# US 10,480,322 B2 · Turbine engine with annular cavity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,322 B2 - Document ID: US10480322B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/870,313 - Filed: 2018-01-12 - Published: 2019-07-18 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-12 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Arnab Sen; Jeffrey Douglas Rambo; Rajesh Kumar; Bhaskar Nanda Mondal; Alan Roy Stuart; Robert Proctor; Christopher Charles Glynn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480322B2 ## CPC - F01D 5/084: {the fluid circulating at the periphery of a multistage rotor, e.g. of drum type} - F01D 11/04: using sealing fluid, e.g. steam - F01D 1/24: characterised by counter-rotating rotors subjected to same working fluid stream without intermediate stator blades or the like - F01D 1/26: traversed by the working-fluid substantially axially - F01D 5/081: {Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades (F01D5/087 takes precedence)} - F01D 11/00: Preventing or minimising internal leakage of working-fluid, e.g. between stages (sealings in general F16J {; sealing arrangements for transition ducts of combustor cans F01D9/023}) - F01D 11/003: {by packing rings; Mechanical seals} - F01D 11/10: using sealing fluid, e.g. steam - F01D 11/24: by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components - F01D 25/14: Casings modified therefor (double casings F01D25/26) - F01D 25/246: {Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings} - F02C 7/12: Cooling of plants (of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P) - F02C 7/18: the medium being gaseous, e.g. air {(F02C7/125 takes precedence)} - F02K 3/072: with counter-rotating {, e.g. fan} rotors - F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines - F05D 2240/24: for turbines - F05D 2240/55: Seals - F05D 2250/294: grooved - F05D 2260/20: Heat transfer, e.g. cooling - F05D 2260/201: by impingement of a fluid - F05D 2260/205: Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after cooling one or more components is the cooling fluid recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes - F05D 2260/2212: by creating turbulence - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract An apparatus and method for cooling a portion of a turbine engine comprising an outer casing defining an axial centerline, a turbine section through which a flow of combustion gasses flows in a forward to aft direction, an outer drum located between the outer casing and the turbine section defining an annular cavity therebetween. A set of seals extends between the outer casing and outer drum to define at least one cooled cavity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A turbine engine comprising: an outer casing having a first surface facing an interior of the outer casing and defining an axial centerline; an engine core provided within the interior of the outer casing and having a first set of blades and a second set of blades axially spaced from the first set of blades, both sets circumferentially arranged about the axial centerline, and through which gasses flow in a forward to aft direction; an outer drum located within the outer casing and having a second surface spaced from the first surface to define an annular cavity between the first and second surfaces; a set of seals extending between the first surface and the second surface to define at least one cooled cavity within the annular cavity; and a set of flow passages provided in the outer drum and fluidly coupling the at least one cooled cavity to the interior. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the first set of blades is mounted to the outer drum rotatable about the axial centerline and the second set of blades is mounted to a counter rotating inner drum rotatable about the axial centerline in an opposite direction of the outer drum and the first and the second set of blades are in one of a counter-rotating turbine section or a counter-rotating compressor section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the first set of blades is mounted to the outer drum via a hanger assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The turbine engine of claim 3 wherein the hanger assembly includes a set of channels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The turbine engine of claim 4 wherein the hanger assembly comprises a hook and flange and the set of channels is located in the flange. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The turbine engine of claim 4 wherein the set of channels includes at least one of an axial channel extending in an axial direction with respect to the axial centerline or a radial channel extending in a radial direction with respect to the axial centerline. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The turbine engine of claim 6 wherein the set of channels includes the axial channel and the radial channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The turbine engine of claim 7 wherein at least one of the axial or radial channels is angled with respect to the axial or radial direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The turbine engine of claim 8 wherein the radial channel is angled with respect to the radial direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein a set of flow enhancers is located within the annular cavity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The turbine engine of claim 10 wherein the set of flow enhancers is a set of fins, dimples, protrusions, guide vanes, or engineered roughness. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the set of flow passages is any one of a scoop, a duct, or a through hole. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the outer casing and the outer drum are annular about the axial centerline. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the first set of blades is a set of circumferentially arranged static vanes. ### Claim 15 A turbine engine comprising: an outer casing having a first surface facing an interior of the outer casing and defining an axial centerline; a turbine section provided within the interior of the outer casing and having counter rotatable inner and outer drums each including a set of blades extending therefrom and rotatable about the axial centerline through which a flow of combustion gasses flows in a forward to aft direction, the outer drum defining a second surface spaced from the first surface to define an annular cavity between the first and second surfaces; a set of seals extending between the first surface and the second surface to define at least one cooled cavity within the annular cavity; and a set of flow passages provided in the outer drum and fluidly coupling the at least one cooled cavity to the turbine section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The turbine engine of claim 15 wherein a first set of blades extends radially inward from the outer drum and is mounted to the outer drum via a hanger assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The turbine engine of claim 16 wherein the hanger assembly includes a set of channels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The turbine engine of claim 17 wherein the hanger assembly comprises a hook and flange and the set of channels is located in the flange. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The turbine engine of claim 17 wherein the set of channels includes an axial channel extending in the axial direction with respect to an axial centerline and a radial channel extending in a radial direction with respect to the axial centerline. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The turbine engine of claim 19 wherein at least one of the axial or radial channels is angled with respect to the axial or radial direction. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The turbine engine of claim 20 wherein the radial channel is angled with respect to the radial direction. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The turbine engine of claim 15 wherein a set of flow enhancers is located within the annular cavity. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The turbine engine of claim 15 wherein the set of flow passages is any one of a scoop, a duct, or a through hole. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The turbine engine of claim 15 wherein the turbine section is a low pressure turbine. ### Claim 25 A method for cooling an annular cavity of a turbine engine having an outer casing and an outer drum with the annular cavity formed therebetween, the method comprising: introducing a cooling fluid into the annular cavity; flowing the cooling fluid through at least one cooled cavity located within the annular cavity; and, flowing at least a portion of the cooling fluid through a flow passage in the outer drum. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising introducing at least a portion of the cooling fluid to a set of channels located within a flange extending from a blade. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising flowing the cooling fluid through multiple sealed cavities. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising flowing the cooling fluid through at least one cooling conduit formed in a seal of the at least one cooled cavity. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising introducing the cooling fluid to the at least one cooled cavity through at least one connecting conduit formed in the outer casing. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising swirling the cooling fluid around flow enhancers extending from the outer casing.