US 5,394,687 A · Gas turbine vane cooling system

Abstract

A cooling system for stationary vanes in the turbine section of a gas ture. Combustors for the turbine are disposed in a chamber that receives compressed air from a compressor section. This compressed air forms both combustion air and cooling air. The cooling air portion of the compressed air is recirculated through the vanes by bleeding it from the chamber and further pressurizing it, after which it flows through a cooling air flow path in the vanes, thereby resulting in the cooling of the vanes and the heating of the air. The heated air is then returned to the chamber where it mixes with the incoming combustion air, thereby giving up a portion of the heat transferred from the vane to the combustion air. As a result, the temperature of the combustion air is increased, thereby increasing the thermodynamic efficiency of the gas turbine. The cooling scheme provides cooling to the vane inner and outer shrouds, as well as the airfoil, by means of circumferentially extending holes in the shrouds that connect with a cooling air cavity in the airfoil.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A gas turbine, comprising:

a compressor for producing compressed air;
a centrally disposed rotor;
a combustion section enclosed by a shell, said shell forming a chamber therein in flow communication with said compressor, said combustion section including a plurality of combustors for producing a hot gas disposed in said chamber and in flow communication therewith;
a turbine section in flow communication with said combustors and forming a flow path for said hot gas, said turbine section including a plurality of vanes, each of said vanes being substantially hollow so as to form a cooling air passage therein, said cooling air passages being in direct flow communication with said chamber;
means for cooling said vanes, said vane cooling means including means for recirculating a portion of said compressed air from said chamber through said vanes and back to said chamber and mixing said recirculated portion with said compressed air.

2 more elements

A gas turbine, comprising:

a compressor section for producing compressed air, a first portion of said compressed air forming cooling air and a second portion of said compressed air forming combustion air;
a shell forming a chamber in flow communication with said compressor, whereby said cooling air and combustion air portions of said compressed air flow into said chamber;
a row of stationary vanes, each of said vanes comprising an inner shroud, an outer shroud, and an airfoil portion, each of said vanes having a cooling air flow path comprising a first passage extending through said inner and outer shrouds and said airfoil portion and having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet being in direct flow communication with said chamber whereby cooling air exits said vane directly into said chamber for admixing with said compressed air;
and
means for recirculating said cooling air from said chamber to said vane cooling air flow paths and then directly back to said chamber, thereby transferring heat from said vanes to said cooling air so as to cool said vanes and heat said cooling air.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gas turbine vane cooling system

Life of this patent

Gas turbine vane cooling system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15