US 2026/0153053 A1Published application

Gas turbine engine with adaptive turbine cooling air system and method

AssigneeRtx Corporation

InventorsThomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici

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Abstract

A gas turbine engine is provided that includes compressor and turbine sections, and a turbine cooling air (TCA) system. The turbine section has upstream and downstream rotor stages, and turbine sub-sections. The TCA system includes a flow mixing device and a compressor bleed air flow valve, and is configured to receive first and second compressor bleed air flows. The compressor bleed air flow valve may be in an open or a closed configuration. The TCA system operates in a first or a second mode. In the first mode, the compressor bleed air flow valve is closed and a conditioned air flow is from the first compressor bleed air flow. In the second mode, the compressor bleed air flow valve is open and the conditioned air flow is a mixture of the first and second compressor bleed air flows. The conditioned air flow is directed to the downstream turbine sub-section.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A gas turbine engine, comprising:

a compressor section;
a turbine section having an upstream rotor stage, a downstream rotor stage, an upstream turbine sub-section, and a downstream turbine sub-section;
and
a turbine cooling air system that includes a flow mixing device and a compressor bleed air flow valve, wherein the turbine cooling air system is configured to receive a first compressor bleed air flow from a first compressor bleed port stage location engaged with the compressor section and receive a second compressor bleed air flow from a second compressor bleed port stage location engaged with the compressor section, wherein the first compressor bleed port stage location is disposed upstream of the second compressor bleed port stage location;
wherein the compressor bleed air flow valve is in fluid communication with the second compressor bleed port stage location and is controllable to be in an open configuration or a closed configuration;
and
wherein the flow mixing device includes a hollow outer body and an inner body, the hollow outer body includes an inlet end, a discharge end, and an interior cavity, the hollow outer body extends axially from the inlet end to the discharge end, the interior cavity extends between the inlet end and the discharge end, the inner body is disposed within the interior cavity of the hollow outer body, and an annular region is formed between the inner body and the hollow outer body;
and
wherein the flow mixing device is configured to receive the first compressor bleed air flow and the second compressor bleed air flow through the inlet end of the hollow outer body;
wherein the turbine cooling air system is configured operate in a first mode or a second mode, wherein in the first mode the compressor bleed air flow valve is in the closed configuration and a conditioned air flow produced by the flow mixing device is solely from the first compressor bleed air flow, and in the second mode the compressor bleed air flow valve is in the open configuration and the conditioned air flow produced by the flow mixing device is a mixture of the first compressor bleed air flow and the second compressor bleed air flow;
and
wherein the turbine cooling air system is configured to direct the conditioned air flow to the downstream turbine sub-section.

9 more elements

A method of providing cooling air flow to a turbine section within a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine including a compressor section and the turbine section, the turbine section having an upstream rotor stage, a downstream rotor stage, an upstream turbine sub-section, and a downstream turbine sub-section, wherein both of the upstream rotor stage and the downstream rotor stage include a plurality of rotor blades, each rotor blade having a rotor blade tip, and wherein the upstream turbine sub-section is disposed upstream of the downstream turbine sub-section, the method comprising:

providing a first compressor bleed air flow from a first compressor bleed port engaged with the compressor section to a flow mixing device;
selectively providing a second compressor bleed air flow from a second compressor bleed port engaged with the compressor section to the flow mixing device, wherein the first compressor bleed port is disposed upstream of the second compressor bleed port;
producing a conditioned cooling air flow using the flow mixing device in a first mode or a second mode, wherein in the first mode the conditioned cooling air flow is produced solely from the first compressor bleed air flow, and in the second mode the conditioned cooling air flow is a mixture of the first compressor bleed air flow and the second compressor bleed air flow;
and
providing the conditioned cooling air flow to the downstream turbine sub-section.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.