And Cooling Patents (Class 60/806)
  • Publication number: 20130067933
    Abstract: A gas turbine is provided and includes a compressor, which via an air intake inducts and compresses air; a combustion chamber, in which a fuel is combusted using the compressed air, producing a hot gas; and a turbine, equipped with turbine blades, in which the hot gas is expanded, performing work. A first device is provided in order to cool turbine blades with compressed cooling air. The first device includes at least one separate compressor stage which produces compressed cooling air independently of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
    Inventors: Bjoern Veith, Carlos Simon-Delgado, Daniel Seng, Andreas Haubitz
  • Publication number: 20130067932
    Abstract: A combustion section is provided for a gas turbine engine. The combustion section includes a first liner; a second liner forming a combustion chamber with the first liner, the combustion chamber configured to receive an air-fuel mixture for combustion therein; a first case circumscribing the first liner and forming a first plenum with the first liner; and a convection shield assembly positioned between the first liner and the first case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Don Tillman
  • Patent number: 8397516
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing heat from a turbine includes a stator having a cavity and a first plenum and a second plenum inside the cavity. The second plenum is connected to the first plenum and surrounds the first plenum inside the cavity. A refrigerant flows through the first plenum and the second plenum to remove heat from the stator. A method for cooling a turbine includes forming a cavity in a component to be cooled, installing a first plenum inside the cavity, and installing a second plenum inside the cavity. The method further includes connecting the second plenum to the first plenum, surrounding the first plenum with the second plenum inside the cavity, and flowing a refrigerant through the first plenum and the second plenum to cool the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jaime Javier Maldonado
  • Publication number: 20130061599
    Abstract: Cooling flow recirculation in fuel manifolds, such as fuel manifolds associated with gas turbine engines is disclosed. An example system for jet pump driven recirculation of manifold cooling flow according to at least some aspects of the present disclosure may include a flow split valve having a spool valve disposed therein, the flow split valve having a pilot manifold and a main manifold attached thereto; a jet pump fluidically coupled to the pilot manifold, the jet pump being arranged to drive recirculation of a cooling flow through the main manifold via a cooling flow circuit in a pilot only mode of operation; and/or a fuel nozzle in fluid communication with the pilot manifold and the main manifold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Frederick Ehrwulf VAN ALEN
  • Patent number: 8387401
    Abstract: A cover for a cooling passage is disclosed forming a cooling passage for supplying cooling air to a turbine rotor blade at the last stage via inside of a disk of a turbine, and the cover includes a cylindrical cover portion that covers a cavity provided in a annular pattern in an outer circumference of the disk in a mode where a first passage opened from inside of the disk to the cavity and a second passage opened from a cooling passage of the turbine rotor blade at the last stage to the cavity are connected to each other; and a flexible portion that is formed integrally with the cover portion and allows flexure in an axial direction of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Hashimoto, Kenichi Arase
  • Patent number: 8381533
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling turbine blades in a turbine engine including a direct transfer axial tangential onboard injector (TOBI) for a turbine rotor and a self-supporting seal plate disposed on a rotating disk for the turbine engine. The TOBI includes a plurality of openings emanating a flow of cooling air. The self-supporting seal plate comprises a plurality of shaped cooling holes in fluid communication with the flow of cooling air emanating from the TOBI. The rotating disk includes a plurality of turbine blade slots formed therein. The plurality of cooling holes are in fluid communication with the plurality of turbine blade slots for directing the flow of cooling air to provide cooling to the plurality of turbine blades. The plurality of openings, the plurality of cooling holes and the plurality of turbine blade slots are in axial alignment and optimized to minimize radial and hoop stresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Smoke, Bob Mitlin, Alexander MirzaMoghadam
  • Publication number: 20130042627
    Abstract: A combustion chamber head of a gas turbine has a substantially annular combustion chamber outer wall 18 as well as a substantially annular combustion chamber inner wall 42 and several burners 6 distributed around the circumference. The combustion chamber head 5 has an inflow-side wall 13 which together with a wall 14 facing the combustion chamber 7 forms a combustion chamber head volume 15. The inflow-side wall 13 is provided with at least one inflow opening 32, the wall 14 facing the combustion chamber 7 is provided with at least one outflow opening 17 for connecting the combustion chamber head volume 15 to the combustion chamber 7, and at least one cooling air duct 29 is provided in the wall 14 facing the combustion chamber 7. A method for cooling and damping of the combustion chamber head is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Miklos GERENDAS, Sermed SADIG, Jochen BECKER, Jonathan F. CARROTTE, Jochen RUPP
  • Publication number: 20130036747
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a gas turbine plant, in which compressed air is extracted from a compressor and for cooling is directed in an internal cooling passage through thermally loaded components to the combustion chamber and/or to the turbine, then re-cooled, and added to the compressor main flow in the compressor. At least a portion of the recirculated air is supersaturated, or partially saturated, with drops of water during or before recirculation into the compressor and a cooling mist is created. A gas turbine plant is provided with a closed cooling circuit which, for implementing the method, includes an injection arrangement for introducing water into the recirculated cooling air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Herbert FUCHS, Anton NEMET, Hans WETTSTEIN
  • Patent number: 8371127
    Abstract: A mid turbine frame is disposed between high and low pressure turbine assemblies. A cooling air system defined in the mid turbine frame of a gas turbine engine includes internal cavities for containing pressurized cooling air to cool the inter-turbine duct and the hollow struts, and discharges the used cooling air to further cool respective high and low pressure turbine assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Durocher, Pierre-Yves Legare
  • Publication number: 20130031914
    Abstract: A system for cooling a wall (24) of a component having an outer surface with raised ribs (12) defining a structural pocket (10), including: an inner wall (26) within the structural pocket and separating the wall outer surface within the pocket into a first region (28) outside of the inner wall and a second region (40) enclosed by the inner wall; a plate (14) disposed atop the raised ribs and enclosing the structural pocket, the plate having a plate impingement hole (16) to direct cooling air onto an impingement cooled area (38) of the first region; a cap having a skirt (50) in contact with the inner wall, the cap having a cap impingement hole (20) configured to direct the cooling air onto an impingement cooled area (44) of the second region, and; a film cooling hole (22) formed through the wall in the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Jay A. Morrison
  • Patent number: 8365538
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high temperature-resistant sealing assembly comprising a sealing segment and a component border which is connected to the sealing segment. A flexible sealing element is provided in order to joining the sealing segment and the component border. The invention is characterized in that the flexible sealing element compensates both thermal expansions and relative movements of the component border and the components resting against the sealing segment. The flexible sealing element and the sealing segment are subject to little wear and have a long service life. The invention further relates to a combustion chamber that is equipped with a high temperature-resistant sealing assembly as well as a gas turbine encompassing such a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tobias Buchal, Gregor Frank, Uwe Gruschka, Joachim Krützfeldt, Kai-Uwe Rogos, Axel Schaberg
  • Publication number: 20130028713
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a seal having a first sealing end portion, a second sealing end portion, and an intermediate portion between the first and second sealing end portions, wherein the seal has at least one metering hole configured to control a leakage flow across the seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sheo Narain Giri, Ajay Gangadhar Patil, Niladri Roy
  • Patent number: 8336317
    Abstract: A turbine engine, including a final centrifugal compressor stage associated with a diffuser for supplying air to a combustion chamber, and a ventilation element for ventilating a high-pressure turbine wheel, is disclosed. The ventilation element includes an injection element for injecting air onto the wheel and a take-up element for taking up a flow for cooling the impeller of the compressor, where the take-up element has a labyrinth seal mounted at the outlet of the injection element, and the air outlet orifices are installed between the injection element and the labyrinth seal and leading upstream of the turbine wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Stéphane Pierre Guillaume Blanchard, Patrick Claude Pasquis, Wilfried Lionel Schweblen, Jean-Claude Christian Taillant
  • Patent number: 8336288
    Abstract: On a gas-turbine engine, in particular an aircraft engine, with a fan, a fan casing and a fan duct as well as with high-pressure and low-pressure turbines arranged behind each other in flow direction in the casing of the engine, the auxiliaries connected are to be operated with only a small increase in engine power. For this purpose in the flow direction of the airflow (20) exiting from the high-pressure turbine (15) a bleeding mechanism is provided for bleeding radially into the fan duct (4) at least part of the airflow (20) leaving the high-pressure turbine (15) on the upstream side of the low-pressure turbine (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Gideon Venter
  • Patent number: 8333075
    Abstract: A system that includes a turbine fuel nozzle comprising an air-fuel premixer. The air-fuel premixed includes a swirl vane configured to swirl fuel and air in a downstream direction, wherein the swirl vane comprises an internal coolant path from a downstream end portion in an upstream direction through a substantial length of the swirl vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William David York, Thomas Edward Johnson, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Christian Xavier Stevenson
  • Patent number: 8327615
    Abstract: A combined cycle power generating plant that can realize a reduction in the start-up time includes a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a steam supplying section that supplies steam to the gas turbine, a first steam pipe that directs steam from the steam supplying section to the gas turbine, a second steam pipe that directs steam from the gas turbine to the steam turbine, a first release section that carries out control such that the supply destination of steam that is directed to the first steam pipe is one of either the outside of the gas turbine or the outside of the first steam pipe, a second release section that carries out control such that the supply destination of steam that is directed to the second steam pipe is one of either the outside of the steam turbine or the outside of the second steam pipe, and a bypass pipe that directs at least a portion of the steam inside the first steam pipe to the second steam pipe between the gas turbine and the second steam pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Kitaguchi
  • Publication number: 20120304662
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine with a fuel air heat exchanger located in the high pressure plenum. The heat exchanger includes at least one air conduit and at least one fuel conduit in heat exchange relationship with one another, with a fuel flow communication between a fuel source and fuel distribution members of the combustor being provided at least partly through the at least one fuel conduit, and the at least one air conduit defining a fluid flow communication between the high pressure plenum and an engine component to be cooled by the compressed air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Lev Alexander PROCIW, Eduardo Hawie
  • Publication number: 20120297777
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a burner such as for a secondary combustion chamber of a gas turbine with sequential combustion having a first and a second combustion chamber, with an injection device for introduction of at least one gaseous and/or liquid fuel into the burner. The injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the at least one gaseous fuel into the burner, the at least one body being configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner. At least one nozzle has its outlet orifice downstream of a trailing edge of the streamlined body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Madhavan Poyyapakkam, Urs Benz, Andre Theuer, Anton Winkler, Andrea Ciani
  • Patent number: 8312729
    Abstract: A flow discouraging system includes a stator assembly, fins, and a rotor assembly. The stator assembly includes stationary components forming a side wall including an annular groove defined by an outer axially-extending surface, an inner axially-extending surface, and a radial surface. One or more outer axial fins disposed in the annular groove extend along the outer axially-extending surface of the side wall. One or more inner axial fins disposed in the annular groove extend along the inner axially-extending surface of the side wall. One or more radial fins disposed in the annular groove extend axially from the radial surface of the side wall. The rotor assembly is disposed adjacent to and is spaced apart from the stator assembly to form a portion of a cavity and includes an annular rim extending at least partially into the annular groove and disposed between the outer and inner axial fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Matwey, David Jan
  • Publication number: 20120285172
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a burner for a single combustion chamber or first combustion chamber of a gas turbine, with an injection device for the introduction of at least one gaseous and/or liquid fuel into the burner, wherein the injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the at least one fuel into the burner, wherein the at least one body is located in a first section of the burner with a first cross-sectional area at a leading edge of the at least one body with reference to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner, wherein downstream of said body a mixing zone is located with a second cross-sectional area, and at and/or downstream of said body the cross-sectional area is reduced, such that the first cross-sectional area is larger than the second cross-sectional area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Madhavan Poyyapakkam, Anton Winkler, Khawar Syed, Andrea Ciani
  • Patent number: 8302407
    Abstract: A passive pressurizing air system for a gas turbine engine includes a flow path for directing an air flow having a low temperature and low pressure, extending through a cavity to a pressurized area of the engine. The cavity contains pressurized air having a high temperature and high pressure. An air flow mixing apparatus is provided for adding the pressurized air from the cavity into the flow path to provide a mixed air flow having an intermediate temperature and intermediate pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel T. Alecu, Dean Carpenter
  • Publication number: 20120272659
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a burner for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine, with an injection device for the introduction of at least one gaseous and/or liquid fuel into the burner, wherein the injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the at least one fuel into the burner, the at least one body being configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner. The at least one nozzle has its outlet orifice at or in a trailing edge of the streamlined body, and with reference to a central plane of the streamlined body, the trailing edge is provided with at least two lobes extending in opposite transverse directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Khawar Syed, Madhavan Poyyapakkam, Anton Winkler, Andre Theuer
  • Publication number: 20120260622
    Abstract: A burner, such as for a secondary combustion chamber of a gas turbine with sequential combustion having first and second combustion chambers, includes an injection device for introducing at least one gaseous fuel into the burner. The injection device has at least one body which is arranged in the burner with at least one nozzle for introducing the gaseous fuel into the burner. The body is configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the burner. The at least one nozzle has its outlet orifice at or in a trailing edge of the streamlined body. The body has two lateral surfaces substantially parallel to the main flow direction. At least one vortex generator is located on at least one lateral surface upstream of the at least one nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Madhavan POYYAPAKKAM, Anton Winkler, Khawar Syed, Adnan Eroglu, Andrea Ciani
  • Publication number: 20120255311
    Abstract: A cooling structure, a gas turbine combustor, and a method of manufacturing the cooling structure attain a high cooling efficiency without increasing manufacturing cost. The cooling structure includes a first member as a cooling object having a first plane, and a second member arranged above the first plane and having an opposing second plane such that a passage is formed between the first plane and the second plane for a cooling medium to flow. The first member has a plurality of prominences each of which extends upwardly from the first plane, and extends to be inclined along a direction in which the cooling medium flows. A clearance between the second plane and a tip of each prominence is set such that a heat transfer rate between the cooling medium and the first member becomes larger than that when each prominence extends vertically upward from the first plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventor: Yoshiaki MIYAKE
  • Patent number: 8281604
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes a row of vanes extending radially in span between inner and outer bands. The vanes include opposite pressure and suction sidewalls and opposite leading and trailing edges. Each vane includes an inner pattern of inner cooling holes and an outer pattern of outer cooling holes distributed along the leading edge. The inner and outer holes diverge toward the corresponding inner and outer bands to preferentially discharge cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark Broomer, Victor Hugo Silva Correia, Robert Francis Manning, Stephen Kin-Keung Tung, Bhanu Mahasamudram Reddy
  • Patent number: 8281601
    Abstract: A system and method for reintroducing gas turbine combustion bypass flow. The system may include a combustor body, wherein the combustor body includes a reaction zone for primary combustion of fuel and air, and a casing enclosing the combustor body and defining an annular passageway for carrying compressor discharge air into the combustor body at one end. The system further may include a reintroduction manifold for receiving combustor bypass air extracted from the compressor discharge air in the annular passageway, and one or more reintroduction slots in communication with the reintroduction manifold for injecting the combustor bypass air into the combustor body downstream of the reaction zone. The method may include extracting combustor bypass air from the annular passageway, transporting the combustor bypass air to a reintroduction manifold, and reintroducing the combustor bypass air into the combustor body through one or more reintroduction slots in communication with the reintroduction manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Thomas Edward Johnson, Stanley Kevin Widener
  • Publication number: 20120251309
    Abstract: Composite material turbine nozzle blade including an airfoil (10) adapted to have a cooling fluid flow through it and extending between a shroud (11) and a root (12), said shroud being shaped to be attached to one or more turbine casings (6, 7) of a turbomachine and said root being shaped to provide a junction with a turbine internal casing (5), wherein its root (12) is produced with a loosened texture and includes an external upstream side loosened texture lug (122) and an external downstream side loosened texture lug (124), the ends of the two external side lugs extending axially relative to the rotation axis of the turbomachine to form means for supporting and centering said internal casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventors: Antoine Jean-Philippe Beaujard, Didier Fabre, Jean Pierre Mareix
  • Publication number: 20120247114
    Abstract: An intercooled gas turbine is provided having an air cooled heat exchanger and a chiller disposed to remove heat from the cooling medium of the intercooler heat exchanger. During peak hours when the turbine is in operation, the air cooled heat exchanger is used primarily to cool the cooling medium of the intercooler heat exchanger. During off peak hours when the turbine is idle, the air cooled heat exchanger is used to remove heat from the condenser of a chiller system associated with a gas turbine inlet air cooling system. An additional liquid to liquid heat exchanger may be provided in-line between the intercooler heat exchanger and the air cooled heat exchanger to further cool the intercooler heat exchanger cooling medium using chilled water before the cooling medium passes back into the intercooler heat exchanger. The chilled water may be provided directly from the chillers, or from a thermal energy storage tank, or from the cooling coils of a turbine inlet air cooling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Turbine Air Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas L. Pierson, Russell Thompson, Mark Linton
  • Patent number: 8276392
    Abstract: A turboprop engine (1) includes an engine nacelle (3) and at least one bleed air line (25) on the low-pressure compressor (4) and at least one ejector (21) formed by a cooling air duct (24) and a nozzle (22) to create a cooling air flow within the engine nacelle during critical ground idle operation (controlled or uncontrolled), and without undesirably increasing fuel consumption or disturbing the work cycle of the engine (1). The ejector (21) is arranged within the engine nacelle (3) in the forward part of the turboprop engine (1), with the cooling air duct (24) appertaining to the ejector (21) connecting at least one air intake (23) disposed on the periphery of the engine nacelle (3) with the interior of the engine nacelle (3), and with the at least one nozzle (22) being arranged in the cooling air duct (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Inventor: Matthijs Van Der Woude
  • Patent number: 8272201
    Abstract: Means for cooling a bearing assembly supporting a rotor stage of a gas turbine engine after engine shutdown. The engine comprises a combustion section, a compressor for the delivery of air to the combustion section, and a bearing assembly supporting a rotor stage. The means for cooling a bearing assembly comprises a means operable to generate a signal representative of turbine duct temperature immediately prior to engine shutdown, a means for determining the duration for cooling after engine shutdown as a function of the signal representative of turbine duct temperature, and the compressor operable as a cooling means to deliver cooling air to the rotor stage after engine shutdown. Thereby the amount of heat conducted to the bearing assembly is limited such that the temperature of the bearing assembly is limited to below a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Lee Skelton, John Ingle, Andrew Gwynne, Clary Susanne I. Svensdotter
  • Publication number: 20120227414
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has in flow series a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section. The engine includes a turbine section rotor disc, and a stationary wall forward of a front face or rearward of a rear face of the rotor disc. The wall defines a cavity between the stationary wall and the rotor disc, and has a plurality of air entry nozzles through which cooling air can be delivered into the cavity at an inlet swirl angle. The engine further includes a cooling air supply arrangement which accepts a flow of compressed air and supplies the compressed air to the nozzles for delivery into the cavity. The cooling air supply arrangement and the nozzles are configured such that the inlet swirl angle of the air delivered into the cavity can be varied between a first inlet swirl angle and a second inlet swirl angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Leo V. LEWIS, Timothy J. SCANLON
  • Patent number: 8256229
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jorn A. Glahn, Peter M. Munsell, Steven B. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8257015
    Abstract: A steam turbine is provided. The steam turbine includes a rotor shaft including a plurality of buckets coupled thereto. The steam turbine further includes a stationary component coupled to a steam turbine casing, wherein the stationary component is coupled upstream from the buckets such that a wheelspace is defined between the buckets and the stationary component. The stationary component includes a first ring coupled to the steam turbine, a second ring coupled to the steam turbine radially inward from the first ring, and at least one airfoil extending between the first ring and the second ring. The steam turbine includes a cooling fluid flowpath defined through at least the first ring, the airfoil, and the second ring. The cooling fluid flowpath is configured to channel a cooling fluid to the wheelspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark Kevin Bowen, Stephen Roger Swan, Michael Earl Montgomery
  • Patent number: 8256228
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a clearance between a blade tip of a turbine engine and a blade track spaced radially outward of the blade tip is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of operably coupling an elongate member to a blade track in a turbine engine. The method also includes the step of directing a fluid stream having a temperature in proximity to the elongate member. The temperature of the fluid stream can change over time. The method also includes the step of transferring heat between the fluid stream and elongate member to a change a size of the elongate member and move the blade track radially relative to a centerline axis of the turbine engine. An exemplary apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Mark O'Leary
  • Publication number: 20120216546
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the operation of a gas turbine unit with an evaporative intake air cooling system in the intake air pathway, wherein the return water flow of the evaporative intake air cooling system is used for the cooling of components of the gas turbine unit and/or of a generator coupled to the gas turbine unit and/or of another element coupled to the gas turbine unit, and a gas turbine unit adapted to be operated using this method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Klaus Doebbeling, Andreas Rueter, Christof Pfeiffer
  • Publication number: 20120210722
    Abstract: A rotating machine and associated method is disclosed that includes one or more cooling channels for providing a cooling fluid to a component. The cooling channels pass through a rotating component. The rotating machine further includes one or more particle separation slots in the rotating component in fluid communication with the one or more channels for removing particulate contamination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel HYNUM, Andrew P. GIAMETTA
  • Patent number: 8245519
    Abstract: A film cooling hole for an air cooled turbine airfoil, the film cooling hole including an inlet metering section and a diffusion section that opens onto a surface of the airfoil and has a bean shaped cross section. The diffusion section has a 10×10×10 expansion on the side walls and the downstream wall, and the sides are smoothly and continuously contoured to be without sharp corners. The bottom wall includes a convex middle portion and two concave outer end portions that have the same radius of curvatures. The shape of the film cooling hole allows for the hole to be formed from a laser beam cutting process instead of the EDM electrode process. Because of the larger zones formed in the sides, vortex flow formation under the film stream is minimized to produce a more effective film with lower shear mixing of the hot gas vortices with the cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George Liang
  • Patent number: 8240153
    Abstract: A method for controlling the generation of turbine cooling air from air extracted from a compressor of a gas turbine including: extracting compressed air from a low pressure and a high pressure stage of the compressor; adding in an ejector the compressed air from the low pressure stage to the air from the high pressure stage and discharging the combined air as turbine cooling air; bypassing the ejector with a bypass portion of the extracted compressed air from the high pressure stage; in response to turning on the flow of extracted compressed air from the low pressure stage, changing a set point for an actual pressure ratio that includes a pressure of the turbine cooling air, and adjusting the bypass flow in response to the changed set point to cause the actual pressure ratio to approach the changed set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Priscilla Childers, Mark Disch, Curtis Newton, III, David Wesley Ball, Jr., Kenneth Neil Whaling, Alan Meier Truesdale
  • Publication number: 20120192572
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine bearing system. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and gas turbine engine bearing systems. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventor: Matthew Michael Miller
  • Patent number: 8225615
    Abstract: A combustor (14) is placed next to a turbine (16), on the side opposite a compressor (12). A heat insulation device (20) for reducing the transmission of heat from the high-temperature side to the low-temperature side is provided between the combustor/turbine and the compressor. A connection shaft (18) has an axial hole (18a) open on the inlet side of the compressor and axially extending to near a turbine impeller, and also has a radial hole (18b) open near the turbine impeller to the outside of the connection shaft and radially extending to be in communication with the axial hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventor: Kosuke Isomura
  • Publication number: 20120167595
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment of the present invention is a gas turbine engine having a unique secondary air flow circuit. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines and secondary air flow circuits. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Inventors: Nathan Wesley Ottow, Nathan J. Cooper
  • Publication number: 20120159958
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is disclosed having a compressor, combustor, and turbine and a flow path therethrough. A flow path member is disposed between an inner surface of the flow path and a rotating shaft that couples the compressor and turbine. The flow path member directs a cooling fluid along a path to cool a portion of the gas turbine engine between the inner surface and the rotating shaft. The flow path member is retained to permit radially free motion and can also be retained to permit axially free motion. The flow path member can have feed holes that permit the cooling fluid to pass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Sujit Nanda, Todd S. Taylor, Brad Farris
  • Patent number: 8205458
    Abstract: A duplex turbine nozzle includes a row of different first and second vanes alternating circumferentially between radially outer and inner bands in vane doublets having axial splitlines therebetween. The vanes have opposite pressure and suction sides spaced apart in each doublet to define an inboard flow passage therebetween, and corresponding outboard flow passages between doublets. The vanes have different patterns of film cooling holes with larger cooling flow density along the outboard passages than along the inboard passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Robert Joseph Orlando
  • Publication number: 20120144843
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique gas turbine engine. Another embodiment is a unique cooling system for a gas turbine engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for cooling one or more objects of cooling. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Eric Sean Donovan, William Daniel Feltz, Steven Wesley Tomlinson
  • Patent number: 8191374
    Abstract: The temperature rise of a wheel space between a high-pressure turbine and a low-pressure turbine is suppressed. Cooling air is led from outside a casing 17 to a wheel space via a low-pressure turbine initial stage stator blade 5 and a diaphragm 11. An upstream side space seal portion 41 is adapted to restrict and divide the upstream side space into an outer circumferential portion 25 and an inner circumferential portion 27 and to allow cooling air to the upstream side space outer circumferential portion 27 to blow out into the upstream side space outer circumferential portion 25. Also, a downstream side space seal portion 42 is adapted to restrict and divide the downstream side space into an outer circumferential portion 26 and an inner circumferential portion 28 and to allow cooling air to blow out into the downstream side space outer circumferential portion 26.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nanataki, Hidetaro Murata, Nobuaki Kizuka
  • Patent number: 8186169
    Abstract: A nitrogen source supplies a flow of nitrogen to a cooling circuit in the turbine section of a gas turbine. The nitrogen in the cooling circuit absorbs heat from the turbine section and flows to a flow divider where the heated nitrogen is split into a combustor flow and a return flow. The combustor nitrogen flow is injected into the gas turbine combustor. The return nitrogen flow is returned to the flow of nitrogen supplied to the gas turbine cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Barrett David Gardiner
  • Patent number: 8176720
    Abstract: A centrifugal particle separator is provided for removing particles such as microscopic dirt or dust particles from the compressed cooling air prior to reaching and cooling the turbine blades or turbine vanes of a turbine engine. The centrifugal particle separator structure has a substantially cylindrical body with an inlet arranged on a periphery of the substantially cylindrical body. Cooling air enters centrifugal particle separator through the separator inlet port having a linear velocity. When the cooling air impinges the substantially cylindrical body, the linear velocity is transformed into a rotational velocity, separating microscopic particles from the cooling air. Microscopic dust particles exit the centrifugal particle separator through a conical outlet and returned to a working medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander R. Beeck
  • Patent number: 8171718
    Abstract: A system for power generation comprises an engine operative to output an exhaust gas, a carbon capture means operative to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the exhaust gas and output the CO2, and a compressor operative to receive the CO2 and output compressed CO2 that cools a component of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Seyfettin Can Gulen, Cristina Botero
  • Publication number: 20120090326
    Abstract: A power plant includes a gas turbine unit adapted to feed flue gases into a diverter where they are divided into a recirculated flow that is fed into a mixer together with fresh air to form a mixture that is fed to a gas turbine unit compressor inlet, and a discharged flow, that is fed into a CO2 capture unit. A monitoring system for the mixture oxygen content at the compressor inlet is provided. The monitoring system includes a recirculated flow mass flow rate sensor, a recirculated flow oxygen concentration sensor, mixture mass flow rate sensors, a control unit arranged to process information detected by the recirculated flow mass flow rate sensor, recirculated flow oxygen concentration sensor and mixture mass flow rate sensor, to determine an oxygen concentration upstream of the compressor inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Stefan ROFKA, Frank SANDER, Eribert BENZ
  • Patent number: 8156724
    Abstract: A combustion chamber is provided, including an inner casing with a sliding surface and an outer casing with a sliding wall portion. The sliding surface and the sliding wall portion are slidably attached to each other. A cooling hole is located in the sliding wall portion. The cooling hole is at least partially located in the sliding wall portion such that it opens due to a sliding movement of the sliding surface relative to the sliding wall portion when the inner casing thermally expands and/or closes due to a sliding movement of the sliding surface relative to the sliding wall portion when the inner casing thermally contracts. Moreover, a gas turbine including an inventive combustion chamber is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Glynn Milner