System for controlling a cooling flow from a compressor section of a gas turbine

A system for controlling a flow rate of a compressed cooling medium between a compressor section and a turbine section of a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:

• a. an extraction port of the compressor section;
• b. an inlet port of the turbine section;
• c. a flow path defined between said extraction port and said inlet port for routing the compressed cooling medium between the compressor section and the turbine section;
• and
• d. a thermally actuated variable flow valve in said flow path between said extraction port and said inlet port, said variable flow valve having an annular main body, the main body of the variable flow valve inserted between two adjacent flanges within said flow path, wherein said variable flow valve defines an opening that changes in size based on a temperature of the cooling medium flowing therethrough, and wherein said variable flow valve further comprises an annular inner sleeve circumferentially surrounded by said annular main body, said inner sleeve extending at least partially through said main body.

A gas turbine engine comprising:

• a. a compressor section having a casing and an extraction port that extends through the casing, said extraction port defining a flow path for routing a compressed cooling medium through the casing;
• b. a combustion section downstream from the compressor section;
• c. a turbine section downstream from the combustion section, the turbine section having a turbine casing and an inlet port, the turbine casing at least partially defining a cooling circuit within the turbine section, said inlet port defining a flow path through the turbine casing and into said cooling circuit;
• d. a flow path defined between said extraction port of the compressor section and said inlet port of the turbine easing;
• e. a first thermally actuated variable flow valve disposed within said flow path between said extraction port and said inlet port, said first variable flow valve defining an opening that changes in size based on a temperature of the compressed cooling medium flowing therethrough;
• and
• f. a second thermally actuated variable flow valve disposed within said flow path between said extraction port and said inlet port, said second variable flow valve defining an opening that changes in size based on a temperature of the compressed cooling medium flowing therethrough;
• wherein said first and second variable flow valves are arranged in parallel within said flow path, and wherein the first and second variable flow valves are trained such that the first variable flow valve opens at a first temperature and the second variable flow valve opens at a second temperature, the first temperature different from the second temperature.