Pressure boosted compressor cooling system

Abstract

A gas turbine engine cooling system for providing cooling air to engine components includes a core engine and, in downstream serial flow relationship, a high pressure compressor, a combustor, and high pressure turbine. A first flowing system is used for flowing a portion of the pressurized air to a heat exchanger to cool the pressurized air and provide the cooling air and a second flowing system is used for flowing a first portion of the cooling air to a compressor impeller operably connected to a compressor disk of the high pressure compressor for boosting pressure of the first portion of the cooling air. A second portion of the cooling air is supplied to turbine cooling. The heat exchanger may be a fuel to air heat exchanger for cooling the portion of the pressurized air from the first flowing means with fuel. Preferably, a first plurality of diffuser vanes extending radially across the core flowpath and each includes at one radial vane airflow passage for conveying the cooling air across the core flowpath to the compressor impeller and the turbine cooling apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.