Gas turbine engine exhaust fluid passage duct

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909459-B2
Application number	US-201414206798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A fluid plenum including a body defining an internal cavity having an inlet and an outlet. The fluid plenum further includes at least one wall positioned in the internal cavity that divides the internal cavity into first and second passageways, and which also divides the inlet into first and second inlet portions, and divides the outlet into first and second outlet portions. The first passageway receives fluid through the first inlet portion and directs fluid to the first outlet portion, and the second passageway receives fluid through the second inlet portion and directs fluid to the second outlet portion. The first and second passageways extend first and second lengths that are different from one another, and also generate a substantially common back-pressure at the first and second inlet portions during flow of a fluid stream through the inlet, including a first sub-stream of the fluid stream through the first passageway and a second sub-stream of the fluid stream through the second passageway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine engine, comprising:
a compressor section structured to compress a fluid;
a combustor section disposed downstream of said compressor section to receive compressed fluid from said compressor section and to contain the compressed fluid and fuel during combustion;
a turbine section disposed downstream of said combustor section to receive combustion gases from said combustor section and to convert energy associated with the combustion gases to rotary power at least in part for said compressor section, and wherein said turbine section and said compressor section are rotatable about a common axis; and
a fluid plenum disposed downstream of said turbine section and including:
a body defining an internal cavity;
an inlet to said internal cavity through said body, said inlet receiving a fluid stream of combustion gases from said turbine section;
an outlet from said internal cavity through said body, said outlet spaced from said inlet, said outlet directed radially outward relative to said common axis;
at least one wall disposed in said internal cavity, said at least one wall dividing said internal cavity into at least first and second passageways, said at least one wall dividing said inlet into at least first and second inlet portions positioned adjacent one another and dividing said outlet into at least first and second outlet portions positioned adjacent one another;
said first passageway structured to receive fluid through said first inlet portion and to direct fluid to said first outlet portion;
said second passageway structured to receive fluid through said second inlet portion and to direct fluid to said second outlet portion, wherein said first and second passageways extend along first and second lengths, said first and second lengths being different from one another;

wherein said first and second passageways are operable to generate a substantially common back-pressure at said first and second inlet portions during flow of a fluid stream through said inlet, including a first sub-stream of the fluid stream through said first passageway and a second sub-stream of the fluid stream through said second passageway, and
wherein said fluid plenum is positioned between said compressor section and said turbine section along said common axis.

2. The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shaft interconnecting said compressor section and said turbine section for transmitting rotary power, and wherein said fluid plenum surrounds said shaft.

3. The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein said inlet is ring-shaped and is defined by an inner diameter and an outer diameter, said at least one wall dividing said first and second inlet portions from one another along a plane containing said common axis, and said outlet being disposed on one side of said plane.

4. The turbine engine of claim 3 , wherein said first inlet portion is disposed on an opposite side of said plane relative to said outlet, said first fluid passageway extending from said first inlet portion as a scroll and downstream of said first inlet portion transitions to a substantially straight long diffuser ending at said first outlet portion.

5. The turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein said second fluid passageway extends from said second inlet portion and defines a bent diffuser.

6. The turbine engine of claim 5 , wherein said first and second passageways overlap one another along said common axis.

7. A turbine engine comprising:
a compressor section including components mounted for rotation about an axis;
a combustor section fluidly coupled to and disposed downstream of the compressor section;
a turbine section fluidly coupled to and disposed downstream of the combustor section, the turbine section including components mounted for rotation about the axis; and
a fluid plenum disposed between the compressor section and the turbine section along the axis, the fluid plenum including (i) a body defining an internal cavity, (ii) an inlet to the internal cavity through the body arranged to receive gases from the turbine section, (iii) an outlet from the internal cavity arranged to direct gasses discharged from the internal cavity outward relative to the common axis, and (iv) at least one wall disposed in the internal cavity,
wherein the at least one wall is shaped to divide the internal cavity into at least first and second passageways that extend from the inlet to the outlet and that have different lengths, to divide the inlet into at least first and second inlet portions positioned adjacent one another, and to divide the outlet into at least first and second outlet portions positioned adjacent one another.

8. The turbine engine of claim 7 , further comprising a shaft interconnecting the compressor section and the turbine section for transmitting rotary power, and wherein the fluid plenum surrounds the shaft.

9. The turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the inlet is ring-shaped and is defined by an inner diameter and an outer diameter, the at least one wall dividing the first and second inlet portions from one another along a plane containing the common axis, and the outlet being disposed on one side of the plane.

10. The turbine engine of claim 9 , wherein the first inlet portion is disposed on an opposite side of the plane relative to the outlet, the first fluid passageway extending from the first inlet portion as a scroll and downstream of the first inlet portion transitions to a substantially straight long diffuser ending at the first outlet portion.

11. The turbine engine of claim 10 , wherein the second fluid passageway extends from the second inlet portion and defines a bent diffuser.

12. The turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the first and second passageways overlap one another along the common axis.

13. The turbine engine of claim 7 , wherein the fluid plenum is shaped to generate a substantially common back-pressure at the first and second inlet portions during operation of the turbine engine.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Roach Iii John M
• Holmes Jeffrey A

Classifications

• Y10T137/0536

  Highspeed fluid intake means [e.g., jet engine intake] · 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

• F02C3/145

  the combustion chamber being in the reverse flow-type · CPC title

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title

• F01D25/30 Primary

  Exhaust heads, chambers, or the like · CPC title