# US 10,767,864 B2 · Turbine cooled cooling air by tubular arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,864 B2 - Document ID: US10767864B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/185,431 - Filed: 2016-06-17 - Published: 2016-12-22 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-19 - Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc - Applicants: Rolls-Royce Corporation; Rolls-Royce PLC - Inventors: Joseph Clegg; Robert A. Hicks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767864B2 ## CPC - F23R 3/04: Air inlet arrangements - F23R 3/002: {Wall structures (F23R3/02 and F23R3/007 take precedence)} - F23R 3/045: {using pipes} - F23R 3/60: Support structures; Attaching or mounting means - F23R 2900/00005: Preventing fatigue failures or reducing mechanical stress in gas turbine components - F23R: GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS (fluidised bed combustion apparatus specially adapted for operation at superatmospheric pressures F23C10/16) ## Abstract A gas turbine engine may include a combustor having an inner wall and an outer wall defining a combustion chamber there between. The inner wall and the outer wall may each have at least one opening into the combustion chamber. The gas turbine engine may also include at least one mobile conduit through which a cooling fluid may flow. The mobile conduit may pass through the combustion chamber from the at least one opening in the outer wall to the at least one opening in the inner wall. The gas turbine engine may further include a first joint and a second joint fluidly connecting the mobile conduit to the at least one opening in the inner wall and the at least one opening in the outer wall, respectively. The first joint and the second joint may enable multiple degrees of freedom of the mobile conduit within the combustion chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gas turbine engine comprising: a combustor having an inner wall and an outer wall defining a combustion chamber there between, the inner wall and the outer wall each having at least one opening into the combustion chamber; at least one mobile conduit passing through the combustion chamber from the at least one opening in the outer wall to the at least one opening in the inner wall, a cooling fluid being flowable from the at least one opening in the outer wall through the at least one mobile conduit to the at least one opening in the inner wall; and a first joint and a second joint fluidly connecting the at least one mobile conduit with the at least one opening in the inner wall and the at least one opening in the outer wall, respectively the first joint and the second joint enabling multiple degrees of freedom of the at least one mobile conduit within the combustion chamber; wherein the at least one mobile conduit is solid along a length of the at least one mobile conduit from the first opening to the second opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the first joint and the second joint are floating joints enabling the at least one mobile conduit to slide with respect to both the openings in the inner wall and the outer wall. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the first joint is a floating joint, and the second joint is a gimbal joint attached to an end of the at least one mobile conduit at the outer wall such that an end of the mobile conduit at the inner wall is able to slide with respect to the at least one opening in the inner wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The gas turbine engine of claim 2, wherein the first joint and the second joint each includes a tubular case extending from the inner wall and the outer wall, respectively, into the combustion chamber around the respective openings, and at least one spring loaded seal, and wherein one of the first joint and the second joint further includes a retaining ring within the tubular case to limit a translational degree of freedom of the mobile conduit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The gas turbine engine of claim 3, wherein the first joint and the second joint each includes a tubular case extending from the inner wall and the outer wall, respectively, into the combustion chamber around the respective openings, and at least one spring loaded seal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobile conduit includes four conduits arranged in one of a radial alignment with the outer wall and a non-radial alignment with the outer wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine of claim 1, further comprising an outer sleeve disposed around at least a portion of the at least one mobile conduit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The gas turbine engine of claim 7, wherein the outer sleeve is spaced apart from the at least one mobile conduit such that an air tight cavity is created there between. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gas turbine engine of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the air tight cavity is filled with insulation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The gas turbine engine of claim 7, further comprising a thermal barrier coating on at least a portion of at least one of the at least one mobile conduit and the outer sleeve. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine of claim 1, further comprising a thermal barrier coating on at least a portion of the at least one mobile conduit. ### Claim 12 A method comprising: providing a first opening in an inner wall of a combustor of a gas turbine engine, and a second opening in an outer wall of the combustor, the outer wall and the inner wall defining a combustion chamber there between; fluidly connecting the conduit in the combustion chamber to the first opening in the inner wall via a first joint and to the second opening in the outer wall via a second joint; flowing a cooling fluid through the conduit from the second opening to the first opening; wherein the first joint and the second joint enable multiple degrees of freedom of the conduit within the combustion chamber; and wherein the first joint is a floating joint, and the second joint is one of a floating joint and a gimbal joint. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first joint and the second joint are floating joints enabling the conduit to slide with respect to both the openings in the inner wall and the outer wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the first joint is a floating joint, and the second joint is a gimbal joint attached to an end of the conduit near the outer wall such that an end of the conduit near the inner wall is able to slide with respect to the opening in the inner wall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising aligning the conduit with the outer wall in one of a radial alignment with the outer wall and a non-radial alignment with the outer wall. ### Claim 16 A gas turbine engine comprising: a combustor having an inner wall and an outer wall defining a combustion chamber there between, the inner wall and the outer wall each having at least one opening into the combustion chamber; at least one mobile conduit, the at least one mobile conduit passing through the combustion chamber from the at least one opening in the outer wall to the at least one opening in the inner wall, a cooling fluid being flowable from the at least one opening in the outer wall through the at least one mobile conduit to the at least one opening in the inner wall during operation of the gas turbine engine; a first joint fluidly connecting the at least one mobile conduit to the first opening; and a second joint fluidly connecting the at least one mobile conduit to the second opening; wherein the first joint is a floating joint, and the second joint is one of a floating joint and a gimbal joint attached to an end of the at least one mobile conduit near the outer wall, a floating joints enabling multiple angular degrees of freedom and a translational degree of freedom of a respective end of the at least one mobile conduit, and a gimbal joint enabling multiple angular degrees of freedom with no translational degree of freedom of a respective end of the at least one mobile conduit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein the second joint is a floating joint such that the respective ends of the at least one mobile conduit are able to slide with respect to the openings in the outer wall and the inner wall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein the second joint is a gimbal joint attached to an end of the at least one mobile conduit near the outer wall such that only an end of the at least one mobile conduit near the inner wall is able to slide with respect to the opening in the inner wall. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The gas turbine engine of claim 16, wherein the first joint and the second joint each includes a tubular case extending from the inner wall and the outer wall, respectively, into the combustion chamber around the respective openings, and at least one spring loaded seal, and wherein one of the first joint and the second joint further includes a retaining ring within the tubular case to limit the translational degree of freedom of the mobile conduit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 4) The gas turbine engine of claim 4, wherein the tubular case of the second joint is attached to the outer wall via a flange.