Patent Application
20100290891
The present application relates generally to gas turbine engines and more particularly relates through cooling hot engine components via airflow through seal components.
A portion of the airflow through a turbine engine may be diverted and used for cooling purposes. The overall efficiency of the turbine engine, however, is decreased by the amount of air that is diverted for cooling purposes as opposed to being used for combustion. The less airflow diverted for cooling purposes or other types of parasitic airflows, the better the efficiency and operation of the gas turbine engine as a whole.
By way of example, a retainer ring positioned about a stage one nozzle outer base and a stage one shroud may be cooled by a compressor discharge airflow. The retainer ring may include a number of circumferential grooves and radial slots therein. The retainer ring may be cooled with a cooling flow from the core airflow. Circumferential cooling of the retaining ring, however, may cause a circumferential temperature gradient therein. Moreover, machining the grooves in the retaining ring requires machining time and labor costs.
There is thus a desire for improved systems and methods for component cooling that involves less airflow while increasing overall system efficiency. The systems and methods preferably also allow the use of less complicated and costly components
The present application thus provides for a turbine component cooling system. The component cooling system may include a turbine component, an airflow passing adjacent to the turbine component, and a seal positioned adjacent to the turbine component. The seal may include a number of apertures so as to allow the airflow to pass therethrough.
The present application further provides for a turbine component cooling system. The component cooling system may include a turbine component, an airflow passing adjacent to the turbine component, and a W-seal positioned adjacent to the turbine component. The W-seal may include a number of apertures so as to allow the airflow to pass therethrough.
The present application further provides for a turbine component cooling system. The component cooling system may include a stage one nozzle outer base, a retaining ring positioned adjacent to the a stage one nozzle outer base, a stage one shroud positioned adjacent to the retaining ring, an airflow passing adjacent to the retaining ring along an air sealing plate, and a seal positioned between the air sealing plate and the stage one shroud. The seal may include a number of apertures so as to allow the airflow to pass therethrough.
These and other features of the present application will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numbers refer to like elements throughout the several views,
The W-seal 240 may be made out of Inconel 718 or similar types of materials. (Inconel 718 is a nickel chromium alloy made precipitation hardenable by additions of aluminum and titanium and having creep rupture strength at high temperatures to about 1290 degrees Fahrenheit (about 700 degrees Celsius)). Inconel is a trademark of Huntington Alloys Corporation of Huntington, W.V. Other types or combinations of materials may be used herein. The Inconel material may have a thickness of about 0.01 inches (about 0.254 millimeters).
The airflow 255 through the W-seal 240 may be about 0.215% W25. The use of the W-seals 240 may provide more uniform cooling of the retaining ring 225. Material and labor costs in producing circumferential grooves 190 also are eliminated. Likewise, eliminating the circumferential grooves 190 makes the retaining ring 225 structurally stronger. The W-seal 240 thus both meters the cooling airflow 255 therethrough while acting as the seal between the retaining ring 145 and the stage one shroud 160. The W-seals 240 described herein further may be used anywhere a cooling flow may be required. Other types of seals and other types of turbine components 220 may be used with the component cooling system 210 described herein.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
