One-piece ceramic support housing for a gas turbine with a rotary regenerator
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsRichard A. Jeryan, Arthur F. McLean, Anthony Paluszny, Emil A. Pulick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thin outer metallic housing surrounds and is spaced from a one-piece cylindrical ceramic liner that insulates, supports and houses high temperature and rotating parts of the engine, the end faces of the liner constitute rubbing seal surfaces against which are directly mounted ceramic core rotating regenerators, the liner and housing having aligned holes through which is mounted the inline hot gas flow path components.
Claims22
A gas turbine engine construction including a compressor section having a compressor, a unitary cylindrical self-insulating support housing of ceramic material having apertures in diametrically opposite portions of the sidewalls for receiving therethrough and supporting in axial alignment the compressor and the high temperature parts of the engine including an assembly of a combustion chamber connected to a high temperature turbine rotor section providing an in-line hot gas flow path, the housing having open ends divided by a central partition extending axially from end to end, the central partition defining separate compressor discharge air and exhaust gas flow passages, the end face of at least one end of the housing constituting a bearing surface for the contiguous engagement thereagainst and rotation thereon of a flat disc type rotary regenerator to permit the passage of air through a portion of the regenerator in a direction into the compressor discharge passage and for the flow of the exhaust gases in the opposite direction through another portion of the regenerator from the exhaust gas passage defined by the housing and central partition, the ceramic housing thereby having the multiple functions of housing and supporting and insulating the high temperature parts as well as providing a mounting and rubbing seal surface against which a regenerator can be contiguously rotatably mounted.
A single shaft gas turbine engine construction comprising,
- an assembly having a compressor driveshaft with forward and rearward ends, a compressor section including a compressor fixed to the driveshaft at its rearward end, high temperature parts including first and second turbine rotors both fixed to the driveshaft at its forward end, radially spaced inner and outer stationary shroud members axially aligned with and located forward of and cooperating with the turbine rotors to define a hot exhaust gas flow path therebetween, the high temperature parts also including a combustion chamber axially aligned with and forward of and engaging the shroud members to together with the turbine rotors define an in-line aerodynamic flow path,
- a one-piece ceramic cylindrical longitudinally extending inner housing liner having a central partition extending along the longitudinal axis of the liner dividing the liner into a pair of fluid passages extending from end to end of the liner for the separate passage of engine gases and compressor discharge air through the engine, the partition being formed with a central transversely extending sleeve portion, the sidewall portion of the liner partially defining each fluid passage having an opening therein having an axis essentially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the liner, and end openings of the sleeve portion being axially aligned with the sidewall portion openings,
- the assembly being mounted within and between the openings and extending out through opposite liner sidewall portions, the sleeve portion locating and housing the turbine rotors and shroud members, an outer annular metallic housing spaced from the inner liner, the inner liner supporting and housing and insulating the engine high temperature parts from the outer housing, and passage means conducting compressor discharge air under pressure to the space between the ceramic liner and metal housing for maintaining the ceramic liner under compression.
A gas turbine engine construction comprising a compressor, at least one rotary disc type regenerator, first means conducting the hot compressor discharge air through a portion of the regenerator, a combustion chamber supplied with fuel, second means connecting the compressor discharge air discharged from the regenerator to the combustion chamber, a rotating turbine rotor having blade members thereon, a stationary shroud member enclosing the turbine rotor and spaced therefrom for the flow of hot gas therebetween, third means defining a hot gas flow path from the combustion chamber to and past the turbine rotor, fourth means connecting the hot exhaust gases from the turbine rotor to another portion of the regenerator for flow therethrough to heat the same and the compressor discharge air, the turbine rotor and combustion chamber being in axial alignment with each other and linearly in the order named to provide a compact assembly, the axial alignment of the combustion chamber and turbine rotor defining an in-line hot gas flow path, an outer metal housing enclosing the engine, a compact one-piece ceramic inner support housing spaced from the outer housing and enclosing and supporting and insulating the high temperature turbine rotor and combustion chamber of the engine from the outer housing, the inner housing being cylindrical and having apertures in diametrically opposite sidewall portions, the assembly extending through and between the apertures, the inner housing including a central partition dividing the inner housing into two sections, the partition having an aperture, the partition and sidewall apertures being axially aligned, the partition aperture being defined by a sleeve integral with the partition and providing an internal sealing surface enclosing and supporting the shroud.
A gas turbine engine construction comprising a compressor, at least one rotary disc type regenerator, first means conducting the hot compressor discharge air through a portion of the regenerator, a combustion chamber supplied with fuel, second means connecting the compressor discharge air discharged from the regenerator to the combustion chamber, a rotating turbine rotor having blade members thereon, a stationary shroud member enclosing the turbine rotor and spaced therefrom for the flow of hot gas therebetween, third means defining a hot gas flow path from the combustion chamber to and past the turbine rotor, fourth means connecting the hot exhaust gases from the turbine rotor to another portion of the regenerator for flow therethrough to heat the same and the compressor discharge air, the turbine rotor and combustion chamber being in axial alignment with each other and linearly in the order named to provide a compact assembly, the axial alignment of the combustion chamber and turbine rotor defining an in-line hot gas flow path, an outer metal housing enclosing the engine, a compact one-piece ceramic inner support housing spaced from the outer housing and enclosing and supporting and insulating the high temperature turbine rotor and combustion chamber of the engine from the outer housing, the inner housing being cylindrical and having apertures in diametrically opposite sidewall portions, the assembly extending through and between the apertures, the inner housing including a central partition dividing the inner housing into two sections, the partition having an aperture, the partition and sidewall apertures being axially aligned, the second and fourth means including passages formed as an integral part of the inner housing between the inner housing walls and partition.
A gas turbine engine construction comprising a compressor, at least one rotary disc type regenerator, first means conducting the hot compressor discharge air through a portion of the regenerator, a combustion chamber supplied with fuel, second means connecting the compressor discharge air discharged from the regenerator to the combustion chamber, a rotating turbine rotor having blade members thereon, a stationary shroud member enclosing the turbine rotor and spaced therefrom for the flow of hot gas therebetween, third means defining a hot gas flow path from the combustion chamber to and past the turbine rotor, fourth means connecting the hot exhaust gases from the turbine rotor to another portion of the regenerator for flow therethrough to heat the same and the compressor discharge air, the turbine rotor and combustion chamber being in axial alignment with each other and linearly in the order named to provide a compact assembly, the axial alignment of the combustion chamber and turbine rotor defining an in-line hot gas flow path, an outer metal housing enclosing the engine, a compact one-piece ceramic inner support housing spaced from the outer housing and enclosing and supporting and insulating the high temperature turbine rotor and combustion chamber of the engine from the outer housing, the inner housing being cylindrical and having apertures in diametrically opposite sidewall portions, the assembly extending through and between the apertures, the inner housing including a central partition dividing the inner housing into two sections, the partition having an aperture, the partition and sidewall apertures being axially aligned, the partition extending axially to be flush with the end faces of the inner housing, and means mounting a regenerator having a ceramic matrix flat against each of the end faces of the inner housing and partition for rotation of the regenerator directly against the inner housing and partition end faces.
A gas turbine engine construction comprising a compressor section having a compressor, at least one rotary disc type regenerator, first means conducting the hot compressor discharge air through a portion of the regenerator, a combustion chamber supplied with fuel, second means connecting the compressor discharge air discharged from the regenerator to the combustion chamber, a rotating turbine rotor having blade members thereon, a stationary shroud member enclosing the turbine rotor and spaced therefrom for the flow of hot gas therebetween, third means defining a hot gas flow path from the combustion chamber to and past the turbine rotor, fourth means connecting the hot exhaust gases from the turbine rotor to another portion of the regenerator for flow therethrough to heat the same and the compressor discharge air, the turbine rotor and combustion chamber being in axial alignment with each other and linearly in the order named to provide a compact assembly, the axial alignment of the combustion chamber and turbine rotor defining an in-line hot gas flow path, an outer metal housing enclosing the engine, a compact one-piece ceramic inner support housing spaced from the outer housing and enclosing and supporting and insulating the high temperature turbine rotor and combustion chamber of the engine from the outer housing, the inner housing being cylindrical and having apertures in diametrically opposite sidewall portions, the assembly extending through and between the apertures, a curvic coupling interconnecting one side of the inner housing and the compressor section for centrally locating the two, and spring means yieldably interconnecting the opposite side of the inner housing to the outer housing and further centering the inner housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.