Turbine cooling system with energy separation
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsJames Rutledge, Matthew Fuqua, Carol Bryant
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Abstract
A method and system for cooling an engine and/or vehicle using energy separation is disclosed herein. An energy separation device is operable for separating a compressed gaseous coolant stream into a first relatively cooler coolant flow stream and a second relatively hotter coolant flow stream. The relative cooler coolant flow stream is directed to a first region requiring increased cooling and the relative hotter coolant flow stream is directed to a second region requiring lower cooling than the first region in the engine or vehicle.
Claims12
A gas turbine engine system comprising:
- a compressor;
- a combustor positioned downstream of the compressor configured to generate hot combustion gas;
- a turbine positioned downstream of the compressor;
- a plurality of hot section components heated by the combustion products;
- wherein each of the plurality of hot section components includes a first side and an opposing second side;
- a conduit configured to transport cooling air from the compressor to a hot section component of the plurality of hot section components;
- an energy separation device positioned within the hot section component such that the cooling air is split into a relatively hotter portion and a relatively cooler portion;
- wherein the relatively hotter portion and the relatively cooler portion exit the hot section component at different angles relative to an outer surface of a same side of one of the first or second sides.
A method comprising:
- a gas turbine engine system comprising:
- a compressor;
- a combustor positioned downstream of the compressor configured to generate hot combustion gas;
- a turbine positioned downstream of the compressor;
- a plurality of hot section components heated by the combustion products;
- wherein each of the plurality of hot section components includes a first side and an opposing second side;
- a conduit configured to transport cooling air from the compressor to a hot section component of the plurality of hot section components;
- an energy separation device positioned within the hot section component such that the cooling air is split into a relatively hotter portion and a relatively cooler portion;
- wherein the relatively hotter portion and the relatively cooler portion exit the hot section component at different angles relative to an outer surface of a same side of one of the first or second sides,
- transporting the cooling air from the compressor to the hot section component in the gas turbine engine system during operation;
- moving the cooling air through the energy separation device;
- discharging the relatively cooler portion and the relatively hotter portion from the energy separation device;
- and
- directing the relatively cooler portion to a first region of the same side requiring more cooling and directing the relatively hotter portion to a second region of the same side requiring less cooling than the first region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.