US 11,674,396 B2
Cooling air delivery assembly
Steven Douglas Johnson, Milford, OH (US); Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff, Loveland, OH (US); and Craig Alan Gonyou, Blanchester, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Jul. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/389,503.
Prior Publication US 2023/0036206 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. F01D 5/08 (2006.01); F01D 25/12 (2006.01); F01D 9/06 (2006.01); F02C 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 5/085 (2013.01) [F01D 9/065 (2013.01); F01D 25/12 (2013.01); F02C 7/185 (2013.01); F05D 2240/35 (2013.01); F05D 2260/213 (2013.01); F05D 2260/2212 (2013.01); F05D 2260/232 (2013.01); F05D 2260/607 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a compressor section comprising a high pressure compressor;
a combustion section comprising: a combustor casing defining at least in part a diffuser cavity and a fluid inlet;
a combustor disposed in the diffuser cavity;
a cooling duct in fluid communication with the fluid inlet in the combustor casing, wherein the cooling duct is configured to transport a flow of cooled air; and
an outer duct surrounding at least a portion of the cooling duct and extending along a portion of an entire length of the cooling duct, wherein the outer duct defines a gap with the cooling duct, and wherein the outer duct is configured to transport a flow of buffer air through the gap; and
a turbine section disposed downstream from the combustion section, wherein the cooling duct is in fluid communication with the turbine section,
wherein the cooling duct comprises a swirl vane disposed on an inner surface of the cooling duct along a radial direction of the cooling duct, wherein the swirl vane is configured to impart swirl into a flow of cooled air that passes across the swirl vane;
wherein the cooling duct includes an opening downstream of the swirl vane and in fluid communication with the gap and
wherein the flow of buffer air received by the outer duct from the cooling duct comprises a first flow of bleed air drawn from the cooling duct that was swirled outward along the radial direction of the cooling duct by the swirl vane and entered into the opening.