Gas turbomachine including a counter-flow cooling system and method
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHenry Grady Ballard, JR., Kenneth Damon Black, John David Memmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbomachine includes a casing assembly surrounding a portion of the gas turbomachine and a counter-flow cooling system arranged within the casing. The counter-flow cooling system is configured and disposed to guide cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction and return cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction.
Claims34
A gas turbomachine comprising:
- a casing assembly surrounding a portion of the gas turbomachine;
- and
- a counter-flow cooling system arranged within the casing assembly, the counter-flow cooling system being configured and disposed to guide cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction and return cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction.
A method of delivering cooling fluid through a gas turbomachine, the method comprising:
- guiding a cooling fluid into a casing assembly of the gas turbomachine;
- passing the cooling fluid into a first duct member extending axially through the casing assembly in a first direction;
- guiding the cooling fluid through a cross-flow duct fluidly coupled to the first duct member in a second direction;
- delivering the cooling fluid from the cross-flow duct into a second duct member that extends substantially parallel to the first duct member;
- and
- passing the cooling fluid through the second duct member in a third direction that is substantially opposite to the first direction.
A gas turbomachine comprising:
- a compressor portion;
- a combustor assembly fluidly connected to the compressor portion;
- and
- a turbine portion fluidly connected to the combustor assembly and mechanically linked to the compressor portion;
- and
- a counter-flow cooling system arranged in one of the compressor portion and the turbine portion, the counter-flow cooling system being configured and disposed to guide cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction and return cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction.
A method of passively controlling turbine bucket tip clearances in a gas turbomachine comprising:
- guiding a cooling fluid into a casing assembly of the gas turbomachine;
- flowing the cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction;
- passing the cooling fluid circumferentially through the casing assembly;
- flowing the cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite to the first direction;
- and
- reducing thermal gradients in the casing assembly to control a clearance between turbine bucket tip portions and shroud members supported at the casing assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.