초록 ▼

A structure and method for providing cooling fluids from a compression section 10 to a turbine section 14 of an axially flow rotary machine is disclosed. Various construction details and steps of the method enable the machine to minimize the effect that unscheduled variations in the temperature of t

A structure and method for providing cooling fluids from a compression section 10 to a turbine section 14 of an axially flow rotary machine is disclosed. Various construction details and steps of the method enable the machine to minimize the effect that unscheduled variations in the temperature of the cooling fluids have on operating clearances in the turbine section. These unscheduled variations may result from changes in ambient temperature and component deterioration. An internal cooling fluid from the discharge region 52 of the rearmost compressor 18 is used to modulate the flow of a second fluid impinged on the exterior of the outer case 24 for controlling the clearance between an array of rotor blades 26 and a coolable stator shroud 64 spaced radially outwardly of the rotor blades. In one embodiment, a valve 32 for modulating the flow of the second fluid has at least one thermostatic bimetallic spring 86 for transducing a change in temperature into a displacement. The displacement changes the flow area Af between a valve head 82 and a conical seat 80 in the conduit 30 for the second fluid through the valve 32.

대표청구항 ▼

In an axial flow gas turbine engine of the type which includes a compression section and a turbine section, the compression section including a rearmost compressor, a discharge region downstream thereof, and a first fluid which is discharged from the rearmost compressor into the discharge region, th

In an axial flow gas turbine engine of the type which includes a compression section and a turbine section, the compression section including a rearmost compressor, a discharge region downstream thereof, and a first fluid which is discharged from the rearmost compressor into the discharge region, the turbine section including a coolable outer case having an exterior, a portion of a coolable rotor assembly inwardly of the outer case, the coolable rotor assembly having an array of rotor blades each blade having a tip, a coolable shroud inwardly of the outer case which circumscribes the tips of the rotor blades and which is spaced from the tips of the blades by a radial clearance, the engine further having a second fluid and a means for impinging the second fluid on the exterior of the outer case to adjust the radial clearance between the tips of the rotor blades and the shroud, the engine further including means for modulating the flow of the second fluid as a function of engine temperature, the improvement which comprises: means for flowing a portion of the first fluid from the discharge region of the rearmost compressor to the coolable rotor assembly; means for flowing a portion of the first fluid from the discharge region of the rearmost compressor to the coolable shroud; and means responsive to the temperature of the first fluid for modulating the flow of the second fluid, wherein the means for modulating the flow of the second fluid is responsive to the temperature of the first fluid discharged from the rearmost compressor to take into account the effect that changes in ambient air temperature and component deterioration have on said radial clearance between the rotor tips and the coolable shroud inwardly of the outer case.