Methods and apparatus for supplying cooling air to turbine engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJames Alan Griffiths, Mitchell Donald Smith, James William Bartos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooling air cooling system is selectively operable to reduce fuel gum deposits within the cooling system during gas turbine engine operations. The cooling system includes a recirculating loop that includes at least three heat exchangers in fluid communication with the recirculating loop. A first heat exchanger cools cooling air supplied to the gas turbine engine. A second heat exchanger cools fluid exiting the first of the heat exchangers with fan discharge air prior to the fluid entering the third heat exchanger. A third heat exchanger uses combustor main fuel flow to cool the fluid circulating in the recirculating loop.
Claims20
A method for supplying cooling air to a gas turbine engine including a casing using a cooling system in flow communication with the gas turbine engine, the cooling system including a recirculating loop including at least three heat exchangers in fluid communication, said method comprising the steps of:
- circulating fluid through the recirculating loop such that fuel is heated prior to being injected into the gas turbine engine;
- circulating fluid through at least one heat exchanger that includes a tortuous flow path defined by and between a plurality of closely-spaced tubes such that a Reynolds number of the fluid entering the heat exchanger is increased within the heat exchanger for reducing fuel gum deposit formation within at least of the heat exchangers as the engine is operated;
- passing air through at least one of the heat exchangers to cool fluid circulating within the recirculating loop;
- and
- passing air through at least one of the heat exchangers to cool the air prior to the air being directing to the gas turbine engine wherein at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an internal surface of an engine fan bypass casing, and at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an external surface of the engine core casing.
A cooling system for a gas turbine engine that includes an engine core casing, said cooling system comprising a recirculating loop comprising at least three heat exchangers in fluid communication, at least one of said heat exchangers includes a tortuous flow path defined by and between a plurality of closely-spaced tubes such that such that a Reynolds number of fluid entering said heat exchanger is increased within said heat exchanger prior to being discharged within said cooling system to facilitate reducing fuel gum deposit formation within said heat exchangers when fuel is supplied to the gas turbine engine during operation, wherein at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an internal surface of an engine fan bypass casing, and at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an external surface of the engine core casing.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a combustor for igniting fuel supplied to said gas turbine engine;
- a compressor;
- an engine core casing extending circumferentially around said compressor;
- a turbine located downstream from and in flow communication with said combustor and said compressor;
- and
- a cooling system in flow communication with said combustor, said compressor, and said turbine, said cooling system comprising a recirculating loop comprising at least three heat exchangers in fluid communication, at least one of said heat exchangers includes a tortuous flow path defined by and between a plurality of closely-spaced tubes such that such that a Reynolds number of fluid entering said heat exchanger is increased within said heat exchanger prior to being discharged within said cooling system to facilitate reducing fuel gum deposit formation within at least one of said three heat exchangers when the gas turbine engine is operating, wherein at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an internal surface of an engine fan bypass casing, and at least one heat exchanger is mounted to an external surface of said engine core casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.