This invention is directed generally to turbine engines, and more particularly to cooling fluid feed systems in rotor assemblies of turbine engines.
Typically, gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for mixing the compressed air with fuel and igniting the mixture, and a turbine blade assembly for producing power. Combustors often operate at high temperatures that may exceed 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Typical turbine combustor configurations expose turbine blade assemblies to these high temperatures. As a result, turbine blades and turbine vanes must be made of materials capable of withstanding such high temperatures. Turbine blades, vanes and other components often contain cooling systems for prolonging the life of these items and reducing the likelihood of failure as a result of excessive temperatures.
Cooling fluids are typically supplied to a turbine rotor from a combustor. The cooling fluids flow from the combustor and into a pre-swirler configured to discharge the cooling fluids at a velocity equal to the velocity of the turbine rotor. Such a system reduces the relative velocity loss and pressure loss entering the rotating hole on the disk of the turbine rotor. While such system enhances the efficiency of the system, a need exists for additional efficiencies to meet demands placed on the turbine engine cooling system.
This invention relates to a turbine rotor formed from a turbine rotor body having at least one inlet orifice in fluid communication with a pre-swirl system such that the inlet orifice receives cooling fluids from the pre-swirl system. The inlet orifice may be configured to reduce the relative velocity loss associated with cooling fluids entering the inlet orifice in the rotor body, thereby availing the cooling system to the efficiencies inherent in pre-swirling the cooling fluids to a velocity that is greater than a rotational velocity of the turbine rotor body. As such, the system is capable of taking advantage of the additional temperature and work benefits associated with using the pre-swirled cooling fluids having a rotational speed greater than the turbine rotor body. In a t least one embodiment, the inlet orifice may include a diffuser ramp for reducing the relative velocity loss associated with cooling fluids entering the inlet orifice in the rotor body. The diffuser ramp may have numerous configurations for reducing the relative velocity loss.
The turbine rotor may be formed from a turbine rotor formed from a turbine rotor body having at least one cooling chamber forming a portion of a cooling system and having a plurality of rows of turbine blades extending radially from the turbine rotor body, wherein the plurality of rows form a plurality of stages of a turbine engine. The turbine rotor body may be rotationally coupled to one or more stationary components of the turbine engine such that during operation, the turbine rotor body is capable of rotating relative to the at least one stationary component. The cooling system may include at least one pre-swirl system configured to increase the velocity of cooling fluids within the cooling system to a speed that is at least equal to a rotational speed of the turbine rotor body. The pre-swirl system may exhaust cooling fluids at a velocity greater than a velocity of the turbine rotor during operation. The cooling system may include at least one inlet orifice in fluid communication with the pre-swirl system such that the inlet orifice receives cooling fluids from the pre-swirl system. The inlet orifice may include a diffuser ramp extending generally along an outer surface of the turbine rotor body such that the diffuser ramp extends from an intersection of the outer surface and the turbine rotor body into the turbine rotor body and terminates at the at least one inlet orifice, wherein a volume of the diffuser ramp increases moving from the intersection to the at least one inlet orifice.
The diffuser ramp of the inlet orifice may have a width at least as wide as a diameter of the inlet orifice. The diffuser ramp may have generally linear sides extending radially from the at least one inlet orifice. The diffuser ramp may have a generally linear bottom surface sloped radially inward to provide for radial diffusion. In another embodiment, the diffuser ramp of the inlet orifice may have generally curved sides extending radially from the inlet orifice to provide for axial diffusion.
At least a portion of the inlet orifice not formed by the diffuser ramp may include a transition section extending radially therefrom a distance greater than an outer diameter of the inlet orifice but less than an outermost extension of the diffuser ramp.
A channel forming the inlet orifice may be generally linear relative to a longitudinal axis of the channel. In another embodiment, the channel forming the inlet orifice may be generally curved relative to a longitudinal axis of the channel such that the channel is aligned with the entering fluid velocity vector. The diffuser ramp may be positioned such that a longitudinal axis of the diffuser ramp may be canted relative to a linear axis of the turbine rotor. In particular, the longitudinal axis of the diffuser ramp may be aligned with a resultant of a relative velocity vector and an axial velocity vector.
The inlet orifice may also include an outlet that includes an outlet diffuser. The outlet diffuser may be symmetrically wider than a channel forming the inlet orifice in a first direction, and the outlet diffuser may be asymmetrical wider than the inlet orifice in a second direction that is generally orthogonal to the first direction, as viewed along an inner surface at the outlet.
An advantage of this invention is that the diffuser ramp is configured to reduce the velocity loss of incoming cooling fluids to the velocity of the turbine rotor at the inlet orifices during turbine engine operation so that the cooling system may use pre-swirling cooling fluids at a velocity faster than the turbine rotor to benefit from a reduction in total relative temperature of the cooling fluid and a reduction in the rotor work required to receive the cooling fluids.
These and other embodiments are described in more detail below.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the presently disclosed invention and, together with the description, disclose the principles of the invention.
As shown in
The turbine rotor 8 may be formed from a turbine rotor body 10 having at least one cooling chamber 20 forming a portion of a cooling system 16 and having a plurality of rows of turbine blades extending radially from the turbine rotor body 10, wherein the plurality of rows form a plurality of stages of a turbine engine. The turbine rotor body 10 may be configured to be rotationally coupled to at least one stationary component of the turbine engine such that during operation, the turbine rotor body 10 is capable of rotating relative to the stationary component 22. In at least one embodiment, the turbine rotor body may be generally cylindrical with turbine blades aligned in rows extending radially therefrom.
The cooling system 16 may also include at least one pre-swirl system 14 configured to increase the velocity of cooling fluids within the cooling system 16 to a speed that is at least equal to a rotational speed of the turbine rotor body 10. In at least one embodiment, the pre-swirl system 14 may be configured to pre-swirling the cooling fluids to a velocity that is greater than a rotational velocity of the turbine rotor body 10, thereby availing the cooling system 16 to the efficiencies inherent in pre-swirling the cooling fluids to a velocity that is greater than a rotational velocity of the turbine rotor body 10. The pre-swirl system 14 may be formed from a plurality of radially extending swirler vanes.
The cooling system 16 may also include at least one inlet orifice 12 in fluid communication with the pre-swirl system 14 such that the inlet orifice 12 receives cooling fluids from the pre-swirl system 14. The pre-swirl system 14 may have any appropriate configuration capable of delivering cooling fluids to the inlet orifice 12 at a velocity equal to or greater than a rotational velocity of the turbine rotor 8 at the inlet orifice 12.
The cooling system 16 may also include one or more inlet orifices 12 positioned in the turbine rotor body 10. The inlet orifices 12 may be positioned adjacent to the pre-swirl system 14 to receive cooling fluids from the pre-swirl system 14. The inlet orifices 12 may be aligned and generally positioned circumferentially forming a ring. The inlet orifices 12 may extend between an outer surface 24 of the turbine rotor body 10 and the cooling chamber 20. The cooling chamber 20 may be formed from one or more chambers, channels or other appropriate members configured to contain and direct cooling fluids.
One or more of the inlet orifices 12 may include a diffuser ramp 18 extending generally along the outer surface 24 of the turbine rotor body 10 such that the diffuser ramp 18 extends from an intersection 26 of the outer surface 24 and the turbine rotor body 10 into the turbine rotor body 10 and terminates at the inlet orifice 12. The volume of the diffuser ramp 18 may increase moving from the intersection 26 to the inlet orifice 12. As shown in
The diffuser ramp 18 of the inlet orifice 12 may have generally linear sides 32 extending radially from the inlet orifice 12. The diffuser ramp 18 of the inlet orifice 12 may have a generally linear bottom surface 34. As such, the diffuser ramp 18 shown in
As shown in
The diffuser ramp 18 on the turbine rotor body 10 may be positioned so as to reduce the relative velocity loss of cooling fluids entering the inlet orifice 12 at the outer surface 24. In one embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
During use, cooling fluids, such as, but not limited to, air, may flow from a compressor and into the pre-swirl system 14. The pre-swirl system 14 may exhaust the cooling fluids at a velocity greater than or equal to a rotational velocity of the turbine rotor 18 at a location of the one or more inlet orifices 12 on the turbine rotor body 10. The cooling fluids may first engage the diffuser ramp 18 and slow to the speed of the turbine rotor 18 and enter the inlet orifice 12 into the channel 36. The inlet orifice 12 may be configured to reduce the relative velocity loss associated with cooling fluids entering the inlet orifice 12 in the rotor body 10, thereby availing the cooling system 16 to the efficiencies inherent in pre-swirling the cooling fluids to a velocity that is greater than a rotational velocity of the turbine rotor body 10. As such, the system 16 is capable of taking advantage of the additional temperature and work benefits associated with using the pre-swirled cooling fluids having a rotational speed greater than the turbine rotor body 12.
The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of this invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.