System for controlling blade clearances within a gas turbine engine

Abstract

A system for controlling blade clearances within a gas turbine engine includes a rotor disk and a rotor blade coupled to the rotor disk. Additionally, the system includes an outer turbine component positioned outward of the rotor blade such that a clearance is defined between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component. Furthermore, the system includes a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of cooling air bled from the gas turbine engine and transfer heat from the received flow of the cooling air to a flow of coolant to generate cooled cooling air. Moreover, the system includes a valve configured to control the flow of the coolant to the heat exchanger. In this respect, the cooled cooling air is supplied to at least one of the rotor disk or the rotor blade to adjust the clearance between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling blade clearances within a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine defining an axial centerline and a radial direction extending orthogonal to the axial centerline, the system comprising:
 a rotor disk;   a rotor blade coupled to the rotor disk;   an outer turbine component positioned outward of the rotor blade in the radial direction such that a clearance is defined between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component;   a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of cooling air bled from the gas turbine engine and transfer heat from the received flow of the cooling air to a flow of coolant to generate cooled cooling air; and   a valve configured to control the flow of the coolant to the heat exchanger,   wherein the cooled cooling air is supplied to at least one of the rotor disk or the rotor blade to adjust the clearance between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shaft coupled to the rotor disk such that rotation of the rotor disk and the rotor blade rotates the shaft;   a combustor positioned outward in the radial direction from the shaft; and   a conduit at least partially positioned between the shaft and the combustor in the radial direction such that the cooled cooling air flows through the conduit to the at least one of the rotor disk or the rotor blade.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an inducer configured to direct the cooled cooling air flowing through the conduit toward the rotor disk.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the inducer narrows as the inducer extends from the conduit toward the rotor disk. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a seal positioned upstream of the rotor disk along the axial centerline relative to a direction of flow through the gas turbine engine, wherein the inducer directs the cooled cooling air such that the cooled cooling air flows between the rotor disk and the seal.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the seal corresponds to an outer seal, the system further comprising:
 an inner seal positioned inward along the radial direction relative to the outer seal such that a gap is defined between the inner and outer seals through which the cooled cooling air flows from the inducer toward the rotor disk.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the conduit includes a first portion extending along the radial direction from the heat exchanger and a second portion extending along the axial centerline from the first portion toward the rotor disk. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the conduit is positioned upstream of the combustor relative to a direction of flow through the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the heat exchanger is positioned outward along the radial direction from the combustor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a compressor discharge casing at least partially surrounding the combustor, the compressor discharge casing defining a compressor discharge plenum configured to supply compressed air to the combustor,   wherein the cooling air received by the heat exchanger is bled from the compressor discharge plenum.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a turbine case coupled to the outer turbine components, wherein the cooled cooling air is supplied to the turbine case to adjust the clearance between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a bypass conduit fluidly coupled to the valve such that the bypass conduit is configured to permit at least a portion of the coolant to bypass the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cooled cooling air is discharged into a hot gas path at least partially defined by the rotor blade and the outer turbine component after being supplied to the at least one of the rotor disk or the rotor blade. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coolant comprises supercritical carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the outer turbine component comprises a shroud or an outer rotating drum. 
     
     
         16 . A system for controlling blade tip clearances within a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine defining an axial centerline and a radial direction extending orthogonal to the axial centerline, the system comprising:
 an inner rotor configured to rotate in a first direction;   an inner rotor blade coupled to the inner rotor;   an outer rotating drum configured to rotate in a second direction opposite of the first direction;   an outer rotor blade coupled to the outer rotating drum;   a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of cooling air bled from the gas turbine engine and transfer heat from the received flow of the cooling air to a flow of coolant to generate cooled cooling air;   a first air valve configured to direct a first portion of the cooled cooling air to the outer rotating drum and a second portion of the cooled cooling air to cool the inner rotor; and   a second air valve configured to direct a first portion of the cooling air to the outer rotating drum and a second portion of the cooling air to cool the inner rotor,   wherein the cooled cooling air is supplied to at least one of the outer rotating drum or the inner rotor to adjust a first clearance defined between the inner rotor blade and the outer rotating drum and a second clearance between the outer rotor blade and the inner rotor.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , where the first portion of the cooled cooling air is introduced to the outer rotating drum through an angled nozzle such that a tangential component of a velocity of the first portion of the cooled cooling air is in the second direction. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , where the second portion of the cooled cooling air is introduced to the inner rotor through an angled nozzle such that a tangential component of a velocity of the second portion of the cooled cooling air is in the first direction. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , where the first portion of the cooling air is introduced to outer rotating drum through an angled nozzle such that a tangential component of a velocity of the first portion of the cooling air is in the first direction. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , where the second portion of the cooling air is introduced to inner rotor through an angled nozzle such that a tangential component of a velocity of the second portion of the cooling air is in the second direction.