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US 12,110,820 B2Granted
Gas turbine engine centrifugal compressor with impeller load and cooling control
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorsSteven Mazur, Rex M. Little
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The compressor compresses gases entering the gas turbine engine. The combustor receives the compressed gases from the compressor and mixes fuel with the compressed gases. The turbine receives the hot, high pressure combustion products created by the combustor by igniting the fuel mixed with the compressed gases. The turbine extracts mechanical work from the hot, high pressure combustion products to drive the compressor and a fan, shaft, or propeller.
Claims16
A turbine engine comprising:
- a centrifugal compressor including an impeller having an impeller disk and impeller blades that extend from the impeller disk, the impeller configured to rotate about an axis to produce compressor discharge air,
- a combustor including an outer combustor case arranged around the axis and an inner combustor case arranged radially along an aft side of the impeller disk and extending axially aft relative to the axis, and
- a turbine including a rotor assembly mounted for rotation about the axis and a turbine blade coupled with the rotor assembly for rotation therewith and defining an inner radial boundary of a gas path of the turbine, the rotor assembly including a body, a first sealing element coupled with the body and engaging the inner combustor case at a first location, and a second sealing element coupled with the body and engaging the inner combustor case at a second location to define an air plenum between the first sealing element and the second sealing element, the second sealing element fluidly separates the air plenum from a wheel cavity defined between the inner combustor case and the rotor assembly, and the wheel cavity opens into the gas path of the turbine,
- wherein the inner combustor case is formed to include a cooling hole that extends through the inner combustor case and opens directly into the wheel cavity to direct a first portion of the compressor discharge air through the wheel cavity and into the gas path of the turbine,
- wherein the inner combustor case is formed to include a bleed hole arranged radially inwardly from outlet tips of the impeller blades to allow a flow of bleed air that is bled from the compressor discharge air to pass through the bleed hole and along the inner combustor case, and
- wherein the combustor further includes a manifold arranged along the inner combustor case and shaped to define a channel formed radially between the inner combustor case and the manifold and the flow of bleed air is conducted into the channel.
3 more elements
A turbine engine comprising:
- a centrifugal compressor including an impeller having an impeller disk and impeller blades that extend from the impeller disk, the impeller configured to rotate about an axis to produce compressor discharge air,
- a combustor arranged to receive the compressor discharge air and including an inner combustor case arranged at least along an aft side of the impeller disk, and
- a rotating turbine wheel assembly configured for rotation about the axis, the rotating turbine wheel assembly includes a turbine blade located in a gas path of the turbine engine and a first sealing element that cooperates with the inner combustor case to define a wheel cavity having an outlet that opens into the gas path,
- wherein the inner combustor case is formed to include a cooling hole that extends through the inner combustor case and opens directly into the wheel cavity to direct a first portion of the compressor discharge air from the combustor into the wheel cavity, and
- wherein the combustor further includes a manifold arranged along the inner combustor case and shaped to define a channel formed radially between the inner combustor case and the manifold, the inner combustor case is formed to include a bleed hole arranged radially inwardly from outlet tips of the impeller blades, and the bleed hole opens fluidly into the channel.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- rotating an impeller about an axis to produce compressor discharge air, the impeller having an impeller disk and impeller blades that extend away from the impeller disk,
- discharging the compressor discharge air from outlet tips of the impeller blades,
- directing a first portion of the compressor discharge air through a cooling hole formed in an inner combustor case and into a wheel cavity defined by the inner combustor case and a rotating turbine wheel assembly,
- directing a second portion of the compressor discharge air through a passageway formed in the inner combustor case and into an air plenum that is separated from the wheel cavity by a sealing element,
- directing the first portion of the compressor discharge air out of the wheel cavity through an outlet that opens into a gas path of the rotating turbine wheel assembly, and
- bleeding bleed air from the outlet tips of the impeller blades through a plurality of bleed holes formed in the inner combustor case and into a channel defined by the inner combustor case and a manifold coupled with the inner combustor case, the plurality of bleed holes being located radially inward of the outlet tips of the impeller blades relative to the axis.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.