Method and apparatus for turbine cooling
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsCarl C. Koch, Onofre T. Castells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus provide cooling air from a compressor to hot components in a gas turbine engine. Compressed air discharged from an exit of the compressor is stratified into a main flow channeled to a combustor, and a separate bleed flow channeled to a heat exchanger. The bleed flow has an above average pressure whereas the main flow has a below average pressure. The bleed flow is cooled in the heat exchanger and channeled to hot components of the engine for cooling thereof.
Claims10
A method for providing cooling air to hot components in a gas turbine engine having a compressor and combustor, comprising the steps of:
- stratifying an exit pressure profile of compressed air discharged from said compressor to provide a main flow to said combustor having a below average pressure and a separate bleed flow having an above average pressure;
- cooling said bleed flow;
- and
- channeling said cooled bleed flow to said hot components for cooling thereof.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor having a plurality of stages of rotor blades and stator vanes for compressing air, at least a last stage of said rotor blades having airfoils configured for stratifying at an exit of said compressor a pressure profile of said compressed air to provide a main flow having a below average pressure and a separate bleed flow having an above average pressure;
- a combustor disposed in flow communication with said compressor for receiving said main flow for mixing with fuel to generate hot combustion gases;
- a turbine disposed in flow communication with said combustor for receiving said combustion gases therefrom, and operatively joined to said compressor for powering said compressor;
- and
- a heat exchanger disposed in flow communication with said compressor for receiving and cooling said bleed flow, and disposed in flow communication with at least said turbine to provide cooled bleed flow thereto for cooling thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.