Methods and apparatus for cooling gas turbine engines

• US 7,373,779 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Czachor, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ted
• Application Number:
  US10/968,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 607/96, 607/97, 60/398.3, 607/72, 290/1.B
• US Class Current: 60/772
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/12 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/14 Casings modified therefor double casings F01D25/26
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/12 Cooling of plants of component parts, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. F01D; cooling of engines in general F01P

Abstract

A method for assembling a gas turbine engine assembly that includes mounting a gas turbine engine including an inlet and an exhaust within a module that includes an inlet area, an exhaust area, and an engine area extending therebetween, such that the gas turbine engine is housed within the module, coupling a first deflector within the module engine area such that when cooling air is channeled past the deflector, the deflector induces a substantially helically-shaped cooling air flowpath around a periphery of the gas turbine engine, and coupling an exhaust duct to an outlet of the module exhaust area.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a gas turbine engine assembly, said method comprising:

mounting a gas turbine engine including an inlet and an exhaust within a module that includes an inlet area, an exhaust area, and an engine area extending therebetween, such that the gas turbine engine is housed within the module;

coupling a first deflector within the module engine area and spaced from the gas turbine engine such that when cooling air is channeled past the deflector, the first deflector induces a substantially helically-shaped cooling air flowpath around a periphery of the gas turbine engine, said first deflector is formed with a curved contour that is substantially similar to an external curved contour of the gas turbine engine; and

coupling an exhaust duct to an outlet of the module exhaust area.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising coupling a second deflector within the module such that at least a portion of the cooling air flowing past the first deflector is channeled between the first and second deflectors.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising coupling a first booster fan assembly within the module to facilitate increasing a velocity of the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising coupling a first booster fan assembly within the module such that the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath is channeled a plurality of times around the gas turbine engine.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising coupling a second booster fan assembly in flow communication with the first booster fan assembly, wherein the first booster fan assembly is configured to discharge the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath at a first velocity and the second booster fan assembly is configured to discharge the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath at a second velocity that is greater than the first velocity.

6. A cooling system for a gas turbine engine assembly including a module and a gas turbine engine housed within said module, said cooling system comprising:

a first deflector coupled within said module and spaced from the gas turbine engine, said first deflector is formed with a curved contour that is substantially similar to an external curved contour of the gas turbine engine; and

a first supply fan configured to channel cooling air through said first deflector such that a substantially helically-shaped cooling air flowpath is generated around said gas turbine engine.

7. A cooling system in accordance with claim 6 further comprising a second deflector coupled within said module such that at least a portion of the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath is channeled between said first and second deflectors.

8. A cooling system in accordance with claim 7 wherein at least a portion of said first deflector is coupled adjacent to at least a portion of said second deflector.

9. A cooling system in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a second supply fan configured to channel cooling air through said first deflector.

10. A cooling system in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a first booster fan assembly configured to increase a velocity of the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath.

11. A cooling system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said first booster fan assembly is configured to generate the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath having a velocity sufficient to enable the flowpath to extend around the gas turbine engine a plurality of times.

12. A cooling system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a second booster fan assembly in flow communication with said first booster fan assembly, said first booster fan assembly is configured to discharge the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath at a first velocity, said second booster fan assembly configured to discharge the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath at a second velocity that is greater than the first velocity.

13. A cooling system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said first and second booster fan assemblies are coupled within said module at an angle that has a tangential component relative to a centerline axis of said gas turbine engine.

14. A gas turbine engine assembly comprising:

a module;

a gas turbine engine housed within said module; and

a cooling system for cooling said gas turbine engine comprising;

a first deflector coupled within said module and spaced from the gas turbine engine, said first deflector is formed with a curved contour that is substantially similar to an external curved contour of the gas turbine engine; and

a first supply fan configured to channel cooling air through said first deflector such that a substantially helically-shaped cooling air flowpath is generated around said gas turbine engine.

15. A gas turbine engine assembly in accordance with claim 14 further comprising a second deflector coupled adjacent said first deflector such that at least a portion of the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath is channeled between said first and second deflectors.

16. A gas turbine engine assembly in accordance with claim 14 further comprising a second supply fan configured to channel cooling air through said first deflector such that a substantially helically-shaped cooling air flowpath is generated around said gas turbine engine.

17. A gas turbine engine assembly in accordance with claim 14 further comprising a first booster fan assembly configured to increase a velocity of the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath.

18. A gas turbine engine assembly in accordance with claim 17 wherein said first booster fan assembly is configured generate a helically-shaped cooling air flowpath having a velocity sufficient to enable the flowpath to extend around said gas turbine engine a plurality of times.

19. A gas turbine engine assembly in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a second booster fan assembly in flow communication with said first booster fan assembly, said first booster fan assembly configured to discharge the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath at a first velocity, said second booster fan assembly configured to discharge the helically-shaped cooling air flowpath at a second velocity that is greater than the first velocity.

20. A gas turbine engine assembly in accordance with claim 19 wherein said first and second booster fan assemblies are coupled within said module at an angle that has a tangential component relative to a centerline axis of said gas turbine engine.