United Technologies Corporation

Erik A Lindstrom

Fred L Honeycutt, Jr

Daniel E Eigenbrode

Deane A Beytes

Frederick W Steinbauer, Jr

Cooling of the hot surfaces of the exhaust nozzle of a fan jet engine and purging of the nacelle is attained by a booster pump mounted in exhaust nozzle structure and the booster pump having an ejector driven by localized fan air existing in the engine cooling path extracted from the fan of the engine for pumping nacelle air and mixing the egressing fluid in a mixing chamber and diffuser disposed in fluid communication with booster pump which is then dumped into a plenum within the exhaust nozzle structure for feeding film cooling holes formed in the hot surfaces for laying a blanket of cooling air along the gas path surface of the exhaust nozzle.

Exhaust nozzle cooling scheme for gas turbine engine

A nozzle liner (14) is secured to a nozzle support structure (10) with interlocking clips (24, 26). After moving the liner axially into engagement cantilever spring (32) abuts a clip (24) which retains the liner. The liner is easily installed, spring engagement may be confirmed, and the liner is readily removable.

Engine nozzle liner retainer

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a stage of turbine exhaust exit guide vanes is supported at their outer ends by attachment to the outer turbine exhaust case in a manner permitting upstream and downstream rocking of the vanes, while the inner vane ends engage the upstream end of a sheet metal fairing which defines the radially inner surface of the exhaust gas flow path. The fairing is cantilever supported at its downstream end and is spaced radially outwardly from the inner turbine exhaust case. The inner vane ends are free to move radially relative to the fairing which provides only axial support therefor. Hollow struts disposed immediately downstream of the guide vanes extend between the inner and outer exhaust cases and pass through openings in the fairing which is preferably corrugated in the axial direction to reduce vibration.

Turbine exhaust case design

To improve cooling and simplify construction the cavity of a hollow airfoil is divided into separate longitudinally extending pressure and suction side compartments each of which extend from the leading edge to the trailing edge portion of the airfoil for providing cooling air to their respective sides of the airfoil. Air enters one compartment from one end of the airfoil and is closed at its opposite end. Air enters the other compartment from the end opposite the inlet end of the first compartment and is closed at its other end. In a preferred embodiment a tubular insert provides the dividing wall between the compartments and forms a plenum within the suction side compartment from which cooling air is directed against the suction-side wall through impingement cooling holes in the insert.

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Palm Beach Gardens, FL, United States of America

Erik A Lindstrom