GAS TURBINE ENGINE

• US 20100164234A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Bowman, Ray F., Owen, Philip Ray
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/22 by adjusting turbine vanes
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/05 to affect the output of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/06 to match engine to driven device

Abstract

A gas turbine engine is provided having a variety of forms and features. The gas turbine engine can include a compressor having movable vanes. In one form of operation the compressor can close down the vanes to a relatively low flow capacity position and the compressor can be operated at a higher speed, whereupon the vanes can be repositioned and the gas turbine engine operated at a different condition. The gas turbine engine can include a turbine having movable vanes. In one form of operation the turbine can change the vane positions to a relatively low torque position and the engine operated at a higher fuel flow condition, whereupon the vanes can be repositioned and the gas turbine engine operated at a different condition. The gas turbine engine can have a heater that adds heat to a flow stream, a motor that provides energy to a shaft, and an external load.

Claims

1. -47. (canceled)

48. An apparatus comprising:

a gas turbine engine having a turbine operable to extract energy from a passing flow stream; and

an energy transferring device coupled with the turbine and operable to receive the extracted energy, the energy transferring device operable to selectively return at least a portion of the extracted energy to a gas path component of the gas turbine engine or provide the extracted energy to an external energy system.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the turbine extracts energy by rotating a shaft coupled to the turbine.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, which further includes a generator coupled with the shaft, wherein the generator supplies electrical power to the energy transferring device.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the energy transferring device is an electrically powered heater that delivers heat to a flow stream of the gas path component, and which further includes a fuel control that offsets a fueling to a combustor when the flow stream is heated by the energy consuming device.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the heater delivers heat to the combustor.

53. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein the energy transferring device provides power to rotate a spool of the gas turbine engine.

54. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the energy transferring device provides electrical power to a motor to rotate a spool of the gas turbine engine.

55. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the external energy system is a directed energy weapon.

56. A method comprising:

flowing a flow stream through a turbine of a multi-spool gas turbine engine to produce power from the rotation of the turbine;

apportioning the power produced from the turbine among operating an external energy consuming system and operating a device within the gas turbine engine; and

wherein the operating the device is one of assistingly rotating a spool shaft and heating a flow stream.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the heating the flow stream includes electrically providing heat to a combustor of the gas turbine engine.

58. The method of claim 57, which further includes reducing a fuel delivery to a combustor of the gas turbine engine during the electrically providing heat.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the heating includes resistive heating, radiation heating, and producing plasma.

60. The method of claim 56, wherein the apportioning power includes devoting all power to one of the operating the external energy consuming system and operating a device.

61. The method of claim 56, wherein the apportioning power is time varying.

62. The method of claim 56, wherein the assistingly rotating a spool shaft includes providing power to an electrical motor to drive a relatively high pressure spool shaft of the multi-spool gas turbine engine.

63. The method of claim 56, wherein the assistingly rotating a spool shaft includes imparting power to a continuously slipping clutch coupled between a relatively low pressure spool and a relatively high pressure spool.

64. The method of claim 56, wherein the external energy consuming system is a directed energy weapon system.

65. The method of claim 56, which further includes transitioning a gas turbine engine from a first operating condition to a standby operating condition and then to a second operating condition, wherein the apportioning power occurs during at least one of the standby operating condition and the second operating condition.

66. A method comprising:

generating power derived from a rotating turbine of a gas turbine engine; and

allocating power derived from the turbine between an external primary load and an internal gas path component.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein the allocating power is time varying.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein the allocating includes proportioning the power between the external primary load and the internal gas path component.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the proportioning includes devoting all of the power to the external primary load.

70. The method of claim 66, which further includes moding a gas turbine engine between a first operating condition, to a standby operating condition, and to a second operating condition, wherein the allocating occurs during at least one of the standby operating condition or the second operating condition.

71. The method of claim 66, wherein the internal gas path component includes one of a spool shaft and a combustor.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the allocating includes providing heat to an air flow of the combustor.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the providing includes energizing one of a resistive heating element, radiation heating element, or a plasma heating.

74. The method of claim 66, wherein the allocating includes powering a motor that supplies energy to the spool shaft, the generating including energizing a generator.

75. The method of claim 66, which further includes accommodating a change in fuel flow rate to a combustor of a gas turbine engine when the internal gas path component receives power, the accommodating including reducing the fuel flow rate relative to a fuel flow rate of the gas turbine engine if power were not provided to the internal gas path component.

76. The method of claim 66, wherein the external primary load is a directed energy weapon, and which further includes discharging the directed energy weapon.