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US 12,540,580 B1Granted
Automatic bleed valve
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsDave Menheere, Jason Herborth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compressor bleed valve of a gas turbine engine includes a valve support, and a valve element positioned at the valve support and movable relative to the valve support from an open position into a closed position engaged with a valve seat. The movement of the valve element toward the closed position is driven by a phase change of a volume of phase change material disposed in the valve support between the valve support and the valve element.
Claims20
A compressor of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- one or more compressor rotors arranged along a compressor flowpath configured to compress an airflow directed alone the compressor flowpath;
- a bleed pathway configured to selectably divert a portion of the airflow from the compressor flowpath as a bleed airflow;
- a bleed valve disposed along the bleed pathway to control the flow of the bleed airflow therethrough, the bleed valve including:
- a valve support;
- a valve element disposed at the valve support and movable relative to the valve support from an open position into a closed position engaged with a valve seat;
- wherein the movement of the valve element toward the closed position is driven by a phase change of a volume of phase change material disposed in the valve support between the valve support and the valve element;
- wherein the bleed valve is configured so that valve element is in the open position during startup of the gas turbine engine, and in the closed position after startup of the gas turbine engine.
4 more elements
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a combustor;
- a turbine driven by products of the combustor;
- a compressor operably connected to the turbine, the compressor including:
- one or more compressor rotors arranged along a compressor flowpath configured to compress an airflow directed alone the compressor flowpath, the one or more compressor rotors driven by rotation of the turbine;
- a bleed pathway configured to selectably divert a portion of the airflow from the compressor flowpath as a bleed airflow;
- and
- a bleed valve disposed along the bleed pathway to control the flow of the bleed airflow therethrough, the bleed valve including:
- a valve support;
- a valve element disposed at the valve support and movable relative to the valve support from an open position into a closed position engaged with a valve seat;
- wherein the movement of the valve element toward the closed position is driven by a phase change of a volume of phase change material disposed in the valve support between the valve support and the valve element;
- wherein the bleed valve is configured so that valve element is in the open position during startup of the gas turbine engine, and in the closed position after startup of the gas turbine engine.
8 more elements
A method of operating a gas turbine engine, comprises:
- rotating a compressor, thereby urging an airflow through the compressor to compress and heat the airflow;
- diverting a portion of the airflow from the compressor through a compressor bleed valve and along a bleed pathway, the compressor bleed valve including:
- a valve support;
- a valve element disposed at the valve support and movable relative to the valve support from an open position into a closed position engaged with a valve seat;
- heating a volume of phase change material disposed in the valve support between the valve support and the valve element, thus causing a phase change and expansion of the phase change material;
- closing the compressor bleed valve by moving the valve element from the open position to the closed position via the expansion of the phase change material.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.