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US 2020/0263604 A1Published application
Gas turbine engine buffer system
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsPeter M. Munsell, Philip S. Stripinis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas turbine engine includes a fan, a compressor section, and a turbine section configured to drive the compressor section and the fan. A buffer system is configured to communicate a buffer supply air to a portion of the gas turbine engine. The buffer system includes a first bleed air supply having a first pressure, a second bleed air supply having a second pressure that is greater than the first pressure, and an ejector that selectively augments the first bleed air supply to prepare the buffer supply air for communication to the portion of the gas turbine engine. A method and a buffer system are also disclosed.
Claims20
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a fan section including a fan and a first bearing structure, wherein said first bearing structure defines a bearing compartment that houses one or more bearings;
- a geared architecture that drives said fan, wherein said first bearing structure is forward of said geared architecture with respect to an engine longitudinal axis;
- a turbine section includes a fan drive turbine that drives said geared architecture and includes a second turbine;
- a compressor section downstream of said fan, said compressor section including a low pressure compressor driven by said turbine section and a high pressure compressor driven by said second turbine;
- and
- a buffer system that communicates a buffer supply air to a portion of the gas turbine engine, wherein said portion includes at least one bearing compartment of the gas turbine engine, and said at least one bearing compartment comprises said bearing compartment of said first bearing structure, and wherein said buffer system includes:
- a first bleed air supply having a first pressure;
- a second bleed air supply having a second pressure that is greater than said first pressure;
- an ejector that selectively augments said first bleed air supply to prepare said buffer supply air for communication to said portion of the gas turbine engine;
- a controller that selectively commands said ejector to augment said first bleed supply air in response to detecting a power condition of the gas turbine engine;
- a sensor that detects said power condition;
- and
- wherein said first bleed air supply is augmented to a higher pressure by said ejector in response to a low power condition of the gas turbine engine, but said first bleed air supply is not augmented by said ejector in response to a high power condition of the gas turbine engine.
10 more elements
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a fan section including a fan and a first bearing structure defining a first bearing compartment;
- a geared architecture that drives said fan, wherein said geared architecture includes an epicyclic gear train, and said first bearing structure is forward of said geared architecture with respect to an engine longitudinal axis;
- a compressor section;
- a combustor in fluid communication with said compressor section;
- a turbine section in fluid communication with said combustor, said turbine section including a fan drive turbine that drives said fan and including a second turbine;
- at least one shaft that interconnects at least a portion of said compressor section and said turbine section;
- a second bearing structure that supports said at least one shaft, wherein said second bearing structure includes a second bearing compartment;
- a buffer system that selectively communicates a buffer supply air to pressurize said first bearing compartment of said first bearing structure and said second bearing compartment of said second bearing structure, wherein said buffer system includes a first bleed air supply and an ejector that is selectively powered by a second bleed air supply of a greater pressure than said first bleed air supply;
- a controller that selectively commands said ejector to augment said first bleed supply air in response to detecting a power condition of the gas turbine engine;
- and
- a sensor that detects said power condition,
- wherein said first bleed air supply is augmented to a higher pressure by said ejector in response to a low power condition of the gas turbine engine, but said first bleed air supply is not augmented by said ejector in response to a high power condition of the gas turbine engine.
9 more elements
A method of cooling a portion of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- communicating a first bleed air supply and a second bleed air supply to an ejector;
- identifying a power condition of the gas turbine engine with a sensor;
- augmenting the first bleed supply air with the second bleed air supply within the ejector to prepare a buffer supply air for communication to the portion in response to identifying a low power condition of the gas turbine engine;
- communicating the first bleed supply air without augmentation in response to identifying a high power condition of the gas turbine engine;
- wherein the augmenting is selectively commanded by a controller;
- and
- wherein the portion includes a bearing compartment defined by a bearing structure located in a fan section, and said bearing structure is forward of a geared architecture with respect to an engine longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine, and said fan section includes a fan driven by a fan drive turbine via the geared architecture.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.