Rear hub cooling for high pressure compressor

• US 8,256,229 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Glahn, Jorn A., Munsell, Peter M., Johnson, Steven B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg, Ehud
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUTHERLAND, STEVEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/757,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20110247344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 607/28, 608/06, 607/85, 607/82
• US Class Current: 60/782
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/081 Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades F01D5/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/065 Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/08 the gas being bled from the gas-turbine compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/143 before or between the compressor stages
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/185 Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/321 for axial flow compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5826 Cooling at least part of the working fluid in a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/584 cooling or heating the machine F04D29/5846, F04D29/5853 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/3219 for the last stage of a compressor or a high pressure compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/205 Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after cooling one or more components is the cooling fluid recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/213 by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment, a gas turbine engine includes a turbine and a high pressure compressor. The high pressure compressor includes a last stage having a last stage compressor blade and a last stage vane. The gas turbine engine includes a first flow path through which bleed air flows to the turbine and a second flow path through which air from the last stage of the high pressure compressor flows. The bleed air in the first flow path exchanges heat with a portion of the air in the second flow path in a heat exchanger to cool the air in the second flow path. The cooled air in the second flow path is returned to the high pressure compressor to cool the high pressure compressor.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a high pressure compressor including a last stage having a last stage compressor blade and a last stage vane;

a turbine;

a first flow path, wherein bleed air flows to the turbine through the first flow path, and the first flow path includes a plurality of pipes;

a second flow path, wherein air downstream of the high pressure compressor flows along the second flow path; and

a heat exchanger, wherein the bleed air in the first flow path exchanges heat with the air in the second flow path to cool the air in the second flow path to cooled air, and the cooled air in the second flow path is returned to the high pressure compressor to cool a portion of the high pressure compressor, wherein the heat exchanger is located on each of the plurality of pipes,

wherein a portion of the air enters the heat exchanger through a diffuser case and exits the heat exchanger through a strut, wherein a flow of the portion of the air through the heat exchanger is substantially parallel to the diffuser case.

2. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 wherein the portion of the high pressure compressor includes a rear rim and a rear hub, an outermost portion of a compressor rotor includes the rear rim, and the rear hub is substantially conical and located near the rear rim.

3. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 wherein the turbine includes a mid turbine frame and a low pressure turbine, and the bleed air in the first flow path cools the mid turbine frame and the low pressure turbine.

4. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of pipes are angularly spaced and extend in a circumferential direction.

5. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 wherein the bleed air is bled from an early stage of the high pressure compressor.

6. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 wherein the air downstream of the high pressure compressor is from the diffuser case.

7. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 wherein the air in the second flow path is combined with air in a rim ventilation source bled from the last stage of the high pressure compressor to define a path of combined air that is employed to ventilate and cool a rear hub of the high pressure compressor.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 wherein the portion of the high pressure compressor includes the last stage.

9. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a high pressure compressor including a last stage having a last stage compressor blade and a last stage vane;

a turbine including a mid turbine frame and a low pressure turbine;

a first flow path, wherein bleed air flows to the turbine though the first flow path to cool the mid turbine frame and the low pressure turbine;

a second flow path, wherein air downstream of the high pressure compressor flows along the second flow path; and

a heat exchanger, wherein the bleed air in the first flow path exchanges heat with the air in the second flow path to cool the air in the second flow path to cooled air, and the cooled air in the second flow path is returned to the high pressure compressor to cool a portion of the high pressure compressor,

wherein the air in the second flow path flows directly from downstream of the high pressure compressor to the heat exchanger and then directly from the heat exchanger to the portion of the high pressure compressor,

wherein a portion of the air enters the heat exchanger through a diffuser case and exits the heat exchanger through a strut, and a flow of the portion of the air through the heat exchanger is substantially parallel to the diffuser case.

10. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 wherein the portion of the high pressure compressor includes a rear rim and a rear hub, an outermost portion of a compressor rotor includes the rear rim, and the rear hub is substantially conical and located near the rear rim.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 wherein the bleed air is bled from an early stage of the high pressure compressor.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 wherein the air downstream of the high pressure compressor is from the diffuser case.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 wherein the air in the second flow path is combined with air in a rim ventilation source bled from the last stage of the high pressure compressor to define a path of combined air that is employed to ventilate and cool a rear hub of the high pressure compressor.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 9 wherein the portion of the high pressure compressor includes the last stage.

15. A method of cooling a portion of a high pressure compressor of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising the steps of:

flowing bleed air to a turbine through a first flow path;

directly flowing air from downstream of a high pressure compressor along a second flow path to a heat exchanger, wherein a last stage includes a last stage compressor blade and a last stage vane, wherein a portion of the air enters the heat exchanger through a diffuser case and exits the heat exchanger through a strut, and a flow of the portion of the air through the heat exchanger is substantially parallel to the diffuser case;

exchanging heat between the bleed air in the first flow path and the air in the second flow path in the heat exchanger to cool the air in the second flow path to cooled air; and

directly returning the cooled air in the second path from the heat exchanger to the high pressure compressor to cool a portion of the high pressure compressor.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of flowing the bleed air to a turbine includes flowing the bleed air from an early stage of the high pressure compressor.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of directly flowing the air from downstream of the high pressure compressor includes flowing air from the diffuser case.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of directly returning the cooled air to cool the portion of the high pressure compressor includes returning the cooled air to a rear hub and a rear rim, and an outermost portion of a compressor rotor includes the rear rim, and the rear hub is substantially conical and located near the rear rim.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 including the steps of combining the cooled air with air in a rim ventilation source bled from the last stage of the high pressure compressor to define a path of combined air and employing the path of combined air to ventilate and cool a rear hub of the high pressure compressor.

20. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of directly returning the cooled air in the second path from the heat exchanger to the high pressure compressor includes returning the cooled air to the last stage of the high pressure compressor.