Method and apparatus for collecting pre-diffuser airflow and routing it to combustor pre-swirlers
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsGabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine is provided that includes a compressor section, a combustor section with a multiple of pre-swirlers, a diffuser case module, and a manifold. The diffuser case module includes a multiple of struts within an annular flow path from said compressor section to said combustor section, wherein at least one of said multiple of struts defines a mid-span pre-diffuser inlet in communication with said annular flow path. The manifold is in communication with said mid-span pre-diffuser inlet and said multiple of pre-swirlers.
Claims15
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor section;
- a combustor section with a multiple of pre-swirlers;
- a diffuser case module with a multiple of struts within an annular flow path from said compressor section to said combustor section, at least one of said multiple of struts defines a mid-span pre-diffuser inlet in communication with said annular flow path;
- and
- a manifold in communication with said mid-span pre-diffuser inlet and said multiple of pre-swirlers;
- wherein said manifold communicates a temperature tailored airflow through a heat exchanger.
A method of communicating an airflow within a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- tapping a pre-diffuser airflow as a pre-defined temperature tailored airflow;
- communicating the pre-defined temperature tailored airflow to a multiple of pre-swirlers;
- and
- communicating the pre-defined temperature tailored airflow through a heat exchanger.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a compressor section;
- a combustor section including a plurality of pre-swirlers;
- a diffuser case module configured with a plurality of struts and an annular flow path between the compressor section and the combustor section, the plurality of struts within the annular flow path, and at least one of the plurality of struts includes a pre-diffuser inlet in communication with the annular flow path;
- and
- a manifold in communication with the pre-diffuser inlet and a first of the plurality of pre-swirlers, the manifold directing air received from the pre-diffuser inlet to the first of the plurality of pre-swirlers independent of the annular flow path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.