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US 12,331,679 B2Granted
Air recuperated engine with air reinjection
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsStephen H. Taylor, Alan Retersdorf, Oliver V. Atassi, Nathan A Snape
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine assembly including a tap that is at a location up stream of the combustor section for drawing a bleed airflow. An exhaust heat exchanger is configured to transfer thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow into the bleed airflow and communicate the heated bleed airflow into the turbine section where it is expanded to drive the turbine section.
Claims18
A gas turbine engine assembly comprising:
- a core engine including a core flow path where a core airflow is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with fuel, and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section, wherein the turbine section is coupled to drive the compressor section through an engine drive shaft;
- a tap at a location up stream of the combustor section for drawing a bleed airflow;
- an exhaust heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from the exhaust gas flow into the bleed airflow to generate a heated bleed airflow;
- an injection location in communication with a portion of the turbine section for communicating the heated bleed airflow from the exhaust heat exchanger into the turbine section separate and independent from the exhaust gas flow generated in the combustor section, wherein the heated bleed airflow is expanded against a surface of a turbine blade to drive the turbine section;
- and
- wherein the turbine section includes a low pressure turbine section with a first low pressure turbine and a second low pressure turbine and the injection location is disposed aft of the first low pressure turbine.
3 more elements
A waste heat recovery system for a gas turbine engine, the waste heat recovery system comprising:
- a first tap drawing bleed airflow from a core flow path up stream of a combustor section of the gas turbine engine;
- an exhaust heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from an exhaust gas flow of the gas turbine engine into the bleed airflow to generate a heated bleed airflow;
- and
- an injection location within a turbine section of the gas turbine engine where the heated bleed airflow is received and expanded over turbine blades of the turbine section, separate and independent of the exhaust gas flow generated in a combustor section to generate a mechanical power output;
- and
- wherein the turbine section includes a low pressure turbine section with a first low pressure turbine and a second low pressure turbine and the injection location is disposed aft of the first low pressure turbine.
3 more elements
A method of operating a gas turbine engine assembly comprising:
- generating an exhaust gas flow by igniting a fuel mixed with a core airflow within a combustor section;
- communicating a portion of the core airflow as a bleed airflow through a tap located upstream of a combustor section;
- heating bleed airflow in an exhaust heat exchanger in thermal communication with a combusted gas flow to generate a heated bleed airflow;
- injecting the heated bleed airflow at an injection location within a turbine section, separate from and independent of the exhaust gas flow, wherein the turbine section includes a low pressure turbine section with a first low pressure turbine and a second low pressure turbine and the injection location is disposed aft of the first low pressure turbine;
- and
- generating shaft power by expanding the exhaust gas flow and at least a portion of the heated bleed airflow over at least one turbine blade of the turbine section.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.