Gas turbine engine including a low pressure sump seal buffer source and thermally isolated sump
First Claim
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1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a housing;
a compressor section and a turbine section all mounted in flow series within the housing, the compressor section including at least a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, each compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet;
a lubrication sump disposed between the compressor section and the turbine section, the lubrication sump adapted to receive a flow of lubricant;
one or more sump seals coupled to the lubrication sump; and
a buffer air supply passage having an inlet in fluid communication with the low pressure compressor air outlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the sump seals, whereby air from the low pressure compressor is used to buffer the sump seals to thereby substantially prevent lubricant from leaking from the lubrication sump.
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine is configured to use relatively cool, low pressure air discharged from a low pressure compressor to supply buffer air to lubrication sump seals. The engine is further configured such that the lubrication sump is thermally layered by isolating relatively hot, high pressure compressor air from the sump by utilizing a warm vent mixing cavity, which is located radially between of the hot high pressure compressor air and the cool buffer air, which is located in a buffer cavity between the vent cavity and the sump.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
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a housing;
a compressor section and a turbine section all mounted in flow series within the housing, the compressor section including at least a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor, each compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet;
a lubrication sump disposed between the compressor section and the turbine section, the lubrication sump adapted to receive a flow of lubricant;
one or more sump seals coupled to the lubrication sump; and
a buffer air supply passage having an inlet in fluid communication with the low pressure compressor air outlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the sump seals, whereby air from the low pressure compressor is used to buffer the sump seals to thereby substantially prevent lubricant from leaking from the lubrication sump. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A gas turbine engine, comprising:
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a low pressure compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet, the low pressure compressor coupled to receive a rotational drive force and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply a flow of low pressure compressed air;
a high pressure compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet, the high pressure compressed air inlet in fluid communication with the low pressure compressor air outlet, to thereby receive at least a portion of the flow of low pressure compressed air therefrom, the high pressure compressor coupled to receive a rotational drive force and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply a flow of high pressure compressed air;
a combustor coupled to receive at least a portion of the flow of high pressure compressed air and a flow of fuel and operable to supply a flow of combusted gas;
a high pressure turbine coupled to receive the flow of combusted gas and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply the drive force to the high pressure compressor and to supply high pressure turbine exhaust;
a low pressure turbine coupled to receive the high pressure turbine exhaust and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply the drive force to the low pressure compressor;
a lubrication sump disposed between the high pressure compressor and the high pressure turbine, the lubrication sump adapted to receive a flow of lubricant;
one or more sump seals coupled to the lubrication sump; and
a buffer air supply conduit having an inlet in fluid communication with the low pressure compressor air outlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the sump seals, whereby a portion of the flow of low pressure compressed air is used to buffer the sump seals to thereby substantially prevent lubricant from leaking from the lubrication sump. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In a gas turbine engine including a low pressure compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet, a high pressure compressor, a turbine, and a lubrication sump having one or more sump seals, a method of buffering the sump seals, comprising:
supplying seal buffer air to the one or more sump seals from the low pressure compressor air outlet, to thereby buffer the sump seals. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. In a gas turbine engine including a low pressure compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet, a high pressure compressor having an air inlet and an air outlet, a turbine, and a lubrication sump, a method of thermally isolating the lubrication sump from air discharged from the high pressure compressor, comprising:
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forming a buffer cavity that at least partially surrounds the lubrication sump;
forming a vent cavity that at least partially surrounds the buffer cavity disposing one or more vent seals between the buffer cavity and the vent cavity that are configured to allow leakage at least from the buffer cavity to the vent cavity;
disposing one or more throttle seals between the high pressure compressor air outlet and the vent cavity that are configured to at least allow leakage from the high pressure compressor air outlet to the vent cavity; and
supplying air to the buffer cavity from the low pressure compressor air outlet.
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Specification