Rear hub cooling for high pressure compressor
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsJorn A. Glahn, Peter M. Munsell, Steven B. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one exemplary embodiment, a gas turbine engine includes a turbine and a high pressure compressor. The high pressure compressor includes a last stage having a last stage compressor blade and a last stage vane. The gas turbine engine includes a first flow path through which bleed air flows to the turbine and a second flow path through which air from the last stage of the high pressure compressor flows. The bleed air in the first flow path exchanges heat with a portion of the air in the second flow path in a heat exchanger to cool the air in the second flow path. The cooled air in the second flow path is returned to the high pressure compressor to cool the high pressure compressor.
Claims24
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor;
- a heat exchanger, wherein a first fluid flows through a first flow path and exchanges heat with a second fluid that flows through a second flow path to cool the second fluid;
- the first flow path, wherein the first fluid in the first flow path flows from an early stage of the compressor, through the heat exchanger, and to a turbine, wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of pipes through which the first fluid flows that each extend in a radial direction, and each of the plurality of pipes are bent to extend in an axial direction;
- and
- the second flow path, wherein the second fluid in the second flow path flows from a location downstream of the compressor, through the heat exchanger, and to a portion of the compressor located between the early stage of the compressor and the location downstream of the compressor to cool the portion of the compressor.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor;
- a turbine;
- a heat exchanger, wherein a first fluid flows through a first flow path and exchanges heat with a second fluid that flows through a second flow path to cool the second fluid;
- the first flow path, wherein the first fluid in the first flow path flows from an early stage of the compressor, through the heat exchanger, and to the turbine, wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of pipes through which the first fluid flows that each extend in a radial direction, and each of the plurality of pipes are bent to extend in an axial direction;
- and
- the second flow path, wherein the second fluid in the second flow path flows directly from a location downstream of the compressor, through the heat exchanger, and then directly from the heat exchanger to a portion of the compressor located between the early stage of the compressor and the location downstream of the compressor to cool the portion of the compressor.
A gas turbine engine cooling method comprising:
- flowing a first fluid along a first flow path from an early stage of a compressor, through a heat exchanger and to a turbine, wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of pipes through which the first fluid flows that each extend in a radial direction, and each of the plurality of pipes are bent to extend in an axial direction;
- flowing a second fluid from a location downstream of the compressor, through the heat exchanger, and to a portion of the compressor located between the early stage of the compressor and the location downstream of the compression;
- and
- exchanging heat between the first fluid in the first flow path and the second fluid in the second flow path to cool the second fluid in the second path to cool the portion of the compressor.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor;
- a heat exchanger, wherein a first fluid flows through a first flow path and exchanges heat with a second fluid that flows through a second flow path to cool the second fluid;
- the first flow path, wherein the first fluid in the first flow path flows from an early stage of the compressor, through the heat exchanger, and to a turbine;
- and
- the second flow path, wherein the second fluid in the second flow path flows directly from a location downstream of the compressor, through the heat exchanger, and then directly to a portion of the compressor located between the early stage of the compressor and the location downstream of the compressor to cool the portion of the compressor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.