| CPC F02C 7/224 (2013.01) [F02C 7/14 (2013.01); F02C 7/16 (2013.01); F02C 7/232 (2013.01); F02C 7/236 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
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1. A cooling system for a gas turbine engine, the cooling system comprising:
a fuel supply system comprising:
a boost stage pump disposed to receive and pressurize a fuel from a fuel source, with the pressurization increasing as a function of a speed of the gas turbine engine;
a main stage pump disposed downstream of the boost stage pump, and configured to further pressurize a first portion of the fuel for injection and subsequent combustion;
a fuel control system actuatable to control injection of the first portion of the fuel from the main stage pump into a combustor of the gas turbine engine; and
a fuel heat exchanger disposed to use the first portion of the fuel as a first cooling fluid; and
a cooling fuel path comprising:
a fuel bleed from an outlet of the boost stage pump, the fuel bleed located upstream of the main stage pump;
a cooler fluidly connected to receive a second portion of the fuel from the fuel bleed as a second cooling fluid;
a fuel return fluidly connecting a downstream side of the cooler to an inlet of the boost stage pump; and
a 3-way thermal valve disposed between the fuel bleed and the cooler, and having an input downstream of the fuel heat exchanger,
wherein the 3-way thermal valve is operable between two modes:
a first mode fluidly connecting the fuel bleed to the cooler, excluding the fuel heat exchanger; and
a second mode disconnecting the fuel bleed from direct fluid communication with the cooler, and fluidly connecting the cooler to receive at least a portion of the second portion of the fuel output from the fuel heat exchanger.
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