Claims
- 1. For a gas turbine engine comprising a turbine rear frame having a hub for rotatably supporting a shaft and a balance piston fixedly joined to said shaft, a method comprising:
- channeling a fluid first to said balance piston for balancing thrust force on said shaft by generating a thrust balance force on said shaft; and
- channeling said fluid used firstly for said thrust balancing step to said rear frame for heating said frame hub.
- 2. A thrust balancing and frame heating method according to claim 1 further including:
- providing said fluid to said balance piston at a first temperature and a first pressure as a balancing fluid;
- accelerating said balancing fluid between said balance piston and said hub for obtaining a heating fluid; and
- channeling said heating fluid through said hub for heating said hub.
- 3. A thrust balancing and frame heating method according to claim 2 wherein said accelerating step comprises reducing pressure of said balancing fluid to a second pressure less than said first pressure and forming a jet of said heating fluid.
- 4. A thrust balancing and frame heating method according to claim 3 wherein said accelerating step further comprises swirling said heating fluid.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 07/590,730, filed Oct. 1, 1990.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
590730 |
Oct 1990 |
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