Closed-loop brayton cycle system with turbine blade cooling
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsStephen H. Taylor, Ram Ranjan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A closed-loop Brayton cycle system utilizes supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid for the system to achieve higher efficiencies than can be achieved with traditional open-loop gas turbine engines. A bleed channel is used to direct a flow of cooling fluid to cool the turbine blades during operation of the system, preventing damage to the turbine blades during operation of the system. The bleed channel includes a bleed inlet fluidly coupled between a first recuperator and a second recuperator and a bleed outlet fluidly coupled to the turbine blades. The bleed channel is configured to direct the flow of cooling fluid to the turbine blades at a desired temperature and pressure.
Claims20
A closed-loop Brayton cycle system comprising:
- a first compressor;
- a first turbine comprising a plurality of turbine blades, the first turbine fluidly coupled to the first compressor, wherein each of the plurality of turbine blades include internal cooling features;
- a first recuperator and a second recuperator positioned between the first compressor and the first turbine, wherein the first recuperator and the second recuperator are fluidly coupled to the first compressor and the first turbine, and wherein the first recuperator is fluidly coupled through a conduit to the second recuperator;
- and
- a bleed channel comprising a bleed inlet and a bleed outlet, wherein the bleed inlet is fluidly coupled to the conduit at a location between the first recuperator and the second recuperator, and wherein the bleed outlet is fluidly coupled to the plurality of turbine blades to direct a bleed stream of a working fluid flowing through the bleed channel into the internal cooling features of the plurality of turbine blades when the closed-loop Brayton cycle system is operating;
- wherein the closed-loop Brayton cycle system is configured to flow the working fluid through the closed-loop Brayton cycle system when in operation.
A method of operating a closed-loop Brayton cycle system, the method comprising:
- flowing a working fluid from a first compressor to and through a second recuperator;
- flowing the working fluid from the second recuperator into a conduit positioned between and fluidly coupling the second recuperator to a first recuperator;
- directing a first portion of the working fluid through a bleed inlet of a bleed channel and into the bleed channel;
- directing a second portion of the working fluid through the first recuperator and into a first turbine;
- and
- flowing the first portion of the working fluid through the bleed channel and out through a bleed outlet fluidly coupled to a plurality of turbine blades positioned within the first turbine;
- wherein the first portion of the working fluid flowing into the plurality of turbine blades decreases the temperature of the plurality of turbine blades during operation of the closed-loop Brayton cycle system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.