Gas turbine engine power unit

• US 5,182,904 A
• Filed: 11/14/1991
• Issued: 02/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Business Ventures Limited (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Business Ventures Limited (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Coplin, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casaregola, Louis J.
• Application Number:
  US07/791,404
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 60/39.161, 60/39.511, 137/625.46, 137/625.47, 251/309, 251/310
• US Class Current: 60/791
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/36 Open cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/08 Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases

Abstract

A gas turbine engine power unit (10) comprises a gas generator (11) having a valve (21) located at its downstream end. The valve (21) receives the exhaust efflux of the gas generator (11) and directs it either to a plurality of turbochargers (32) to boost the output power of the unit (10) or to a plurality of heat exchangers (39) to provide regeneration of the unit (10). The valve (21) comprises a rotary portion (20) which rotates within a static portion (28) to provide alignment of apertures within both portions (20,28) to facilitate the direction of the gas generator (11) exhaust efflux.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine power unit comprising a gas generator, a plurality of heat exchangers to facilitate recuperative operation of said gas generator, a plurality of turbo-chargers adapted to boost the air supply to said gas generator, and a valve to receive the exhaust efflux of said gas generator and to direct said efflux to one of said heat exchangers and said turbochargers to drive said turbochargers, said valve comprising two circular cross-section ducts arranged coaxially with radially abutting faces, each of said radially abutting faces having apertures therein, said ducts being relatively movable between a first position in which said apertures are so aligned as to permit the passage of said exhaust efflux only to said heat exchangers, and a second position in which said apertures are so aligned as to permit the passage of said exhaust efflux only to said turbochargers to drive said turbochargers, said heat exchangers and turbochargers being located around the periphery of said power unit in circumferentially alternating relationship.

2. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein said valve ducts are relatively rotatable.

3. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein said valve comprises a rotary portion and a static portion, said rotary portion being mounted for rotation on the downstream end of said gas generator.

4. A gas turbine engine power unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein said valve rotary portion is mounted coaxially with the longitudinal axis of said gas generator.

5. A gas turbine engine power unit comprising a gas generator, at least one heat exchanger to facilitate recuperative operation of said gas generator, at least one turbocharger adapted to boost the air supply to said gas generator, and a valve to receive the exhaust efflux of said gas generator and to direct said efflux to one of said at least one heat exchanger and said at least one turbocharger to drive said turbocharger, said valve comprising a rotary portion and a static portion, said rotary portion being mounted for rotation on the downstream end of said gas generator coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said gas generator, said valve further comprising two circular cross-section ducts arranged coaxially with radially abutting faces, each of said radially abutting faces having apertures therein, said ducts being relatively rotatable between a first position in which said apertures are so aligned as to permit the passage of said exhaust efflux only to said at least one heat exchanger, and a second position in which said apertures are so aligned as to permit the passage of said exhaust efflux only to said at least one turbocharger to drive said turbocharger.