General Electric Company

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Harvey M Maclin

Thomas G Wakeman

Ching-Pang Lee

James S Kelm

Robert J Corsmeier

Arthur L Ludwig

Richard Clay Haubert

Thomas Joseph Kelly

Stephen Craig Mitchell

Lawrence Butler

Kattalaicheri Srinivasan Venkataramani

Charles Robert Wojciechowski

Gary D Mercer

Richard Ravenhall

Louis Lievestro

Melvin A Schobert

Steven K Roggenkamp

Ronald Scott Bunker

Ramgopal Darolia

Dean Thomas Lenahan

Erich Alois Krammer

John J Ciokajlo

Alan Majors Walker

Rollin G Giffin, Iii

Edward Charles Vickers

Ching Pang Lee

James R Reigel

Robert L Sponseller

James E Eiswerth

Tuley, Eugene N

A method of cooling a gas turbine engine component having a perforate metal wall includes providing a plurality of pores in the wall, wherein the pores extend substantially perpendicularly through the wall, and wherein the pores are covered and sealed closed at first ends thereof by a thermal barrier coating disposed over a first surface of the wall, and providing a plurality of film cooling holes in the wall, wherein the holes extend substantially perpendicularly through the wall and the thermal barrier coating. The method also includes providing cooling fluid to the plurality of pores and the plurality of film cooling holes along a second surface of the wall, channeling the cooling fluid through the pores for back side cooling an inner surface of the thermal barrier coating, and channeling the cooling fluid through the holes for film cooling an outer surface of the thermal barrier coating.

Methods and apparatus for cooling gas turbine engine components

A turbofan engine includes in serial flow communication a first fan, second fan, multistage compressor, combustor, first turbine, second turbine, and third turbine. The first turbine is joined to the compressor by a first shaft. The second turbine is joined to the second fan by a second shaft. And, the third turbine is joined to the first fan by a third shaft. First, second, and third cooling circuits are joined to different stages of the compressor for cooling the forward and aft sides and center bore of the first turbine with different pressure air.

Triple circuit turbine cooling

A pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centerline axis extending therethrough includes a rotatable cylindrical member having a forward surface, an aft surface, and an outer circumferential surface, where a plurality of spaced detonation passages are disposed therethrough. Each detonation passage includes at least a portion having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough oriented at a circumferential angle to the longitudinal centerline axis. The pulse detonation system further includes a shaft rotatably connected to the cylindrical member and a stator configured in spaced arrangement with the forward surface of the cylindrical member and a portion of the shaft. The stator has at least one group of ports formed therein alignable with the detonation passages as the cylindrical member rotates. In this way, detonation cycles are performed in the detonation passages so that combustion gases exit the aft surface of the cylindrical member to create a torque which causes the cylindrical member to rotate. Each detonation passage further includes a first end located adjacent the forward surface of the cylindrical member and a second end located adjacent the aft surface of the cylindrical member.

Rotating pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine

A pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centerline axis extending therethrough includes a rotatable cylindrical member having a forward surface, an aft surface, and an outer circumferential surface, where at least one stage of spaced detonation passages are disposed therethrough. The pulse detonation system further includes a shaft rotatably connected to the cylindrical member and a stator configured in spaced arrangement with the forward surface of the cylindrical member and a portion of the shaft. The stator has at least one group of ports formed therein alignable with the detonation passages as the cylindrical member rotates. In this way, detonation cycles are performed in the detonation passages so that combustion gases exit the cylindrical manner in a substantially tangential direction with respect to the outer circumferential surface to create a torque which causes the cylindrical member to rotate. Each detonation passage includes a first portion extending from the cylindrical member forward surface to a middle portion of the cylindrical member and a second portion extending from the first portion to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member.

Integral pulse detonation system for a gas turbine engine

A turbine blade includes a hollow airfoil integrally joined to a dovetail. The airfoil includes a perforate first bridge defining a flow channel behind the airfoil leading edge. A second bridge is spaced behind the first bridge and extends from a pressure sidewall of the airfoil short of the airfoil trailing edge. A third bridge has opposite ends joined to the pressure sidewall and the second bridge to define with the first bridge a supply channel for the leading edge channel, and defines with the second bridge a louver channel extending aft along the second bridge to its distal end at the pressure sidewall.

Integrated bridge turbine blade

An air-cooled gas turbine blade providing improved cooling characteristics is disclosed. The turbine blade includes several internal passages for conveying cooling air therethrough during turbine operation to provide the desired cooling effect. Two distinct passages are provided to cool the airfoil leading and trailing edges, respectively. Two serpentine cooling passages are disposed so as to efficiently cool each side of the airfoil. Disposed in the middle of the airfoil is an additional, distinct passage. The platform is cooled by three serpentine cooling passages. Two of these passages are in outlet fluid communication with the inlet to the middle airfoil passage. As cooling air traverses these two passages, heat is transferred, from the base simultaneously cooling it and warming the air. This warmed air is next directed through the middle airfoil passage, providing a slight warming effect to the center portion of the airfoil. This counteracts the tendency of the side cooling passages to over cool the center of the airfoil. In this way, a more uniform temperature gradient can be achieved throughout the airfoil, as well as the platform, minimizing internal stresses and enhancing blade operating characteristics.

Air-cooled turbine blade

A cast article having a reinforced structural composite core is disclosed. The cast article includes a structural element which is embedded in the otherwise cast metal article. The structural element is comprised of a metal matrix composite structural core. It includes a plurality of reinforcing fibers within a metal matrix. The fibers are generally a non-metallic material such as a ceramic which degrade at a temperature below the melting temperature of the cast metal comprising the article. The metal matrix composite structural core is encased with a sheath. The sheath, attached to and completely surrounding the core, is made of the same metal as the cast metal article. In a preferred embodiment, the article is a titanium alloy strut for a gas turbine engine.

Method for making a titanium metal matrix composite

Titanium metal matrix composite inserts for stiffening turbine engine

A rotor tip bleed air tailoring system in which a rotor blade is located upstream from an outer stator vane and an inner stator vane. The inner stator vane and outer stator vane are separated by a splitter which extends to the tip region of the rotor blade and separates air exiting the rotor blade into regions of distinctly different pressures.

System and method for tailoring rotor tip bleed air

An impingement-cooled gas turbine blade includes an impingement baffle which, during engine operation, is subject only to shear loading. A tubular baffle body is provided with a pair of mounting flanges which are bonded between a forward portion of the turbine blade and an aft portion of the turbine blade. The bond extends from the blade dovetail to the blade tip.

Turbine blade impingement baffle

A gas turbine engine combustor is provided, having a single wall sheet metal liner which is generally annular in shape which may be corrugated and a multi-hole film cooling means which includes at least one pattern of a great many small closely spaced sharply downstream angled film cooling holes disposed essentially along portion of the liner to be cooled. Another embodiment provided a corrugated aircraft engine afterburner sheet metal liner having at least one pattern of great many small closely spaced sharply downstream angled film cooling holes disposed essentially along the entire surface of the liner.

Gas turbine engine multi-hole film cooled combustor liner and method of

A combustor includes spaced outer and inner liners defining therebetween a combustion zone, and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced tubular domes disposed between forward ends thereof. Each of the domes includes an annular inlet for receiving pilot airflow, a swirler having a tubular ferrule and primary swirl vanes for receiving the pilot airflow, and an outlet disposed in flow communication with the combustion zone. A pilot fuel injector is disposed in each of the domes for injecting pilot fuel into the pilot airflow for generating a pilot fuel/air mixture dischargeable from the dome outlet. A plurality of main fuel spraybars inject main fuel into compressed airflow channeled between the domes and the outer and inner liners for generating a main fuel/air mixture dischargeable concentrically around the pilot fuel/air mixture. And, the pilot fuel/air mixture is ignited for generating pilot combustion gases in the combustion zone which are effective for igniting the main fuel/air mixture for generating main combustion gases in the combustion zone.

Compact flameholder type combustor which is staged to reduce emissions

A rotor disk for a gas turbine engine includes a central load-bearing web portion and a centrifugal pump portion located externally of the load-bearing web portion for pumping cooling air into an array of turbine blades. The pump portion includes an enlarged material section formed homogeneously with the web portion and extends axially forwardly and radially inwardly from the rim of the disk.

Turbine rotor disk with integral blade cooling air slots and pumping

A combustion chamber for use in gas turbine engines is provided with a liner formed of a high temperature material. The liner includes a plurality of annular rings of high temperature material mounted by means of flexible mounting arrangement upon a high strength structural frame. As a result of this mounting arrangement, the liner is substantially isolated from structural forces associated with the combustion chamber, while the frame is substantially isolated from thermal stresses associated with the liner. The individual liner rings may be easily removed for repair or replacement without disassembling the frame and associated components. Furthermore, the 'decoupling' of thermal and structural stresses provides longer life and more dependable operation.

Combustion chamber construction

Disclosed are a cooling air modulation apparatus for and method of operation for a gas turbine engine which are effective for increasing engine operating efficiency. According to one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes a first inducer means effective for channeling a first portion of cooling air to a rotor component during both first and second modes of operation of the engine. A second inducer means is also provided and is effective for channeling a second portion of the cooling air to the rotor component. Valve means are provided for selectively modulating the amount of cooling air flowing through the second inducer for preventing flow therethrough during the first mode of operation and for allowing unrestricted flow therethrough during the second mode of operation.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Harvey M Maclin