Gas turbine engine combustor heat exchanger

Abstract

A gas turbine engine having a combustor is disclosed in which a heat exchanger is disposed within the combustor. The heat exchanger can take the form of a fuel/air heat exchanger. In one form the heat exchanger includes a path for cooling air to be conveyed to a location external to the combustor. Cooled cooling air carried through the path can be created through action of heat transfer from the cooling air to a fuel flowing in the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can include a fuel vaporizer in one form.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a gas turbine engine having a compressor configured to be rotated with a turbine and a combustor disposed in flow communication between the compressor and turbine, wherein the combustor includes a fuel delivery device structured to deliver fuel to a location within the combustor to be mixed with air and combusted;   a fuel/air heat exchanger disposed internal to the combustor and having a plurality of exchanger fluid flow paths to flow fuel and air; and   a cooling air passage within the combustor and structured to convey cooled cooling air developed as a result of an exchange of heat between the fuel and air within the fuel/air heat exchanger, the cooling air passage oriented to pass the cooled cooling air through a downstream portion that extends to a location external to the combustor.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the combustor includes an inner construction within which a combustion process occurs and an outer periphery offset from the inner construction and between which is formed an intermediate flow space, wherein the cooling air passage extends from the inner construction to the outer periphery. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the inner construction includes a liner, the outer periphery includes a casing disposed radially inward of the liner, and wherein the cooled cooling air extends in a radially inner direction from the liner to the casing. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the outer periphery is defined by a casing in a first side and a second side, a compressor discharge flow end, and a turbine inlet flow end, and wherein the cooled cooling air is used in at least one of the turbine and compressor. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a liner of the inner construction is integral with the fuel/air heat exchanger such that an inner side of the liner is in thermal contact with a fuel and an outer side of the liner is in thermal contact with a cooling air to develop the cooled cooling air. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the fuel/air heat exchanger is structured to vaporize fuel. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the fuel/air heat exchanger is integrated with a dome of the combustor. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor having a combustor flow space, the combustor flow space including a plurality of flow paths each structured to receive a flow of working fluid from an upstream turbomachinery component, a first flow path of the plurality of flow paths structured to convey working fluid within an interior combustion zone, a second flow path of the plurality of flow paths structured to convey working fluid on an opposing side of a combustion zone member that separates the second flow path from the first flow path, and a third flow path of the plurality of flow paths structured to convey a cooled cooling fluid away from the combustor flow space and to a location external to the combustor flow space; and   a heat exchanger disposed within the combustor flow space configured to extract heat from a cooling fluid to form the cooled cooling fluid.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the heat exchanger is a fuel/air heat exchanger, and wherein the fuel/air heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the cooling fluid passing through the third flow path. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the third flow path extends toward a casing of the combustor, and wherein the combustion zone member is one of a dome and a liner. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the heat exchanger is integrated into a dome of the combustor, and wherein at least a portion of the third flow path extends into the second flow path. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the heat exchanger is structured to change phase of a fuel as heat is transferred from the cooling fluid to the fuel. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the third flow path extends toward a compressor of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the third flow path extends to provide cooling to a component of a turbine of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the heat exchanger removes cooled cooling fluid developed within to the combustor to a location external to the combustor. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger exchanges heat between a fuel in a fuel passage and a cooling fluid such that the fuel increases in temperature and the cooling fluid decreases in temperature thus forming the cooled cooling fluid. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 receiving a flow of working fluid into a combustor that originates from a turbomachinery component structured to changes a pressure of a working fluid, the turbomachinery component forming part of an operating gas turbine engine;   splitting the flow to form a combustion flow and a cooling fluid;   providing fuel to an interior of a combustor, the fuel routed through a heat exchanger located internal to the combustor;   within the interior of the combustor, exchanging heat between the fuel and the cooling fluid to form a cooled cooling fluid; and   downstream of the heat exchanger, flowing the cooling fluid through an enclosed passage disposed between a combustion zone of the combustor and a flow path internal to the combustor but exterior to the combustion zone.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the exchanging takes place across a structure that separates an interior combustion region of the combustor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , which further includes routing the cooled cooling fluid to a rotating component of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the rotating component is one of a turbine and a compressor.