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US 10,480,342 B2Granted
Gas turbine engine with health monitoring system
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsBruce E. Varney, Jack D. Petty, Daniel K. Vetters, Eugene Clemens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine includes a turbine having a plurality of vanes, a plurality of blades, a turbine shroud arranged around the vanes and blades, and a turbine case arranged around the turbine shroud. The turbine shroud is sized to block combustion products from passing over the blades without pushing the blades to rotate. The turbine shroud includes a runner arranged around the blades and a carrier arranged around the runner.
Claims19
A gas turbine engine comprising
- a turbine case arranged around a central axis of the gas turbine engine and formed to include an outer keyway extending in a radial direction through the turbine case,
- an annular carrier formed to define a radially inwardly-opening carrier channel, the annular carrier including an outer pin receiver that extends through the annular carrier to allow pressurized cooling air to pass through the annular carrier into the radially inwardly-opening carrier channel,
- a one-piece annular runner aligned axially with the annular carrier to block access into the radially inwardly-opening carrier channel and to cooperate with the radially inwardly-opening carrier channel to define a buffer chamber configured to receive the pressurized cooling air and to route the pressurized cooling air around the one-piece annular runner, and
- a health monitoring system including a conduit configured to direct the pressurized cooling air through the turbine case and the annular carrier into the buffer chamber, a valve connected to the conduit, a pressure sensor configured to measure an air pressure in the buffer chamber, and a controller coupled to the valve to open and close the valve in response to signals received from the pressure sensor to modulate the pressurized cooling air directed into the buffer chamber,
- wherein the pressure sensor includes a transducer located outside of the buffer chamber and a pressure tube having a first end coupled to the transducer and a second end in fluid communication with the buffer chamber and located in the buffer chamber such that the second end terminates in the buffer chamber.
2 more elements
A turbine shroud for use in a gas turbine engine having a central axis, the turbine shroud comprising
- a carrier formed to define a radially inwardly-opening carrier channel, the carrier includes an outer pin receiver that extends through the carrier to allow pressurized cooling air to pass through the carrier into the carrier channel,
- an annular runner aligned axially with the carrier to block access into the radially inwardly-opening carrier channel and to cooperate with the radially inwardly-opening carrier channel to define a buffer chamber configured to route the pressurized cooling air around the annular runner, and
- a health monitoring system including a pressure sensor configured to measure an air pressure in the buffer chamber, a valve fluidly connected to the buffer chamber, and a controller coupled to the valve to open and close the valve to modulate the pressurized cooling air directed into the buffer chamber,
- wherein the controller is configured to receive signals from the pressure sensor and to actuate the valve to increase the air pressure in the buffer chamber in response to the signals being indicative of the air pressure in the buffer chamber being below a predetermined threshold pressure.
1 more element
A method of controlling a health monitoring system included in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising
- directing pressurized cooling air into a buffer chamber formed between a carrier and a one-piece annular runner included in a turbine shroud of the gas turbine engine, the buffer chamber configured to route the pressurized cooling air around the one-piece annular runner,
- measuring an air pressure in the buffer chamber, and
- controlling the pressurized cooling air directed into the buffer chamber in response to air pressure measurements,
- wherein the health monitoring system includes a valve in fluid communication with the buffer chamber, a pressure sensor configured to measure an air pressure in the buffer chamber, and a controller coupled to the valve to open and close the valve to modulate the pressurize cooling air directed in to the buffer chamber and configured to receive signals from the pressure sensor and actuate the valve to increase the air pressure in the buffer chamber in response to the signals being indicative of the air pressure in the buffer chamber being below a predetermined threshold pressure.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.