Systems and Methods for Facilitating Onboarding of Bucket Cooling Flows

Abstract

Systems and methods Embodiments for facilitating onboarding of a cooling fluid are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a system may include a rotor assembly, a wheel space cavity adjacent to the rotor assembly, and a bucket shank cavity in fluid communication with the wheel space cavity. The system may also include at least one protrusion disposed on the rotor assembly in the wheel space cavity. The at least one protrusion may be configured to direct the cooling fluid radially from the wheel space cavity to the bucket shank cavity to minimize pressure loss in the cooling fluid.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A turbine system for facilitating onboarding of a cooling fluid, comprising:
 a rotor assembly;   a wheel space cavity adjacent to the rotor assembly;   a bucket shank cavity in fluid communication with the wheel space cavity; and   at least one protrusion disposed on the rotor assembly in the wheel space cavity, wherein the at least one protrusion is configured to direct the cooling fluid from the wheel space cavity to the bucket shank cavity to minimize pressure loss in the cooling fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one protrusion is positioned on the rotor assembly about an interface between the wheel space cavity and the bucket shank cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a plurality of protrusions. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart adjacent to one another circumferentially on the rotor assembly about the interface between the wheel space cavity and the bucket shank cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one protrusion comprises a fin. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one cooling passage in communication with the bucket shank cavity, wherein the at least one cooling passage is configured to discharge at least a portion of the cooling fluid into a hot gas path. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises a pressure greater than the hot gas path. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises compressor extraction air. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the bucket shank cavity is associated with a stage one turbine bucket. 
     
     
         10 . A turbine system for facilitating onboarding of a cooling fluid, comprising:
 a rotor assembly;   a plurality of buckets attached to the rotor assembly, wherein each of the plurality of buckets comprises a bucket shank cavity therein;   a wheel space cavity adjacent to the rotor assembly, wherein the bucket shank cavities are in fluid communication with the wheel space cavity; and   a plurality of protrusions disposed on the rotor assembly in the wheel space cavity, wherein the plurality of protrusions are configured to direct the cooling fluid from the wheel space cavity to the bucket shank cavities to minimize pressure loss in the cooling fluid.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are positioned on the rotor assembly about an interface between the wheel space cavity and the bucket shank cavities. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart adjacent to one another circumferentially on the rotor assembly about the interface between the wheel space cavity and the bucket shank cavity. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of protrusions comprise fins. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of buckets comprises at least one cooling passage in communication with the bucket shank cavity, wherein the at least one cooling passage is configured to discharge at least a portion of the cooling fluid into a hot gas path. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the cooling fluid in the at least one cooling passage comprises a pressure greater than the hot gas path. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises compressor extraction air. 
     
     
         17 . A method for facilitating onboarding of a cooling fluid to a bucket, comprising:
 positioning a bucket shank cavity in fluid communication with a wheel space cavity;   positioning a plurality of protrusions on a rotor assembly in the wheel space cavity; and   directing the cooling fluid from the wheel space cavity to the bucket shank cavity with the plurality of protrusions to minimize pressure loss in the cooling fluid.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising positioning the plurality of protrusions at an interface between the wheel space cavity and the bucket shank cavity. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising spacing the plurality of protrusions apart circumferentially on the rotor assembly about the interface between the wheel space cavity and the bucket shank cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising discharging the cooling fluid into a hot gas path through at least one cooling passage in fluid communication with the bucket shank cavity.