Windage shield system and method of suppressing resonant acoustic noise

A windage shield system comprising:

• an annular cavity having an inlet end and an outlet end, said annular cavity configured to direct a flow of cooling fluid from said inlet end to said outlet end;
• a source of a flow of cooling fluid coupled in flow communication with said annular cavity, said annular cavity bounded by a stationary component and a rotating component, said rotating component introducing heat into said annular cavity by windage effects;
• a cooling channel coupled in flow communication with said outlet end;
• a first windage shield extending from said outlet end towards said inlet end within said annular cavity, said first windage shield dividing said annular cavity into at least two flow paths, a first flow path defined between said rotating component and said first windage shield, a second flow path defined between said stationary component and said first windage shield, said cooling channel in flow communication with said second flow path such that a temperature of the second flow path is less than a temperature of the first flow path due to windage effects;
• and
• a third annular cavity positioned within said cooling channel, said third annular cavity bounded by a pair of stationary components and a third rotating component, said third rotating component introducing heat into said third annular cavity by windage effects;
• and
• a third windage shield extending between said pair of stationary components such that the heat generated by said rotating component is restricted from being transferred towards said third annular cavity through said third windage shield.

A windage shield system comprising:

• a cooling channel configured to channel a flow of cooling fluid therethrough, wherein said cooling channel is at least partially bounded by a first stationary component and a second stationary component;
• an annular cavity positioned within said cooling channel, said annular cavity bounded by said second stationary component and a rotating component, said rotating component introducing heat into said annular cavity by windage effects;
• a first windage shield extending between said second stationary component and said rotating component such that the heat generated by said rotating component is restricted from being transferred towards said second stationary component through said second windage shield;
• and
• wherein said first windage shield extends substantially radially between a first portion and a second portion of said second stationary component.

A windage shield system comprising:

• a cooling channel configured to channel a flow of cooling fluid therethrough, wherein said cooling channel is at least partially bounded by a first stationary component and a second stationary component;
• an annular cavity positioned within said cooling channel, said annular cavity bounded by said second stationary component and a rotating component, said rotating component introducing heat into said annular cavity by windage effects;
• a first windage shield extending between said second stationary component and said rotating component such that the heat generated by said rotating component is restricted from being transferred towards said second stationary component through said second windage shield;
• a second annular cavity positioned within said cooling channel, said second annular cavity bounded by a pair of stationary components and a third rotating component, said third rotating component introducing heat into said second annular cavity by windage effects;
• and
• a second windage shield extending between said pair of stationary components such that the heat generated by said third rotating component is restricted from being transferred towards said second annular cavity through said second windage shield.

A windage shield system comprising:

• a cooling channel configured to channel a flow of cooling fluid therethrough, wherein said cooling channel is at least partially bounded by a first stationary component and a second stationary component;
• an annular cavity positioned within said cooling channel, said annular cavity bounded by a pair of stationary components and a rotating component, said rotating component introducing heat into said annular cavity by windage effects;
• and
• a first windage shield extending between said pair of stationary components such that the heat generated by said rotating component is restricted from being transferred towards said annular cavity through a third windage shield.