Turbine blade coolant distributor

Claim 2

In a gas turbine engine having a gas generator including a turbine nozzle having an outer shroud and an inner shroud with a row of vanes connected therebetween for directing gas flow through turbine blades on a rotor wherein the gas flow is confined at the outer diameter of the rotor by a fixed rotor shroud ring connected to the outer shroud of the nozzle for free radial expansion with respect thereto the improvement comprising: means defining an air chamber, means for directing cooling air into said chamber, a nozzle box located in said air chamber having an inlet adapted to be connected to a combustion chamber outlet and having inner and outer walls thereof forming an annular outlet located coaxially of the inlet of the turbine nozzle, said annular outlet including a continuous ring thereon located axially forwardly of said outlet and having an extension thereon directed axially rearwardly of said outlet and located radially outwardly of the outer shroud of the turbine nozzle to define an annular slot directed axially of said outlet to a point adjacent the front edge of the outer shroud at the inner surface thereof, a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings in said ring in communication with said air chamber located axially forwardly of said outlet, said outer wall of said annular outlet overlying said openings to direct flow from said chamber through said slot to direct cooling air across the inner surface of said outer shroud for cooling the radial outermost tips of turbine blades and the exposed surface of the rotor shroud ring to maintain a predetermined clearance therebetween.

Claim 3

A turbine drive for a gas generator for use in a gas turbine engine comprising: a turbine including a shaft adapted to be connected to a compressor, a scroll-shaped nozzle box having an inlet adapted to be connected to combustion apparatus in a gas turbine engine and including an inner wall and an outer wall thereon defining an annular outlet located coaxially of said turbine shaft, a turbine nozzle having an inner shroud and an outer shroud with a plurality of vanes connected therebetween, said turbine nozzle including an inlet end thereof located axially of said annular outlet and including an outlet end, said turbine including a wheel having a radially outer rim thereon with a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly thereof, a continuous rotor shroud ring located radially outwardly of the tips of each of said blades, means for securing said rotor shroud ring on said outer shroud of said turbine nozzle against rotation with respect thereto and for axial movement relative theretO, said shroud ring having an inner surface thereon in close spaced relationship to the outer tips of said turbine blades, a gas-tight ring having one end thereof connected to said outer wall of said nozzle box continuously circumferentially around said annular outlet therefrom, said gas-tight ring having an axial extension thereon radially overlying the outer shroud of said nozzle, a plurality of openings in said gas-tight ring located radially outwardly of the outer wall of said annular outlet, said outer wall and said gas-tight ring thereby defining a smooth path for flow from said openings to the inlet of said nozzle, and housing means defining an air chamber in communication with a source of cooling air and in communication with said openings for directing cooling air therethrough to be directed thereby through said nozzle inlet across the inner surface of said upper shroud and the inner surface of said shroud ring for cooling the tips of said turbine blades and the inner surface of said shroud ring for controlling clearance therebetween.

Claim 4

A turbine drive for a gas generator for use in a gas turbine engine comprising: a turbine including a shaft adapted to be connected to a compressor, a scroll-shaped nozzle box having an inlet adapted to be connected to combustion apparatus in a gas turbine engine and including an inner wall and an outer wall thereon defining an annular outlet located coaxially of said turbine shaft, a turbine nozzle having an inner shroud and an outer shroud with a plurality of vanes connected therebetween, said turbine nozzle including an inlet end thereof located axially of said annular outlet and including an outlet end, said turbine including a wheel having a radially outer rim thereon with a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly thereof, a continuous rotor shroud ring located radially outwardly of the tips of each of said blades, means for securing said rotor shroud ring on said outer shroud of said turbine nozzle against rotation with respect thereto and for axial movement relative theretO, said shroud ring having an inner surface thereon in close spaced relationship to the outer tips of said turbine blades, a gas-tight ring having one end thereof connected to said outer wall of said nozzle box continuously circumferentially around said annular outlet therefrom, said gas-tight ring having an axial extension thereon radially overlying the outer shroud of said nozzle, a plurality of openings in said gas-tight ring located radially outwardly of the outer wall of said annular outlet, said outer wall and said gas-tight ring thereby defining a smooth path for flow from said openings to the inlet of said nozzle, and housing means defining an air chamber in communication with a source of cooling air and in communication with said openings for directing cooling air therethrough to be directed thereby through said nozzle inlet across the inner surface of said upper shroud and the inner surface of said shroud ring for cooling the tips of said turbine blades and the inner surface of said shroud ring for controlling clearance therebetween.

Claim 5

In a gas turbine engine of the type including a compressor, a regenerator, and a turbine coupled to the compressor, these parts connected for flow of compressed gas from the compressor through the regenerator the improvement comprising: a turbine nozzle having an inner shroud and an outer shroud and a plurality of vanes connected therethrough defining a flow path for gas therethrough, a turbine wheel with radial blades thereon, a turbine rotor shroud ring located axially downstream of the outlet from said nozzle radially outwardly of said wheel, means for connecting said shroud ring to said outer shroud of said turbine nozzle against rotation with respect thereto and for free radial movement relative thereto, a scroll having an inlet adapted to be connected to the outlet of combustion apparatus and an inner wall and outer wall forming a continuous annular outlet from said scroll axially located with respect to the inlet of said turbine nozzle, said inner wall member forming an axial opening through said scroll, a tubular support member extending through said axial opening and having an inboard end thereon fixed to the inner wall to flexibly cantilever said scroll with respect to said tubular support member, means defining an air chamber to receive cooling air from the regenerator, a gas-tight ring connected to the outer wall of said scroll forwardly of said scroll outlet, said gas-tight ring having a first portion thereof spaced with respect to said outer wall and a second portion thereon extending axially outwardly of said scroll outlet into radial overlying relationship with the outer shroud of said nozzle to form an annular slot defining a smooth flow path to the inlet thereof adjacent the inner surface of the outer shroud, a plurality of openings in said gas-tight ring located circumferentially therearound for communicating said chamber with the annular slot to define a flow path for cooling air to the inlet edge of said turbine nozzle, said cooling air flowing across the inner surface of the outer shroud of said turbine nozzle and the inner surface of said shroud ring for cooling the outer tips of the turbine blades to maintain a predetermined clearance between the turbine blades and said turbine rotor shroud ring during passage of hot gas from aid scroll outlet through said turbine nozzle and said turbine wheel.

Claim 6

In a gas turbine engine of the type including a compressor, a regenerator, and a turbine coupled to the compressor, these parts connected for flow of compressed gas from the compressor through the regenerator the improvement comprising: a turbine nozzle having an inner shroud and an outer shroud and a plurality of vanes connected therethrough defining a flow path for gas therethrough, a turbine wheel with radial blades thereon, a turbine rotor shroud ring located axially downstream of the outlet from said nozzle radially outwardly of said wheel, means for connecting said shroud ring to said outer shroud of said turbine nozzle against rotation with respect thereto and for free radial movement relative thereto, a scroll having an inlet adapted to be connected to the outlet of combustion apparatus and an inner wall and outer wall forming a continuous annular outlet from said scroll axially located with respect to the inlet of said turbine nozzle, said inner wall member forming an axial opening through said scroll, a tubular support member extending through said axial opening and having an inboard end thereon fixed to the inner wall to flexibly cantilever said scroll with respect to said tubular support member, means defining an air chamber to receive cooling air from the regenerator, a gas-tight ring connected to the outer wall of said scroll forwardly of said scroll outlet, said gas-tight ring having a first portion thereof spaced with respect to said outer wall and a second portion thereon extending axially outwardly of said scroll outlet into radial overlying relationship with the outer shroud of said nozzle to form an annular slot defining a smooth flow path to the inlet thereof adjacent the inner surface of the outer shroud, a plurality of openings in said gas-tight ring located circumferentially therearound for communicating said chamber with the annular slot to define a flow path for cooling air to the inlet edge of said turbine nozzle, said cooling air flowing across the inner surface of the outer shroud of said turbine nozzle and the inner surface of said shroud ring for cooling the outer tips of the turbine blades to maintain a predetermined clearance between the turbine blades and said turbine rotor shroud ring during passage of hot gas from aid scroll outlet through said turbine nozzle and said turbine wheel.

Claim 7

A turbine drive for a gas generator for use in a gas turbine engine comprising: a turbine including a shaft adapted to be connected to a compressor, a nozzle box scroll having an inlet adapted to be connected to the outlet of combustion apparatus in a gas turbine engine and including an outlet having an inner wall thereon and an outer wall thereon defining an annular outlet from said scroll located concentrically of said turbine shaft, a turbine nozzle having an inner shroud and an outer shroud with a plurality of vanes connected therebetween, said turbine nozzle including an inlet end thereof located axially of said annular outlet and including an outlet end thereon, said turbine including a wheel having a radially outer rim thereon with a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly thereof, a continuous turbine shroud ring located radially outwardly of the tips of each of said blades, means for securing said shroud ring on said outer shroud of said turbine nozzle against rotation with respect thereto and for axial movement relative thereto, said turbine shroud ring having an inner surface thereon in close spaced relationship to the outer tips of said blades, a gas-tight ring having one end thereof connected to said outer wall of said scroll continuously circumferentially around said outlet therefrom, said gas-tight ring having an axial extension thereon radially overlying the outer shroud of said nozzle, a plurality of openings in said gas-tight ring located radially outwardly of the outer wall at the outlet from said scroll, said outer wall of said scroll outlet and said gas-tight ring defining a flow directing slot for flow from said openings to the inlet of said nozzle, means defining a chamber to receive cooling air under pressure, said chamber being in communication with a first plurality of said openings for directing cooling air therethrough to be directed through said nozzle inlet across the inner surface of said upper shroud and the inner surface of said shroud ring and the tips of said rotor blades, means forming a passage adapted to be connected to the discharge of an air compressor in a gas turbine engine, manifold means for directing said discharge air through a second plurality of said openings, and valve means interposed between said passage and said manifold means operative to control gas flow from the discharge of the compressor into the manifold means for modulating the temperature of the cooling air flow across the flow directing surface into said nozzle and across the outer tips of said turbine blades for maintaining a blade tip temperature to control clearance between the blades and the inner surface of said rotor shroud ring.

Claim 8

A turbine drive for a gas generator for use in a gas turbine engine comprising: a turbine including a shaft adapted to be connected to a compressor, a nozzle box scroll having an inlet adapted to be connected to the outlet of combustion apparatus in a gas turbine engine and including an outlet having an inner wall thereon and an outer wall thereon defining an annular outlet from said scroll located concentrically of said turbine shaft, a turbine nozzle having an inner shroud and an outer shroud with a plurality of vanes connected therebetween, said turbine nozzle including an inlet end thereof located axially of said annular outlet and including an outlet end thereon, said turbine including a wheel having a radially outer rim thereon with a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly thereof, a continuous turbine shroud ring located radially outwardly of the tips of each of said blades, means for securing said shroud ring on said outer shroud of said turbine nozzle against rotation with respect thereto and for axial movement relative thereto, said turbine shroud ring having an inner surface thereon in close spaced relationship to the outer tips of said blades, a gas-tight ring having one end thereof connected to said outer wall of said scroll continuously circumferentially around said outlet therefrom, said gas-tight ring having an axial extension thereon radially overlying the outer shroud of said nozzle, a plurality of openings in said gas-tight ring located radially outwardly of the outer wall at the outlet from said scroll, said outer wall of said scroll outlet and said gas-tight ring defining a flow directing slot for flow from said openings to the inlet of said nozzle, means defining a chamber to receive cooling air under pressure, said chamber being in communication with a first plurality of said openings for directing cooling air therethrough to be directed through said nozzle inlet across the inner surface of said upper shroud and the inner surface of said shroud ring and the tips of said rotor blades, means forming a passage adapted to be connected to the discharge of an air compressor in a gas turbine engine, manifold means for directing said discharge air through a second plurality of said openings, and valve means interposed between said passage and said manifold means operative to control gas flow from the discharge of the compressor into the manifold means for modulating the temperature of the cooling air flow across the flow directing surface into said nozzle and across the outer tips of said turbine blades for maintaining a blade tip temperature to control clearance between the blades and the inner surface of said rotor shroud ring.