Methods and apparatus for supplying cooling air to turbine engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorGeorge Albert Coffinberry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooling air cooling system operable to reduce fuel gum deposits within the cooling system when a gas turbine engine operates above a predefined percentage of rated engine power. The cooling system includes a recirculating loop including a plurality of heat exchanges in fluid communication with the recirculating loop. A first head exchange uses heat transfer fluid to cool cooling air used by the gas turbine engine. A second head exchange is a fluid-fuel head exchanger that uses combustor main fuel flow to cool the head transfer fluid circulating in the recirculating loop.
Claims17
A method for supplying cooling air to a gas turbine engine including an engine core casing using a cooling system in flow communication with the gas turbine engine, the cooling system including a recirculating loop that includes a plurality of heat exchangers in fluid communication, said method comprising the steps of:
- circulating fluid through the recirculating loop;
- directing fluid through at least one heat exchanger including a plurality of passageways defined by and between a plurality of tubes closely-spaced to facilitate increasing a Reynolds number of the fluid flowing through the passageways for reducing fuel gum deposit formation within the at least one heat exchanger when the engine is operated above a predefined percentage of rated engine power, wherein at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an internal surface of the engine core casing, and at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an external surface of the engine core casing;
- passing air through at least one of the plurality of heat exchangers to cool the air prior to directing the air to the gas turbine engine;
- and
- passing fuel through at least one of the plurality of heat exchangers to heat the fuel prior to directing the fuel to the gas turbine engine.
A cooling system for a gas turbine engine including an engine core casing having internal and external surfaces, said cooling system comprising a recirculating loop comprising a plurality of heat exchangers in fluid communication, at least one of said heat exchangers comprising a plurality of passageways defined by and between a plurality of tubes closely-spaced and configured to induce turbidity in fluid circulating within said cooling system to facilitate increasing a Reynolds number of the fluid flowing through the passageways for reducing fuel gum deposit formation caused by fuel flowing through said at least one beat exchanger when the gas turbine engine is operating above a predefined percentage of rated engine a power first heat exchanger mounted to the engine core casing internal surface, a second heat exchanger mounted to the gas turbine engine core casing external surface.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a combustor;
- a turbine downstream from and in flow communication with said combustor;
- an engine core casing disposed circumferentially around said combustor and said turbine, said engine core casing comprising an external surface and an internal surface;
- and
- a cooling system in flow communication with said combustor and said turbine, said cooling system comprising a recirculating loop comprising a plurality of heat exchangers in fluid communication, at least one of said heat exchangers comprising a plurality of passageways defined by and between a plurality of tubes closely-spaced and configured to induce turbidity in fluid circulating within said cooling system and through the passageways to facilitate increasing a Reynolds number of the fluid for reducing fuel gum deposit formation caused by fuel flowing through said heat exchanger when said gas turbine engine is operating above a predefined percentage of rated engine power, a first heat exchanger mounted to said engine core casing internal surface, a second heat exchanger mounted to said engine core casing external surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.