condition of the turbomachine system; and
a controller configured to receive the parameter relating to the operating condition of the turbomachine system and, based on the operating condition, selectively open or close the valve to enable fluid communication between the compressor and the cooling channel.

17. The turbomachine system of claim 16 , wherein the parameter comprises a temperature, a pressure, a stage of operation, or a combination thereof, and wherein the stage of operation comprises a general transient stage, a general steady state stage, a cold start stage, a full speed no load stage, a full speed full load stage, a steady state stage, a shutdown stage, or any combination thereof.

18. The turbomachine system of claim 16 , comprising a heat exchanger disposed between the compressor and the cooling channel, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool compressed air from the compressor to generate the cooled compressed air.

19. The turbomachine system of claim 16 , comprising a combustion cha

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Ballard Jr Henry Grady
• Klingler Brett Darrick

Classifications

• F05D2300/5021

  Expansivity · CPC title

• F05D2270/301

  Pressure · CPC title

• F05D2270/44

  active, predictive, or anticipative · CPC title

• F05D2270/303

  Temperature · CPC title

• F01D11/24 Primary

  by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components · CPC title