Gas turbine engine power unit

• US 5,119,624 A
• Filed: 05/07/1990
• Issued: 06/09/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Business Ventures Limited
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Business Ventures Limited
• Inventors: McKenna, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOCHAROV, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/519,575
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 60/39.511, 60/39.161, 60/39.36, 60/39.163, 60/39.33, 60/39.15, 60/224, 60/225, 60/266, 60/269, 60/268
• US Class Current: 60/39.511
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/103 the compressor being of the centrifugal type
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/12 Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/20 Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for driving vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/08 Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/16 Control of working fluid flow F02C9/48 takes precedence; control of air-intake flow F02C7/057
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A gas turbine engine power unit (10) comprising a gas turbine engine hot gas generator (10a), the exhaust efflux of which drives a turbine (20) having a power output shaft (22). The exhaust efflux from the turbine (20) is directed into a chamber (23) having two outlets (24,25) to atmosphere. The outlets (24,25) are provided with valves (26,28) which are operable to ensure that only one outlet (24,25) is open at a given time. The first outlet (24) contains a heat exchanger (15) whereas the second outlet (25) contains a further turbine (30). The further turbine (30) drives an air compressor (32) the output of which is directed to an air inlet (36) of the gas turbine engine (10a) in order to facilitate a boost in its output power.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine power unit comprising a gas turbine engine hot gas generator which includes combustion equipment, an air compressor having two air inlets, a first turbine and a second turbine driven in operation by the exhaust efflux of said gas turbine engine hot gas generator and a power output shaft arranged to be driven by said second turbine, a chamber into which the exhaust efflux from said second turbine is directed, said chamber having two exhaust efflux outlets to atmosphere, valve means being provided in each of said outlets which valve means are controllable to provide that said exhaust efflux flows to atmosphere via only one of said outlets at a given time, and a heat exchanger, the first of said outlets directing said exhaust efflux to atmosphere via said heat exchanger which is arranged to place said exhaust efflux in heat exchange relationship with air exhausted from the compressor of said gas turbine engine hot gas generator prior to that air being directed to said combustion equipment thereof, said gas turbine engine power unit additionally being provided with a third power turbine and a further air compressor, the second of said outlets directing said exhaust efflux to atmosphere said third power turbine which is arranged to drive said further air compressor, the output of which further air compressor is directed through duct means to one of said air inlets of said gas turbine engine compressor, valve means being provided in the other of said air inlets, said other of said air inlets being open to atmosphere, said valve means being arranged to close said other of said inlets to atmosphere only when air is supplied through said duct means from said further air compressor.

2. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rotational axes of said gas turbine engine hot gas generator and said third turbine are coaxial.

3. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rotational axes of said gas turbine engine hot gas generator and said second power turbine are coaxial.

4. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein said air compressor and said further air compressor are situated at opposite ends of said gas turbine engine power unit.

5. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein said power output shaft extends from at least one of the axial extents of said unit.

6. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein additional combustion equipment is interposed between said second and third turbines.

7. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rotational axes of said gas turbine engine hot gas generator and said third turbine are parallel.

8. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said valve means for said exhaust efflux outlets comprises a plurality of pivotally mounted vanes, said vanes being pivotable from a first position in which they permit the flow of said exhaust efflux thereover to a second position in which they block the flow of said exhaust efflux thereover.

9. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said vanes are pivotable about their longitudinal axes.

10. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the plurality of vanes located in the second of said outlets are so aerodynamically configured as to constitute variable angle inlet guide vanes for said third turbine.

11. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air compressor is of the centrifugal flow type and said further air compressor is of the axial flow type.

12. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an additional combustion equipment provided at a downstream end of said chamber.

13. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed is claim 1, wherein said second turbine contra-rotation with respect to said first turbine.