Patent Application
20230111022
The present disclosure generally relates to engines, and more particularly relates to a diffuser and deswirl system that includes an integrally formed tangential on-board injector for an engine, such as a gas turbine engine.
Engines may be employed to provide power to various devices. For example, a gas turbine engine may be employed as an auxiliary power unit to provide power to a mobile platform, such as an aircraft, tank, etc. In certain examples, gas turbine engines may include a centrifugal compressor, which may raise a velocity and pressure of a fluid, such as air, prior to the fluid reaching a combustion chamber. In these examples, a diffuser may be employed to reduce a velocity of the fluid prior to the fluid reaching the combustion chamber. In addition, a deswirl may be positioned downstream of the diffuser to reduce a tangential velocity associated with the air prior to the air reaching the combustion chamber. In certain instances, the diffuser may be mechanically coupled to a tangential on-board injector that provides cooling air to a turbine associated with the gas turbine engine.
Typically, the diffuser and the deswirl have a complex geometry and a large number of parts, which results in increased cost and manufacturing complexity. In addition, due to the complex geometry, the diffuser may have limited line-of-sight during assembly, which further increases manufacturing complexity. Further, the coupling of the diffuser to the tangential on-board injector requires numerous mechanical fasteners, which increases a weight and an installation complexity for the diffuser and tangential on-board injector.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a diffuser and deswirl system for an engine, such as a gas turbine engine, which reduces manufacturing complexity and cost. It is also desirable to provide a diffuser and deswirl system that includes a tangential on-board injector, which is integrally formed with a portion of the diffuser and deswirl system. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.
According to various embodiments, provided is a diffuser and deswirl system associated with an engine. The diffuser and deswirl system includes a throat ring defining a plurality of passages spaced apart about a perimeter of the throat ring, a plurality of pockets and a support flange. Each passage of the plurality of passages is configured to receive a working fluid and each pocket of the plurality of pockets is defined about a portion of a respective passage of the plurality of passages. The diffuser and deswirl system includes a plurality of conduits, with each conduit including a first conduit end and a second conduit end opposite the first conduit end. The first conduit end of each conduit is received within and coupled to the pocket of a respective one of the plurality of passages to receive the working fluid, and each conduit includes a mating feature defined between the first conduit end and the second conduit end coupled to the support flange.
The support flange further comprises a plurality of support ribs that extend radially outward from the support flange for coupling to the mating feature of each conduit. The plurality of support ribs are arranged in pairs of support ribs about the perimeter of the throat ring, with each support rib of the pairs of support ribs interconnected with a bridge, and the mating feature of each conduit is coupled to the bridge. The mating feature is a protrusion that extends above a surface of each conduit, and a base of the protrusion is coupled to the bridge. The diffuser and deswirl system includes at least one coupling flange integrally formed with at least one of the plurality of support ribs. The first conduit end of each conduit extends along a first axis that is coaxial with the respective one of the plurality of passages, and the second conduit end extends along a second axis, which is different than the first axis. Each passage of the plurality of passages is defined at an acute angle relative to the throat ring. The throat ring includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and the support flange extends radially from the first side. The first conduit end of each conduit includes a conduit coupling portion about a terminal end that is received within the pocket of the respective one of the plurality of passages. The diffuser and deswirl system includes a tangential on-board injector integrally formed with the throat ring. Each passage includes a passage inlet opposite a passage outlet, and each pocket of the plurality of pockets is defined about a respective passage outlet. Each pocket of the plurality of pockets is defined about the portion of the respective passage to define a mating surface to stop an advancement of the first conduit end of the respective conduit within the respective passage. Each pocket of the plurality of pockets includes a pocket flange that partially surrounds the first conduit end. The plurality of pockets are defined about the perimeter of the throat ring such that a volume is defined between adjacent pockets of the plurality of pockets. Each pocket of the plurality of pockets is partially recessed into the throat ring such that the first conduit end is received within the throat ring.
Also provided is a diffuser and deswirl system associated with an engine. The diffuser and deswirl system includes a throat ring defining a plurality of passages spaced apart about a perimeter of the throat ring, a plurality of pockets and a support flange. Each passage of the plurality of passages is configured to receive a working fluid, and each pocket of the plurality of pockets is defined about a portion of a respective passage of the plurality of passages and recessed at least partially into the throat ring. Each pocket of the plurality of pockets includes a pocket flange. The diffuser and deswirl system includes a plurality of conduits, with each conduit including a first conduit end and a second conduit end opposite the first conduit end. The first conduit end of each conduit is received within and coupled to the pocket of a respective one of the plurality of passages to receive the working fluid. The pocket flange at least partially surrounds the first conduit end, and each conduit including a protrusion defined between the first conduit end and the second conduit end that extends outwardly and is coupled to the support flange.
The support flange further comprises a plurality of support ribs that extend radially outward from the support flange for coupling to the protrusion of each conduit. The plurality of support ribs are arranged in pairs of support ribs about the perimeter of the throat ring, with each support rib of the pairs of support ribs interconnected with a bridge, and the protrusion of each conduit is coupled to the bridge. The throat ring includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the support flange extends radially from the first side and a tangential on-board injector is integrally formed with the second side of the throat ring. The first conduit end of each conduit includes a conduit coupling portion about a terminal end that is received within the pocket of the respective one of the plurality of passages and a collar that defines a notch that receives the respective pocket flange. Each pocket of the plurality of pockets is defined about the portion of the respective passage to define a mating surface to stop an advancement of the first conduit end of the respective conduit within the respective passage.
The exemplary embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the application and uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with any type of engine that would benefit from a diffuser and deswirl system with an integral tangential on-board injector, and the use of the diffuser and deswirl system and tangential on-board injector with a gas turbine engine described herein is merely one exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure. In addition, while the diffuser and deswirl system and tangential on-board injector are described herein as being used with a gas turbine engine onboard a mobile platform, such as a bus, motorcycle, train, motor vehicle, marine vessel, aircraft, rotorcraft and the like, the various teachings of the present disclosure can be used with a gas turbine engine on a stationary platform. Further, it should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in an embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, while the figures shown herein depict an example with certain arrangements of elements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an actual embodiment. It should also be understood that the drawings are merely illustrative and may not be drawn to scale.
As used herein, the term “axial” refers to a direction that is generally parallel to or coincident with an axis of rotation, axis of symmetry, or centerline of a component or components. For example, in a cylinder or disc with a centerline and generally circular ends or opposing faces, the “axial” direction may refer to the direction that generally extends in parallel to the centerline between the opposite ends or faces. In certain instances, the term “axial” may be utilized with respect to components that are not cylindrical (or otherwise radially symmetric). For example, the “axial” direction for a rectangular housing containing a rotating shaft may be viewed as a direction that is generally parallel to or coincident with the rotational axis of the shaft. Furthermore, the term “radially” as used herein may refer to a direction or a relationship of components with respect to a line extending outward from a shared centerline, axis, or similar reference, for example in a plane of a cylinder or disc that is perpendicular to the centerline or axis. In certain instances, components may be viewed as “radially” aligned even though one or both of the components may not be cylindrical (or otherwise radially symmetric). Furthermore, the terms “axial” and “radial” (and any derivatives) may encompass directional relationships that are other than precisely aligned with (e.g., oblique to) the true axial and radial dimensions, provided the relationship is predominantly in the respective nominal axial or radial direction.
With reference to
It should be noted that while the diffuser and deswirl system 200 is illustrated and described herein as being used with the gas turbine engine 100, which can be included with an auxiliary power unit, the diffuser and deswirl system 200 can be employed with various types of engines, including, but not limited to, turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft, and turbojet engines, whether deployed onboard an aircraft, watercraft, or ground vehicle (e.g., a tank), included within industrial power generators, or utilized within another platform or application. In this example, the gas turbine engine 100 is employed within an aircraft 99.
In the example shown in
The combustion section 112 includes the combustion chamber 118. The compressed air from the diffuser and deswirl system 200 is mixed with fuel and ignited to produce combustive gases in the combustion chamber 118. The combustive gases are directed from the combustion chamber 118 to the turbine section 110. The turbine section 110 includes at least one radial turbine 120, which is mounted to an opposing, aft end of the tie-shaft 106 as the turbine for the gas turbine engine 100. The turbine section 110 also includes a turbine nozzle 124, which is in fluid communication with the combustion section 112 to receive combustion gases from the combustion chamber 118. The turbine nozzle 124 directs the combustion gases through the radial turbine 120. In addition, in this example, the turbine section 110 includes the tangential on-board injector 202. The tangential on-board injector 202 provides cooling fluid to the at least one radial turbine 120 of the turbine section 110.
The combustion gases drive rotation of the radial turbine 120, which drives further rotation of the tie-shaft 106 and the compressors 114. The rotation of the rotating group provides power output, which may be utilized in a variety of different manners, depending upon whether the gas turbine engine 100 assumes the form of a turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft, turbojet engine, or an auxiliary power unit, to list but a few examples.
With reference to
The throat ring 210 is in fluid communication with the impeller exit 119 of the compressor section 108, downstream from one of the compressors 114. In this example, the throat ring 210 is positioned radially outboard of a last one of the compressors 114 in the compressor section 108. Stated another way, the throat ring 210 is coupled about the last one of the compressors 114 so as to surround a trailing edge of the last one of the compressors 114 to receive the compressed air. Generally, the throat ring 210 surrounds or circumscribes the last one of the compressors 114 in the compressor section 108 such that the throat ring 210 is downstream of the last one of the compressors 114 and upstream from the combustion chamber 118. The throat ring 210 receives the compressed air from the compressors 114, and cooperates with the conduits 212 to increase static pressure rise while reducing velocity and the tangential velocity of the compressed air prior to delivering the compressed air to the combustion chamber 118. The throat ring 210 is centered about the longitudinal axis 140 of the gas turbine engine 100 and extends along a centerline C (
With reference to
Referring to
The pocket 222 surrounds the passage outlet 228 of the passage 220 and is shaped to correspond to a first conduit end 260 of the conduit 212. The pocket 222 provides a mating feature for coupling the conduit 212 to the throat ring 210. In one example, the pocket 222 extends from above a surface 230 of the outer diameter 210b to the passage outlet 228, and has a substantially oval shape. The pocket 222 has a first pocket end 232 and an opposite second pocket end 234. At the first pocket end 232, the pocket 222 is recessed into the outer diameter 210b such that a first conduit end 260 of the conduit 212 is partially received within the throat ring 210. The pocket 222 has a perimeter 222a at the first pocket end 232 that is different and larger than a perimeter 228a of the passage outlet 228. The difference in the size of the perimeter 222a of the pocket 222 forms a ledge or mating surface 236 about the perimeter 228a of the passage outlet 228. The mating surface 236 provides a stop for the assembly of the conduit 212 within the passage 220. In this regard, the mating surface 236 inhibits further advancement of the first conduit end 260 of the conduit 212 within the passage 220. The perimeter 222a of the pocket 222 is substantially the same from the first pocket end 232 to the second pocket end 234.
The second pocket end 234 includes a pocket flange 238. With refence to
Generally, with reference to
With reference back to
As shown in
The first conduit end 260 includes the collar 270 and a conduit coupling portion 272. The collar 270 is defined so as to be spaced apart from a terminal end 260a of the first conduit end 260. In one example, the collar 270 extends about a perimeter of the first conduit end 260, and has a distance from the terminal end 260a that varies about the perimeter of the first conduit end 260. Generally, the collar 270 is spaced a first distance D1 from the terminal end 260a on the forward side 266, and is spaced a second distance D2 from the terminal end 260a on the aft side, with the second distance D2 different and less than the first distance D1. The difference in the distances D1, D2 enables the first conduit end 260 to be received within the pocket 222. The first conduit end 260 is at least partially received within the throat ring 210 when the first conduit end 260 is coupled to the pocket 222. In this example, the varying distances of the collar 270 about the perimeter of the first conduit end 260 defines a notch 274 at a peak 270a of the collar 270. The notch 274 is shaped to correspond to the pocket flange 238 (
With reference back to
In this example, with reference to
With reference to
In this example, the tangential on-board injector 202 is integrally formed, monolithic or one-piece with the throat ring 210. In one example, the tangential on-board injector 202 is integrally formed with an injector coupling flange 300 defined on the aft side 242 of the throat ring 210. The injector coupling flange 300 extends radially inward from the inner diameter 210a of the throat ring 210. The tangential on-board injector 202 includes a plurality of tangential flow passages 302 and a plurality of coupling bores 304. The plurality of coupling bores 304 receive a respective mechanical fastener for coupling the tangential on-board injector 202 to a structure of the gas turbine engine 100. The tangential flow passages 302 receive bypass flow or bleed air from the compressor section 108, and accelerate the bleed air such that the tangential speed of the bleed air matches or exceeds that of the at least one radial turbine 120 at the radius where the cooling air flow is being introduced. This minimizes aerodynamic losses from the incoming cooling air. Each of the tangential flow passages 302 includes a nozzle inlet 308 (
With reference to
In one example, in order to assemble the diffuser and deswirl system 200, the throat ring 210 is integrally formed with the tangential on-board injector 202, via additive manufacturing, for example. By additively manufacturing the passages 220 of the throat ring 210, additional steps, such as drilling or machining of the passages 220 may be eliminated. Further, by integrally forming the tangential on-board injector 202 with the diffuser and deswirl system 200, mechanical fasteners are eliminated between the tangential on-board injector 202 and the diffuser and deswirl system 200, which reduces cost, complexity, and weight. In other embodiments, the throat ring 210 is formed separate and discrete from the tangential on-board injector 202, and the tangential on-board injector 202 is coupled to the throat ring 210 via welding, for example. The conduits 212 are each formed, via additive manufacturing, for example, which eliminates mechanical fasteners or other assembly steps to couple the first conduit end 260 to the second conduit end 262.
Each of the conduits 212 are inserted into a respective one of the pockets 222 such that the conduit 212 is fluidly coupled to the respective passage 220 of the throat ring 210. Each conduit 212 is inserted into the respective pocket 222 until the terminal end 260a (
A braze alloy is also applied between each bridge 250 and the base 284 of each protrusion 280. The braze joint between the bridge 250 and the protrusion 280 also fixedly couples the conduit 212 to the throat ring 210. In one example, the braze joint is formed with NiBSi-4, however, NICROBRAZ® 130 or AMDRY™ 780 may also be used. In other embodiments, a weld may be formed between the bridge 250 and the protrusion 280 to fixedly couple the conduit 212 to the throat ring 210. The assembly of the throat ring 210, the tangential on-board injector 202 and the conduits 212 may also be heat treated.
With the diffuser and deswirl system 200 assembled, the diffuser and deswirl system 200 and the tangential on-board injector 202 is installed on the gas turbine engine 100. In one example, the spacers 214 (
With the diffuser and deswirl system 200 and the tangential on-board injector 202 installed in the gas turbine engine 100 (
Thus, the diffuser and deswirl system 200, which may include the integrally formed tangential on-board injector 202, reduces manufacturing complexity and cost by reducing a number of mechanical fasteners needed to assemble the diffuser and deswirl system 200 and the tangential on-board injector 202. In addition, as the relatively flexible individual conduits 212 are coupled to the relatively stiffer throat ring 210 without direct attachment between the conduits 212, when exposed to a low engine speed vibration environment, vibration may be reduced as the conduits 212 may move independently of each other. In addition, by providing the throat ring 210 with the pockets 222, the assembly of the conduits 212 is less complex, as the braze or weld joint defined between the conduit 212 and the pocket 222 is easily visually inspected due to the line of sight provided by the separation volume 239.
In this document, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Numerical ordinals such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc. simply denote different singles of a plurality and do not imply any order or sequence unless specifically defined by the claim language. The sequence of the text in any of the claims does not imply that process steps must be performed in a temporal or logical order according to such sequence unless it is specifically defined by the language of the claim. The process steps may be interchanged in any order without departing from the scope of the invention as long as such an interchange does not contradict the claim language and is not logically nonsensical.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.
