US3756020A — Gas turbine engine and cooling system therefor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 279 words

A gas turbine engine having in combination a compressor, a combustion chamber downstream therefrom, means for introducing air and fuel as components which form the main stream flow entering the combustion chamber, means for maintaining combustion in the combustion chamber, at least one stator vane assembly receiving the combustion gases, and at least one turbine rotor bearing turbine blades downstream from the stator assembly and driven by the combustion gas flow, wherein the improvement comprises: a. the stator vanes having internal passages therein with a coolant fluid circulating therethrough, a heat exchanger receiving the coolant fluid and extracting heat therefrom, a pump impelling the coolant fluid through the stator assembly and the heat exchanger, the stator assembly and the heat exchanger and the pump comprising a closed cooling system; b. the turbine rotor and the turbine blades having internal passages therein with a coolant fluid circulating therethrough, a heat exchanger borne by the turbine rotor and rotating therewith and receiving the rotor internal coolant and extracting heat therefrom, the turbine blades and turbine rotor and turbine heat exchanger comprising a closed cooling system wherein the rotary motion of the turbine cooling system pumps the internal coolant therethrough by thermosyphon principle; c. means for directing one of the components which form the main stream flow through the stator heat exchanger and through the rotor heat exchanger to extract heat therefrom; and d. means for directing the heated component after passing through the stator heat exchanger and the rotor heat exchanger into the combustion chamber to take part in the combustion process, whereby the heat energy extracted from the stator vanes and the rotor blades is returned to the energy cycle.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 279 words

A gas turbine engine having in combination a compressor, a combustion chamber downstream therefrom, means for introducing air and fuel as components which form the main stream flow entering the combustion chamber, means for maintaining combustion in the combustion chamber, at least one stator vane assembly receiving the combustion gases, and at least one turbine rotor bearing turbine blades downstream from the stator assembly and driven by the combustion gas flow, wherein the improvement comprises: a. the stator vanes having internal passages therein with a coolant fluid circulating therethrough, a heat exchanger receiving the coolant fluid and extracting heat therefrom, a pump impelling the coolant fluid through the stator assembly and the heat exchanger, the stator assembly and the heat exchanger and the pump comprising a closed cooling system; b. the turbine rotor and the turbine blades having internal passages therein with a coolant fluid circulating therethrough, a heat exchanger borne by the turbine rotor and rotating therewith and receiving the rotor internal coolant and extracting heat therefrom, the turbine blades and turbine rotor and turbine heat exchanger comprising a closed cooling system wherein the rotary motion of the turbine cooling system pumps the internal coolant therethrough by thermosyphon principle; c. means for directing one of the components which form the main stream flow through the stator heat exchanger and through the rotor heat exchanger to extract heat therefrom; and d. means for directing the heated component after passing through the stator heat exchanger and the rotor heat exchanger into the combustion chamber to take part in the combustion process, whereby the heat energy extracted from the stator vanes and the rotor blades is returned to the energy cycle.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

The combination recited in claim 1, wherein the internal coolant fluid of the stator cooling system and the internal coolant fluid of the rotor cooling system are selected from the group consisting of liquid metal, gas, and steam.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

The combination recited in claim 2, wherein the turbine rotor bearing the turbine blades and the turbine heat exchanger is demountable from the engine as a unit without interrupting the closed internal rotor cooling system.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 99 words

The combination recited in claim 3, wherein the rotor has on the upstream face thereof an annular inner manifold and an annular outer manifold concentric therewith, both manifolds communicating with the turbine blade internal passages, the rotor heat exchanger comprising a plurality of U-shaped tubes disposed in an annular tube bundle with their ends communicating respectively with the inner manifold and the outer manifold, means for directing bleed air from the compressor radially outwardly through the tube bundle to extract heat therefrom, and means for directing the heated air after passing through the heat exchanger into the combustion chamber.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 43 words

The combination recited in claim 2, whereIn the stator assembly bearing the stator vanes and the stator heat exchanger and the pump for the stator internal coolant is demountable from the engine as a unit without interrupting the closed internal stator cooling system.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 126 words

The combination recited in claim 5, wherein the stator assembly has a circumferential supporting ring bearing an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold for the stator internal coolant, at least one inlet tube for each vane communicating with the inlet manifold and extending radially inwardly to its vane and communicating with the internal passages thereof, at least one outlet tube for each vane communicating with the outlet manifold and extending radially inwardly to its vane and communicating with the internal passages thereof, said inlet and outlet tubes comprising the stator heat exchanger, means for directing bleed air from the compressor through the stator heat exchanger to extract heat therefrom, and means for directing the heated air after passing through the heat exchanger into the combustion chamber.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 75 words

The combination recited in claim 6, wherein the means for directing air through the stator heat exchanger includes liner baffle means directing the air flow first in a downstream direction through the radially outward portion of the stator heat exchanger, and turning baffle means disposed downstream from the heat exchanger reversing the direction of air flow and then directing the air flow in an upstream direction through the radially inward portion of the heat exchanger.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 67 words

The combination recited in claim 7, wherein the radially inner ends of the stator vanes are attached to a generally annular stiffening ring upstream from the rotor, and the upstream rotor face bears a labyrinth seal member extending therefrom and having annular sealing fins, the inner surface of the stiffening ring surrounding the sealing fins in close juxtaposition thereto and cooperating therewith to form a labyrinth seal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

The combination recited in claim 7, wherein the stator vanes have inner vane shelves and outer vane shelves, and the outer vane shelves bear extending downstream therefrom an annular shroud member surrounding the rotor blade tips in close juxtaposition thereto.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 62 words

The combination recited in claim 9, wherein the turning baffle means directs a portion of the air flow across the outer surface of the shroud member to cool the same, and the shroud member has apertures therein between the stator vanes and the rotor blades through which apertures the shroud cooling air is discharged into the gas stream driving the rotor blades.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 101 words

The combination recited in claim 9, wherein each radially outward vane end has an exit manifold therein communicating with the vane outlet tube, each vane outer shelf has at least one passage therein communicating with the internal vane passages and at least one passage therein communicating with the vane exit manifold, and the shroud member has a plurality of internal passages therein, each shroud passage communicating through the shelf passages of a vane between the internal passages of said vane and the exit manifold of said vane, whereby the internal coolant of the stator cooling system circulates through the rotor shroud.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 101 words

The combination recited in claim 6, wherein the supporting ring of the stator assembly is detachably mounted on the engine shell, a closed loop of tubing external to the engine shell communicates between the stator inlet manifold and the stator outlet manifold, the tubing having a pump attached thereto in cooperative relationship to pump the stator internal coolant, the external tubing loop and the pump comprising part of the closed stator cooling system, and the stator assembly is demountable from the engine as a unit without interrupting the closed stator cooling system by detaching the supporting ring from the engine shell.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-09-03	1977-03-05	1977-09-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-09-03	1981-03-05	1981-09-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-09-03	1985-03-05	1985-09-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Gas turbine engine and cooling system therefor

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