US 11,867,089 B1
Gas turbine engine with combustor section mounted modulated compressor air cooling system
Ryan C. Humes, Indianapolis, IN (US)
Assigned to Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/880,276.
Int. Cl. F01D 9/02 (2006.01); F01D 17/14 (2006.01); F23R 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 9/023 (2013.01) [F01D 17/145 (2013.01); F23R 3/002 (2013.01); F05D 2240/35 (2013.01); F05D 2260/232 (2013.01); F05D 2260/60 (2013.01); F23R 2900/03043 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine comprising
a turbine including a turbine rotor having a shaft mounted for rotation about an axis of the gas turbine engine and a set of turbine blades coupled to the turbine rotor for rotation therewith,
a combustor fluidly coupled to the turbine, the combustor including an outer combustor case and an inner combustor case that cooperate to define a combustion chamber, the inner combustor case formed to define at least one cooling passage that extends through the inner combustor case and opens into a cavity located axially between the inner combustor case of the combustor and the turbine rotor to allow a primary flow of air from within the combustion chamber to the cavity to maintain a minimum amount of cooling air provided to the cavity to cool the turbine for all operating conditions of the gas turbine engine, and
a cooling air system including a cooling duct and a valve, the cooling duct coupled with the outer combustor case of the combustor and arranged to extend along at least a portion of the inner combustor case to define a transfer passageway in fluid communication with the combustion chamber and the cavity, and the valve coupled with the outer combustor case of the combustor and located radially outward of the outer combustor case, the valve being configured to open and close selectively to allow and block fluid communication between the cooling duct and the combustion chamber to modulate auxiliary air flow conducted into the cavity from the combustion chamber via the transfer passageway during operation of the gas turbine engine to selectively supplement the minimum amount of cooling air,
wherein the outer combustor case is formed to include an inlet aperture that fluidly connects the valve and the combustion chamber and an outlet aperture that fluidly connects the valve and the cooling duct to allow the auxiliary air to flow from the combustion chamber through the valve and into the cooling duct in response to the valve being in an open position.