And Cooling Patents (Class 60/806)
  • Patent number: 9115587
    Abstract: Cooling air is provided from a source of cooling air through a cooling air circuit in a turbine section of a gas turbine engine. A first portion of cooling air is provided from the source along a first path of the circuit to a plurality of blades associated with a stage of the turbine section. A second portion of cooling air is provided from the source along a second path of the circuit. The second path includes a turbine disc bore where the cooling air provides cooling to a radially innermost portion of at least one turbine disc that forms a part of a rotor of the engine. The second path is independent from the first path such that the second portion of cooling air bypasses the stage and is not mixed with the first portion of cooling air in the circuit after leaving the source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Jiping Zhang, Yan Yin
  • Patent number: 9080449
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine includes an annular body and a flow-through tube that extends through the annular body. The flow-through tube includes an upstream orifice, a downstream orifice and a tube body that extends between the upstream orifice and the downstream orifice. The tube body establishes a gradually increasing cross-sectional area between the downstream orifice and the upstream orifice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph W. Bridges, David F. Cloud, David P. Houston, Eric W. Malmborg
  • Patent number: 9068513
    Abstract: A seal assembly between a disc cavity and a hot gas path in a gas turbine engine includes a rotating blade assembly having a plurality of blades that rotate with a turbine rotor during operation of the engine, and a stationary vane assembly having a plurality of vanes and an inner shroud. The inner shroud includes a radially outwardly facing first surface, a radially inwardly facing second surface, and a plurality of grooves extending into the second surface. The grooves are arranged such that a space having a component in a circumferential direction is defined between adjacent grooves. During operation of the engine, the grooves guide purge air out of the disc cavity toward the hot gas path such that the purge air flows in a desired direction with reference to a direction of hot gas flow through the hot gas path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ching-Pang Lee
  • Patent number: 9062557
    Abstract: A gas turbine having rotor discs (9), a disc cavity (13) and a stator stage (25) extending to the disc cavity (13). Seal housing flanges (43, 44) extend from a seal housing (29) of the stator stage (25). Rotor flanges (41i, 41o) extend from a rotor disk (9-1). An inner rotor flange (41i) and first seal housing flange (43) are inward from a second seal housing flange (44). One rotor flange (41o) is outward from the second seal housing flange (44). The inner rotor flange (41i) and first seal housing flange (43) extend toward one another to limit movement of main gas flow (17). An inlet (47) injects air (50) between the outward rotor flange (41o) and second seal housing flange (44).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Kok-Mun Tham, Ching-Pang Lee, Abdullatif M. Chehab, Gm Salam Azad, Shantanu P. Mhetras, Manjit Shivanand, Vincent P. Laurello, Christopher Rawlings
  • Patent number: 9038398
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger, a bearing compartment, and a nozzle assembly in fluid communication with the bearing compartment. The heat exchanger exchanges heat with a bleed airflow to provide a conditioned airflow. The bearing compartment is in fluid communication with the heat exchanger. A first passageway communicates the conditioned airflow from the heat exchanger to the bearing compartment. A second passageway communicates the conditioned airflow from the bearing compartment to the nozzle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Ioannis Alvanos
  • Patent number: 9038396
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for cooling a transition piece of a combustor includes at least one wrapper disposed at the transition piece located outboard of the transition piece. At least one support boss is located between the at least one wrapper and the transition piece. The at least one support boss, the at least one wrapper, and transition piece define at least one cooling flow channel for directing flow for cooling the transition piece. A method of cooling a transition piece of a combustor includes flowing cooling flow into at least one cooling flow channel located at the transition piece, the at least one cooling flow channel defined by the transition piece, at least one wrapper located at the transition piece and located outboard of the transition piece, and at least one support boss located between the at least one wrapper and the transition piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ronald James Chila, David Purnell
  • Publication number: 20150135715
    Abstract: The invention provides a gas turbine cooling system that efficiently cools a first-stage turbine wheel and the attachment portions of first-stage turbine blades. A gas turbine comprises: a compressor 1 for compressing air; a combustor 2 for combusting the air compressed by the compressor 1 with fuel; and a turbine 3 driven by the combustion gas generated by the combustor 2, the turbine 3 including at least one turbine wheel 12a having turbine blades 11a on an outer circumferential section thereof. A gas turbine cooling system comprises a group of impingement cooling holes 32, provided in a partition wall 16a that separates the exit space 42 of the compressor 1 and the wheel space 43a located upstream of the turbine wheel 12a, for ejecting the compressed air 101 in the exit space 42 toward the turbine wheel 12a and the attachment portions of the turbine blades 11a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Tomoyuki MATSUI, Hayato MAEKAWA, Ryo KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20150121898
    Abstract: A turbine and so on capable of enabling high reliability are provided. In the turbine of an embodiment, a turbine rotor is accommodated in a turbine casing, and is rotated by a working medium which is introduced after flowing in an inlet pipe of a combustor. A sleeve is provided at the turbine casing, and accommodates the inlet pipe therein. Here, the sleeve is thicker than the inlet pipe, and a cooling fluid whose temperature is lower than the working fluid flows between the inlet pipe and the sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Tsuguhisa TASHIMA, Shogo IWAI, Masao ITO, Shunsuke TAKAE
  • Patent number: 9021816
    Abstract: A turbine vane for a gas turbine engine includes inner and outer platforms joined by a radially extending airfoil. The airfoil includes leading and trailing edges joined by spaced apart pressure and suction sides to provide an exterior airfoil surface. The airfoil includes an airfoil cooling passage. A platform cooling passage is arranged within at least one of the inner and outer platforms. The platform cooling passage includes multiple cooling regions with one of the cooling regions arranged beneath the airfoil cooling passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Russell J. Bergman, Leonard A. Bach, Brandon W. Spangler
  • Publication number: 20150107267
    Abstract: Effusion cooling holes formed through a transition component provided in a combustion section of a gas turbine engine. The transition component directs a hot working gas from a combustion basket to a first row of vanes in a turbine section of the engine. The effusion cooling holes are formed through an outer wall of the transition component in a direction so that the flow of air through the effusion holes is in a direction substantially opposite to the bulk flow direction of the working gas through the transition component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Blake R. Cotten, Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Patent number: 9010127
    Abstract: A transition piece aft frame assembly is provided, and includes a transition piece aft frame and a heat shield. The transition piece aft frame has an aft face. At least a portion of the aft face is exposed to an exhaust gas stream. The heat shield is connected to the transition piece aft frame. The heat shield is oriented to generally deflect the exhaust gas stream away from the aft face of the transition piece aft frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Willis, William Lawrence Byrne, David William Cihlar, Donald Timothy Lemon, Patrick Benedict Melton
  • Patent number: 9003807
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a gas turbine engine and a process for operating a gas turbine engine. A fluid structure receives compressed air from a compressor and extends toward a stationary blade ring in a turbine to discharge the compressed air directly against a surface of the blade ring such that the compressed air impinges on the blade ring surface. The compressed air then passes through at least one opening in the stationary blade ring and into cooling passages of a corresponding row of vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Abdullatif M. Chehab, David A. Little
  • Publication number: 20150096306
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle vane segment includes one or more nozzle vanes extending between radially inner and outer side walls, each nozzle vane having a peripheral edge wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the vane. In one exemplary embodiment, at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel is formed in the peripheral edge wall at the leading edge, with openings at opposite ends of the cooling channel. The location and length of the cooling channels may vary about the peripheral edge wall, and the inner cavity of the vane may be provided with ribs extending along and adjacent the one or more cooling channels to reinforce the wall and to also provide additional cooling surface areas in the inner cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sandeep Munshi SARANGAPANI, Ajay Gangadhar PATIL, Poorna Chandra RAO
  • Patent number: 8997500
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a shaft, a fan, at least one bearing mounted on the shaft and rotationally supporting the fan, a fan drive gear system coupled to drive the fan, a bearing compartment around the at least one bearing and a source of pressurized air in communication with a region outside of the bearing compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jorn A. Glahn, Frederick M. Schwarz
  • Publication number: 20150082808
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine is provided. The airfoil includes a body with a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first side wall extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a second side wall extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge. The body defines an interior cavity. The airfoil includes an interior wall disposed within the interior cavity of the body and extending between the first wall and the second wall to define a supply chamber and a leading edge chamber. The interior wall defines a cooling hole with a base portion and a locally extended portion to direct cooling air from the supply chamber to the leading edge chamber such that the cooling air impinges upon the leading edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
  • Patent number: 8984895
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for a gas turbine spool design combining metallic and ceramic components in a way that controls clearances between critical components over a range of engine operating temperatures and pressures. In a first embodiment, a ceramic turbine rotor rotates just inside a ceramic shroud and separated by a small clearance gap. The ceramic rotor is connected to a metallic volute. In order to accommodate the differential rates of thermal expansion between the ceramic rotor and metallic volute, an active clearance control system is used to maintain the desired axial clearance between ceramic rotor and the ceramic shroud over the range of engine operating temperatures. In a second embodiment, a ceramic turbine rotor rotates just inside a ceramic shroud which is part of a single piece ceramic volute/shroud assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: ICR Turbine Engine Corporation
    Inventors: James B. Kesseli, Matthew Stephen Baldwin
  • Patent number: 8984858
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew Michael Miller
  • Publication number: 20150075180
    Abstract: A turbine bucket is disclosed herein. The turbine bucket may include a platform and a shank portion extending radially inward from the platform. The shank portion may include a slash face, a radial seal pin groove formed in the slash face, and at least one cooling hole disposed in the slash face about the radial seal pin groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, James W. Vehr
  • Patent number: 8978390
    Abstract: A wall of a component of a gas turbine engine includes first and second wall surfaces, an inlet located at the first wall surface, an outlet located at the second surface, a metering section commencing at the inlet and extending downstream from the inlet, and a diffusing section extending from the metering section and terminating at the outlet. The diffusing section includes a leading edge formed at an upstream end of the outlet, a trailing edge formed at a downstream end of the outlet, a body region upstream of the trailing edge, and a plurality of crenellation features located on the body region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Glenn Levasseur, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 8978387
    Abstract: The flow through the core of a hybrid pulse detonation combustion system is passed through a compressor and then separated into a primary flow, that passes directly to the combustor, and a bypass flow, which is routed to a portion of the system to be used to cool components of the system. The bypass flow is routed to a nozzle of the pulse detonation combustor. The flow is then passed back into the primary flow through the core downstream of where it was extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Adam Rasheed, Brian Gene Brzek, Douglas Carl Hofer, Thomas Michael Lavertu, Fuhua Ma
  • Patent number: 8973373
    Abstract: A method to provide clearance control for a gas turbine having a multi-stage compressor and a turbine having turbine buckets rotating within a turbine shell, the method includes: selecting a first compressor stage from which to extract compressed air; ducting the compressed air from the first compressor stage to the turbine shell; passing the compressed air from the first compressor stage to thermally contract the turbine shell; selecting a second compressor stage from which to extract compressed air and deselecting the first compressor stage; ducting the compressed air from the second compressor stage to the turbine shell, and passing the compressed air from the second compressor stage to thermal expand the turbine shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Malath Ibrahim Arar
  • Patent number: 8973371
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising a turbine section cooling system and a method of cooling a turbine section of a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine comprises in flow series a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section, the engine further comprising a turbine section cooling system. The turbine section cooling system including a first compressed air bleed arrangement and a second compressed air bleed arrangement. The first compressed air bleed arrangement bleeds a first flow of compressed air from a high pressure stage of the compressor section. The first flow of compressed air bypasses the combustor and arrives at the turbine section to form a sealing and/or cooling flow at a row of stator vanes upstream of an adjacent rotor disc. The second compressed air bleed arrangement bleeds a second flow of compressed air from one or more lower pressure stages of the compressor section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Jonathan M King, Crispin D. Bolgar, Guy D. Snowsill, Michael J. Sheath, Geoffrey M Dailey
  • Publication number: 20150059357
    Abstract: A system for providing cooling for a turbine component that includes an outer surface exposed to combustion gases is provided. A component base includes at least one fluid supply passage coupleable to a source of cooling fluid. At least one feed passage communicates with the at least one fluid supply passage. At least one delivery channel communicates with the at least one feed passage. At least one cover layer covers the at least one feed passage and the at least one delivery channel, defining at least in part the component outer surface. At least one discharge passage extends to the outer surface. A diffuser section is defined in at least one of the at least one delivery channel and the at least one discharge passage, such that a fluid channeled through the system is diffused prior to discharge adjacent the outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor John Morgan, Benjamin Paul Lacy
  • Publication number: 20150040582
    Abstract: A cooling circuit for a turbine bucket having an airfoil portion includes a trailing edge cooling circuit portion provided with a first radially outwardly directed inlet passage intermediate leading and trailing edges of the airfoil portion of the bucket, extending from a platform portion of the bucket to a location adjacent a radially outer tip of the bucket, and connecting to a second radially inwardly directed passage extending from a location adjacent the radially outer tip to a location adjacent the platform portion. The second radially inwardly directed passage connects to a third trailing edge region passage, and a plurality of crossover passages connect a radially outer half of the second radially inwardly directed passage to a radially outer half of the third trailing edge region passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zhirui Dong, Xiuhang James Zhang, Melbourne James Myers, Camilo Andres Sampayo
  • Patent number: 8950192
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a turbine section; an annular combustor disposed upstream of the turbine section and configured to discharge a hot gas flow on an outlet side to the turbine section; an outer shell delimiting the combustor and splittable at a parting plane; a plenum enclosing the outer shell; a rotor; a turbine vane carrier encompassing the rotor; a plurality of stator vanes disposed on the vane carrier, and at least two sealing segments forming a ring, each of the at least two sealing segments having an inner edge and a head and a foot section and being movably mounted on the inner edge by the foot section to the outer shell and by the head section to the turbine vane carrier so as to mechanically connect the combustor to the turbine vane carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Remigi Tschuor, Russell Bond Jones, Luis J. Rodriguez, Hartmut Haehnle, Marion Duggan (-Oneil)
  • Publication number: 20150033761
    Abstract: A heat transfer assembly for controlling heat transfer of a turbine engine is provided. The turbine engine includes a housing and includes a compressor, a combustor and a turbine located within the housing. The heat transfer assembly includes a flow control device having a sidewall coupled to the turbine, the sidewall is in flow communication with a compressor vane. The sidewall is configured to define a first flow path from the compressor vane to a turbine vane and a second flow path from the compressor vane to a turbine blade. A heat exchanger is coupled to the housing and located between the compressor and the turbine, wherein the heat exchanger is in flow communication with at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path. A fluid supply device is coupled to the housing and in flow communication with the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Corey Bourassa, William Dwight Gerstler
  • Patent number: 8943827
    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: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Lev Alexander Prociw, Eduardo Hawie
  • Publication number: 20150027129
    Abstract: In order to improve the cooling of an air-cooled gas turbine in the partial load operating mode it is proposed to provide a connecting line between two cooling air lines with different pressure levels, which connecting line leads from the second cooling air line at a relative high pressure level to the first cooling air line at a relative low pressure level. In this context, a cooling device for cooling an auxiliary cooling air stream, flowing from the second cooling air line into the first cooling air line, and an adjustment element are arranged in the connecting line. In addition to a gas turbine, a method for operating such a gas turbine is the subject matter of the disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Karsten FRANITZA, Peter MARX, Ulrich Robert STEIGER, Andrea BRIGHENTI
  • Patent number: 8938975
    Abstract: An inner combustion chamber casing of a turbomachine, which is intended to be placed downstream of a centrifugal compressor, is provided. The casing has the shape of a disc, pierced by a central circle, and includes on its disc at least one guide vane of the drawn-off air. The guide vane extends longitudinally over the disc between the periphery of the disc and the central circle and spreads out axially from the disc so as to form with the downstream face of the centrifugal compressor a guide channel for the air which is drawn off upon exit from the said compressor. The guide vane has a curved shape orienting in a radial direction at the level of its most central end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Laurent Donatien Behaghel, Frederic Dallaine, Delphine Leroux, Benjamin Philippe Pierre Pegouet
  • Publication number: 20150013345
    Abstract: A shroud segment for a casing of gas turbine includes a body configured for attachment to the casing proximate a localized critical process location within the casing. The body has a leading edge, a trailing edge, and two side edges. The critical process location is located between the leading edge and the trailing edge when the body is attached to the casing. A cooling passage is defined in the body along one of the side edges with one of an inlet or an outlet proximate the critical process location. The cooling passage is configured large enough to cool the one side edge adjacent the cooling passage to a desired level during operation of the gas turbine. The critical process locations may be related to temperatures, pressures or other measurable features of the gas turbine environment when in use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Porter, Gregory Thomas Foster, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, David Wayne Weber, Michelle J. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20150007581
    Abstract: A shroud block segment for a gas turbine includes a main body having a leading portion, a trailing portion, a first side portion and an opposing second side portion that extend axially between the leading portion and the trailing portion. The main body further includes an arcuate combustion gas side, an opposing back side and a cooling chamber defined in the back side. A cooling plenum and an exhaust passage are defined within the main body where the exhaust passage provides for fluid communication out of the cooling plenum. An insert opening extends within the main body through the back side towards the cooling plenum. A cooling flow insert is disposed within the insert opening. The cooling flow insert comprises a plurality of cooling flow passages that provide for fluid communication between the cooling chamber and the cooling plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Ibrahim Sezer, Anshuman Singh, Gary Michael Itzel, James William Vehr
  • Publication number: 20150000291
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine having a combustor is disclosed in which a heat exchanger is disposed within the combustor. The heat exchanger can take the form of a fuel/air heat exchanger. In one form the heat exchanger includes a path for cooling air to be conveyed to a location external to the combustor. Cooled cooling air carried through the path can be created through action of heat transfer from the cooling air to a fuel flowing in the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can include a fuel vaporizer in one form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Duane A. Smith, William G. Cummings, III
  • Publication number: 20140366556
    Abstract: A vane seal assembly for a gas turbine engine comprises of a case including a first connector. A notch in the case adjoins the groove. A vane having a second connector mates with the first connector. A seal assembly is provided between the vane and the case to provide a sealed cavity adjoining the notch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Anton G. Banks, Robert L. Hazzard
  • Publication number: 20140366545
    Abstract: In a gas turbine engine (1) that has a plurality shrouds (8c and 9c), in which each one of the shrouds (8c and 9c) are provided with a groove portion (20) that is provided in a surface facing a turbine rotor blade (8a and 9a) and a plurality of film cooling holes (21) that open to a bottom portion of the groove portion (20), blocking of the film cooling holes (21 and 22) is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventor: Chiyuki NAKAMATA
  • Patent number: 8910485
    Abstract: The present application provides a stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery turbine system. The stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery turbine system may include a main compressor for compressing a flow of ambient air, a turbine, and a stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery combustor. The stoichiometric exhaust gas recovery combustor may include a combustion liner, an extended flow sleeve in communication with the main compressor, and an extraction port in communication with the turbine. The extended flow sleeve receives the flow of ambient air from the main compressor so as to cool the combustion liner and then the flow of ambient air splits into an extraction flow to the turbine via the extraction port and a combustion flow within the combustion liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Sam David Draper, Kyle Wilson Moore
  • Patent number: 8904747
    Abstract: A gas turbine inlet heating system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes: a compressor having: an inlet bellmouth adjacent to a set of inlet guide vanes (IGVs); and an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet bellmouth; and a conduit coupled to an outlet of the compressor, the conduit including a control valve, the conduit for diverting a first portion of compressed air from the outlet of the compressor to the inlet bellmouth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Malath Ibrahim Arar, Anna Valeria Anllo
  • Publication number: 20140352324
    Abstract: A pre-cooler system is provided and includes first and second pre-coolers, each of which is sized to handle demands of one downstream flow system, a piping system by which the first and second pre-coolers are receptive of compressed air from first and second turbine engines, respectively, and by which the first and second pre-coolers are both coupled to first and second downstream flow systems that are each configured to apply the demands of one downstream flow system to the first and second pre-coolers, a first pair of dual pressure regulator shut off valves (PRSOVs) disposed in parallel with each other and between the first turbine engine and the first downstream flow system, the first pair of dual PRSOVs being arranged in series with the first pre-cooler and a second pair of dual PRSOVs disposed in parallel with each other and between the second turbine engine and the second downstream flow system, the second pair of dual PRSOVs being arranged in series with the second pre-cooler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffry Ernst, John M. Maljaian
  • Publication number: 20140352317
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a fan that provides an air flow to the turbine engine as compressor intake air and as compressor bypass air, a first stage compressor positioned to receive the compressor intake air and output a first stage compressed air, and a boiler positioned to cool the first stage compressed air using a fluid. A second stage compressor is positioned to receive the cooled first stage compressed air. A pump is configured to pump the fluid as a liquid into the boiler, extract energy from the first stage compressed air, and cause the cooling of the first stage compressed air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James C. Loebig, Robert Manning
  • Patent number: 8899051
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a unique apparatus having a gas turbine engine flange assembly. Also disclosed is a unique system having a gas turbine engine flange assembly in which a fluid flow circuit is provided. Also disclosed are apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engine flange assemblies, in which a fluid flow circuit extends between flanges or from a cavity within a turbine engine case to an interior portion of a flange assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Claude Rice, Naveen Rau, Robert C Koth
  • Patent number: 8893509
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an exhaust diffuser. A first path extends radially through the outer and inner cones of the diffuser and has a radially inward end and a radially outward end, the inward end fluidly connected to the central cavity. An air supply or ejector is fluidly connected to the radially outward end of the first path, for drawing air by using the compressed air through the first path into the central cavity. A first opening is defined in the inner cone to fluidly connect between the exhaust channel and the central cavity. The first path and the first opening are so positioned that the cooling air is delivered from the air supply through the first path, the central cavity, and the first opening into the exhaust channel as it makes thermal contact with an object positioned in the central cavity to cool the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Tanimura
  • Patent number: 8893512
    Abstract: A compressor bleed cooling fluid feed system for a turbine engine for directing cooling fluids from a compressor to a turbine airfoil cooling system to supply cooling fluids to one or more airfoils of a rotor assembly is disclosed. The compressor bleed cooling fluid feed system may enable cooling fluids to be exhausted from a compressor exhaust plenum through a downstream compressor bleed collection chamber and into the turbine airfoil cooling system. As such, the suction created in the compressor exhaust plenum mitigates boundary layer growth along the inner surface while providing flow of cooling fluids to the turbine airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric E. Donahoo, Christopher W. Ross
  • Patent number: 8893510
    Abstract: An air injection system for use in a gas turbine engine includes at least one outlet port through which air is extracted from the engine only during less than full load operation, at least one rotor cooling pipe, which is used to inject the air extracted from the outlet port(s) into a rotor chamber, a piping system that provides fluid communication between the one outlet port(s) and the rotor cooling pipe(s), a blower system for extracting air from the engine through the outlet port(s) and for conveying the extracted air through the piping system and the rotor cooling pipe(s) into the rotor chamber, and a valve system. The valve system is closed during full load engine operation to prevent air from passing through the piping system, and open during less than full load engine operation to allow air to pass through the piping system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Kok-Mun Tham, Ching-Pang Lee, Brian H. Terpos, Dustan M. Simko
  • Publication number: 20140338350
    Abstract: A gas turbine is configured to operate with a high temperature combustion gas stream. The gas turbine may include a combustor that provides a combustion gas stream including charged particles and at least one turbine stage including at least one high temperature surface that may be driven with a voltage selected to repel the charged particles. The at least one high temperature surface may output a film-cooling layer including cool air, the film-cooling layer being stabilized by Coulombic forces between the voltage and the charged particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventor: ROBERT E. BREIDENTHAL
  • Publication number: 20140338364
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade includes a mounting portion that partially defines a cooling circuit within the turbine rotor blade and an airfoil portion that extends radially outward from the mounting portion. The airfoil portion further defines the cooling circuit. The turbine rotor blade further includes a platform portion that is disposed radially between the mounting portion and the airfoil. The platform portion includes a bottom wall, a top wall, a forward wall, an aft wall and a pair of opposing side walls. A cooling plenum that at least partially defines the cooling circuit is defined within the platform portion. The cooling plenum is at least partially defined between the forward wall, the aft wall and between the pair of opposing side walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Richard Johns, Mark Andrew Jones
  • Publication number: 20140331687
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, assemblies, and systems for power production that can allow for increased efficiency and lower cost components arising from the control, reduction, or elimination of turbine blade mechanical erosion by particulates or chemical erosion by gases in a combustion product flow. The methods, assemblies, and systems can include the use of turbine blades that operate with a blade velocity that is significantly reduced in relation to conventional turbines used in typical power production systems. The methods and systems also can make use of a recycled circulating fluid for transpiration protection of the turbine and/or other components. Further, recycled circulating fluid may be employed to provide cleaning materials to the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Miles R. Palmer, Jeremy Eron Fetvedt, Rodney John Allam
  • Patent number: 8881532
    Abstract: A control method for cooling a turbine stage of a gas turbine, whereby cooling air is bled from combustion air flowing in a compressor of the gas turbine, and is fed to a cooling circuit staring from a stator of the turbine stage; and cooling airflow is adjusted as a function of the pressure at the inlet of the cooling circuit, and as a function of the combustion air pressure at the exhaust of the compressor; more specifically, there is a feedback control setting a setpoint, which is predetermined as a function of the power output of the turbine to reduce contaminating emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ansaldo Energia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Luca Bozzi, Marco Mantero, Federico Bonzani
  • Patent number: 8875483
    Abstract: A gas turbine generator set includes a compressor unit including at least one compressor, at least one generator and at least one combustion chamber. Exhaust gases from at least one turbine are recirculated for a further thermal utilization. At least one cooling fluid compressor is configured to compress a cooling fluid including at least one of fresh air and a portion of the recirculated exhaust gases for a cooling of thermally loaded parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Hans Wettstein
  • Publication number: 20140318141
    Abstract: Embodiments of hot streak alignment for gas turbine durability include structures and methods to align hot streaks with the leading edges of aligned first stage nozzle vanes in order to improve mixing of the hot streaks with cooling air at a stator nozzle of a first stage turbine and reduce usage of cooling air at first stage non-aligned stator nozzle vanes disposed adjacent to the aligned stator vanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: General Electric Company
  • Patent number: 8869539
    Abstract: An arrangement for connecting at least one duct with an air-distribution casing, the at least one duct including two sidewalls opposite one another and including a peripheral wall connecting edges of the two sidewalls. The arrangement includes a connecting tube that extends through the casing, passes through an orifice associated with each of the two sidewalls, and is connected to the at least one duct. A system controlling clearance of a turbo engine and a turbo engine can include air-injection ducts connected to the distribution casing by such an arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Snecma
    Inventor: Luc Henri Claude Daguenet
  • Publication number: 20140311163
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique method of manufacturing a component for a turbomachine, such as an airfoil. Another embodiment is a unique airfoil. Yet another embodiment is a unique gas turbine engine. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for cooled gas turbine engine components. 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: June 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Inventors: Richard Christopher Uskert, Ted Joseph Freeman, David John Thomas, Jay E. Lane, Adam Lee Chamberlain, John Alan Weaver