Intercooled cooling air with heat exchanger packaging

• US 10,006,370 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Suciu, Gabriel L., Chandler, Jesse M., Merry, Brian D., Snape, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kraft, Logan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fountain, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/745,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20160237906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/18 the medium being gaseous, e.g. air F02C7/125 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/213 by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the compressor section, passes the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. The cooling compressor compresses air downstream of the heat exchanger, and delivers air into the high pressure turbine. A core housing has an outer peripheral surface and a fan housing defining an inner peripheral surface. At least one bifurcation duct extends between the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface. The heat exchanger is received within the at least one bifurcation duct.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine comprising;

a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations relative to said downstream discharge;

a turbine section having a high pressure turbine;

a tap, tapping air from at least one of said more upstream locations in said compressor section

a heat exchanger, said tapped air passes through said heat exchanger;

a cooling compressor, air downstream of said heat exchanger passing to said cooling compressor, said cooling compressor compressing the air downstream of said heat exchanger, and delivering air into said high pressure turbine;

a core housing having an outer peripheral surface and a fan housing defining an inner peripheral surface, at least one bifurcation duct extending between said outer peripheral surface to said inner peripheral surface, and said heat exchanger being received within said at least one bifurcation duct; and

wherein said heat exchanger communicating air from within said core housing, into said bifurcation duct, then into said fan housing and back inwardly through said bifurcation duct, said core housing, and to said high pressure turbine.

2. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein air is delivered into a heat exchanger first leg within said core housing, the leg extending outwardly of said core housing and into said at least one bifurcation duct, and to a second leg extending back toward a center axis of the engine, and back into said core housing to deliver the air to said cooling compressor.

4. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein a turning duct communicates said first leg into said second leg, and said turning duct is located outwardly of said inner peripheral surface and in said fan housing.

5. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein an auxiliary fan is positioned upstream of the heat exchanger.

6. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cooling compressor includes a centrifugal compressor impeller.

7. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 6, wherein air temperatures at said downstream most location of said high pressure compressor are greater than or equal to 1350°

F.

8. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 6, wherein said turbine section driving a bull gear, said bull gear further driving an impeller of said cooling compressor.

9. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 8, wherein said bull gear also driving an accessory gearbox.

10. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein air temperatures at said downstream most location of said high pressure compressor are greater than or equal to 1350°

F.

11. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 10, wherein said turbine section driving a bull gear, said bull gear further driving an impeller of said cooling compressor.

12. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 11, wherein said bull gear also driving an accessory gearbox.

13. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said turbine section driving a tower shaft, said tower shaft further driving an impeller of said cooling compressor.

3. A gas turbine engine comprising;

a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations relative to said downstream discharge;

a turbine section having a high pressure turbine;

a tap, tapping air from at least one of said more upstream locations in said compressor section

a heat exchanger, said tapped air passes through said heat exchanger;

a cooling compressor, air downstream of the heat exchanger passing to said cooling compressor, said cooling compressor compressing the air downstream of said heat exchanger, and delivering air into said high pressure turbine;

a core housing having an outer peripheral surface and a fan housing defining an inner peripheral surface, at least one bifurcation duct extending between said outer peripheral surface to said inner peripheral surface, and said heat exchanger being received within said at least one bifurcation duct;

wherein said turbine section driving a bull gear, said bull gear further driving an impeller of said cooling compressor;

wherein air is delivered into a heat exchanger first leg within said core housing, the leg extending outwardly of said core housing and into said at least one bifurcation duct, and to a second leg extending back toward a center axis of the engine, and back into said core housing to deliver the air to said cooling compressor; and

wherein a turning duct communicates said first leg into said second leg, and said turning duct is located outwardly of said inner peripheral surface and in said fan housing.

14. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said at least one bifurcation duct will be at a vertically lower location when said gas turbine engine is mounted on an aircraft.

15. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cooling compressor includes a centrifugal compressor impeller.

16. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 15, wherein a gear ratio increase is included such that said impeller rotates at a faster speed than an input shaft.

17. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 3, wherein air temperatures at said downstream most location of said high pressure compressor are greater than or equal to 1350°

F.

18. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 3, wherein said turbine section driving a bull gear, said bull gear further driving an impeller of said cooling compressor.

19. The gas turbine engine as set forth in claim 18, wherein said bull gear also driving an accessory gearbox.