TURBINE ENGINE SHUTDOWN TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM WITH NOZZLE INJECTION FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE
First Claim
1. A turbine engine shutdown temperature control system, comprising:
- a turbine blade assembly having a plurality of rows of turbine blades extending radially outward from a turbine rotor;
an outer casing surrounding the turbine blade assembly having a plurality of inspection orifices in the outer casing above a horizontal axis defining an upper half of the outer casing, wherein the outer casing partially defines at least one cavity; and
at least one nozzle positioned in the outer casing and positioned radially outward from the turbine blade assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A turbine engine shutdown temperature control system configured to limit thermal gradients from being created within an outer casing surrounding a turbine blade assembly during shutdown of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. By reducing thermal gradients caused by hot air buoyancy within the mid-region cavities in the outer casing, arched and sway-back bending of the outer casing is prevented, thereby reducing the likelihood of blade tip rub, and potential blade damage, during a warm restart of the gas turbine engine. The turbine engine shutdown temperature control system may operate during the shutdown process where the rotor is still powered by combustion gases or during turning gear system operation after shutdown of the gas turbine engine, or both, to allow the outer casing to uniformly, from top to bottom, cool down.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A turbine engine shutdown temperature control system, comprising:
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a turbine blade assembly having a plurality of rows of turbine blades extending radially outward from a turbine rotor; an outer casing surrounding the turbine blade assembly having a plurality of inspection orifices in the outer casing above a horizontal axis defining an upper half of the outer casing, wherein the outer casing partially defines at least one cavity; and at least one nozzle positioned in the outer casing and positioned radially outward from the turbine blade assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of controlling the temperature of cavity within a gas turbine engine during shutdown of the engine using turbine engine shutdown temperature control system, comprising:
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after shutdown of a gas turbine engine has commenced, emitting a fluid from at least one nozzle positioned in the outer casing and positioned radially outward from a turbine blade assembly having a plurality of rows of turbine blades extending radially outward from a turbine rotor; wherein the at least one nozzle is positioned in an outer casing surrounding the turbine blade assembly having a plurality of inspection orifices in the outer casing above a horizontal axis defining an upper half of the outer casing, wherein the outer casing partially defines at least one cavity into which the fluid is emitted from the at least one nozzle. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A turbine engine shutdown temperature control system, comprising:
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a turbine blade assembly having a plurality of rows of turbine blades extending radially outward from a turbine rotor; an outer casing surrounding the turbine blade assembly having a plurality of inspection orifices in the outer casing above a horizontal axis defining an upper half of the outer casing, wherein the outer casing partially defines at least one mid-row region cavity; at least one nozzle positioned in the outer casing and positioned radially outward from a mid-row region of a turbine blade assembly, wherein the mid-row region is positioned downstream from a leading row region and upstream from a downstream row region; wherein the at least one nozzle is offset circumferentially from top dead center of the outer casing such that the at least one nozzle is positioned between 45degrees and 75 degrees from top dead center of the outer casing; wherein the at least one nozzle is positioned such that fluid exhausted from the at least one nozzle impinges on an inner surface of the outer casing; wherein the at least one nozzle has a spray pattern less than a width of the at least one mid-row region cavity; and wherein the at least one nozzle is positioned such that fluid exhausted from the at least one nozzle creates a circumferential flow of fluid within the mid-row region cavity in the outer casing.
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Specification