Turbine engine with three air flow

Abstract

A turbine engine includes a cooling air duct for cooling air positioned radially between a core air flow path for core air and a bypass air flow passage for bypass air. A heat exchanger is positioned in the cooling air duct to transfer heat from a heat source within the turbine engine. The heat exchanger may be a condenser. The turbine engine may also include a steam system that extracts water from the combustion gas, evaporates the water to produce steam, and injects the steam into the core air flow path, the steam system including a condenser to transfer heat from the combustion gas to the cooling air and condense the water in the combustion gas. The turbine engine may also include a booster fan to increase the pressure of the cooling air and the core air.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to turbine engines, and more particularly to high bypass turbine engines for aircraft. Background Art

[0002] A turbine engine used in an aircraft generally includes a fan and a core section arranged in flow communication with each other. A combustor is arranged in the core section to produce combustion gases for driving a turbine in the core section of the turbine engine, and the turbine can be used to drive the fan. A portion of the air flowing into the fan flows through the core section as core air, and another portion of the air flowing into the fan bypasses the core section and flows through the turbine engine as bypass air. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] Features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of various exemplary embodiments as illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numerals generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and / or structurally similar elements.

[0004] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a turbine engine including a steam system according to the present disclosure, taken along a longitudinal centerline axis of the turbine engine.

[0005] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a turbine engine and steam system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0006] Figure 3 According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the front end of a turbine engine, showing Figure 1 Details in 3.

[0007] Figure 4 According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the front end of a turbine engine, taken from the perspective of detail 3.

[0008] Figure 5 According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the front end of a turbine engine, taken from the perspective of detail 3.

[0009] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aft end of a turbine engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an aft end of a turbine engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Features, advantages and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth or apparent by considering the following detailed description, drawings and claims.In addition, the following detailed description is exemplary and is intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the present disclosure as claimed.

[0012] Various embodiments are discussed in detail below. Although specific embodiments are discussed, this is for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0013] As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another, and are not intended to indicate the position or importance of each component.

[0014] The terms "front" and "rear" refer to relative positions within a gas turbine engine or vehicle and refer to the normal operating attitude of the gas turbine engine or vehicle. For example, for a gas turbine engine, front refers to a position closer to the engine inlet, while rear refers to a position closer to the engine nozzle or exhaust.

[0015] The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative directions of the flow of a fluid in a fluid path. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the fluid flows.

[0016] The terms “coupled,” “fixed,” “attached,” “connected,” and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, attachment, or connection as well as indirect coupling, fixing, attachment, or connection through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise indicated herein.

[0017] As used herein, the terms "axial" and "axially" refer to directions and orientations extending substantially parallel to the centerline of the turbine engine. Additionally, the terms "radial" and "radially" refer to directions and orientations extending substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the turbine engine. Additionally, as used herein, the terms "circumferential" and "circumferentially" refer to directions and orientations extending arcuately around the centerline of the turbine engine.

[0018] When discussed in the context of radial directions, references to "inner" and "outer" refer to positions relative to the longitudinal centerline of the component.

[0019] As used herein, the "pressure ratio" of a fan, compressor, or turbine is the ratio of the outlet pressure at the outlet of the fan, compressor, or turbine to the inlet pressure at the inlet of the fan, compressor, or turbine. The outlet pressure and inlet pressure are measured as static air pressures perpendicular to the direction of airflow through the fan, compressor, or turbine.

[0020] The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0021] Approximate language as used in the entire specification and claims herein is applied to modify any quantitative representation that can allow variation without causing the basic function associated therewith to change. Therefore, the value modified by one or more terms such as "about", "approximately" and "substantially" is not limited to the specified exact value. In at least some cases, approximate language can correspond to the accuracy of the instrument used to measure the value or the accuracy of the method or machine used to configure or manufacture parts and / or systems. For example, approximate language can refer to being in a margin of one percent, two, four, ten, fifteen or twenty in a single value, a range of values ​​and / or an endpoint defining a range of values.

[0022] Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged. Unless the context or language indicates otherwise, such ranges are identified and include all subranges contained therein. For example, all ranges disclosed herein include the endpoints, and the endpoints can be independently combined with each other.

[0023] As described above, the burner is arranged in the core section to produce combustion gases for driving the turbine in the core section of the turbine engine. Not all the energy and heat generated by the burner are used to drive the turbine of the turbine section. Instead, some waste heat is discharged through the jet exhaust nozzle section in a traditional turbine engine. The turbine engine discussed herein includes a steam system for recovering some energy from waste heat by generating steam and driving a steam turbine. After flowing through the steam turbine, the steam can be injected into the burner. The steam system extracts water from the combustion gases and evaporates the water to generate steam. The steam system may include a condenser to transfer heat from the combustion gases to a cooling fluid and condense water in the combustion gases.

[0024] In addition, as described above, the turbine engine may include a fan driven by the core section of the turbine engine. Only a portion of the air flowing into the fan flows through the core section (i.e., core air). The remaining air bypasses the core section and flows through the turbine engine as bypass air. The bypass air can generate a large amount of thrust generated by the turbine engine, such as at least seventy percent (70%) of the thrust. The bypass air can be used as a cooling fluid for the condenser, and therefore, the condenser can be positioned in the bypass air flow channel so that the bypass air flows therethrough. However, positioning the condenser in the bypass air increases the resistance to the bypass air flow, and thus may reduce the efficiency and thrust of the turbine engine. In the embodiments discussed herein, the turbine engine includes an airflow separated from the bypass air, which is used as cooling air to cool the condenser, thereby allowing the bypass air to flow through the bypass airflow channel with minimal obstacles. Therefore, the turbine engine can have three air flows, one for core air, one for bypass air, and the third for cooling air for cooling the condenser. In order to help overcome the pressure resistance in the cooling airflow channel of the cooling air, the booster fan can be positioned upstream of the condenser to further increase the pressure of the cooling air.

[0025] Now referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a turbine engine 10 including a steam system 200 taken along a longitudinal centerline axis 12 (for reference only) of the turbine engine 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the turbine engine 10 has an axial direction A (extending parallel to the longitudinal centerline axis 12 ) and a radial direction R orthogonal to the axial direction A. Generally, the turbine engine 10 includes a fan section 14 and a turbocharger engine 16 disposed downstream of the fan section 14 .

[0026] The turbocharger engine 16 includes an outer casing 18 that is substantially tubular and defines an annular inlet 20. Figure 1 As shown, the outer casing 18 encloses in series flow relationship a compressor section 21 including a low pressure compressor (LPC) 22 followed downstream by a high pressure compressor (HPC) 24; a combustor 26; a turbine section 27 including a high pressure turbine (HPT) 28 followed downstream by a low pressure turbine (LPT) 30; and one or more core exhaust nozzles 32. A high pressure (HP) shaft 34 or spool drivingly connects the HPT 28 to the HPC 24 so that the HPT 28 and the HPC 24 rotate in unison. A low pressure (LP) shaft 36 drivingly connects the LPT 30 to the LPC 22 so that the LPT 30 and the LPC 22 rotate in unison. The compressor section 21, the combustor 26, the turbine section 27, and the one or more core exhaust nozzles 32 together define a core air flow path 33.

[0027] for Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, fan section 14 includes a fan (referred to herein as primary fan 38) having a plurality of fan blades (ie, primary fan blades 40) coupled to a disk 42 in a spaced-apart manner. Figure 1 As shown, primary fan blades 40 extend outwardly from disk 42 generally in a radial direction R. Each primary fan blade 40 is rotatable relative to disk 42 about pitch axis P by virtue of primary fan blades 40 being operably coupled to actuator 44, which is configured to collectively change the pitch of primary fan blades 40 in unison. Primary fan blades 40, disk 42, and actuator 44 rotate together about longitudinal centerline axis 12 via fan shaft 45, which is powered by LP shaft 36 through a power gearbox (also referred to as gearbox assembly 46).

[0028] The gearbox assembly 46 is Figure 1 Schematically shown in FIG. Gearbox assembly 46 includes a plurality of gears for adjusting the rotational speed of fan shaft 45, and therefore, adjusting the rotational speed of primary fan 38 relative to LP shaft 36. Gearbox assembly 46 has an input shaft (in this embodiment, LP shaft 36) and an output shaft (in this embodiment, fan shaft 45). Gearbox assembly 46 thus reduces the speed of the output shaft relative to the input shaft, and in this embodiment, reduces the speed of fan shaft 45 relative to LP shaft 36.

[0029] Still reference Figure 1 In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the disk 42 is covered by a rotatable fan hub 48 having an aerodynamic profile to facilitate airflow through the plurality of primary fan blades 40. In addition, the fan section 14 includes an annular fan case or nacelle 50 circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the primary fan 38 and / or the turbocharger engine 16. The nacelle 50 is supported relative to the turbocharger engine 16 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet guide vanes 52. In addition, a downstream section 54 of the nacelle 50 extends over an outer portion of the turbocharger engine 16 to define a bypass airflow channel 56 therebetween. One or more core exhaust nozzles 32 may extend through the nacelle 50 and be formed therein. In this embodiment, the one or more core exhaust nozzles 32 include one or more discrete nozzles spaced circumferentially around the nacelle 50. Other arrangements of the core exhaust nozzles 32 may be used, including, for example, a single core exhaust nozzle that is annular or partially annular around the nacelle 50. Further arrangements of the core exhaust nozzles 32 are further described below.

[0030] for Figure 1 For the illustrated embodiment, fan section 14 also includes a booster fan 60 having a plurality of fan blades (ie, booster fan blades 62) coupled to a disk 64 in a spaced-apart manner. Figure 1As shown, the boost fan blades 62 extend outwardly from the disk 64 generally in a radial direction R. Figure 1 As shown, boost fan blades 62 are fixed pitch fan blades, but alternatively, boost fan blades 62 may be variable pitch fan blades that may be adjusted by an actuator in the manner described above for primary fan 38. Boost fan blades 62 and disk 64 may be coupled via a shaft (e.g., Figure 1 1, 12, and 13. The boost fan 60 and the turbine engine 16 are shown in Figure 1, which are LP shafts 36 that rotate together about the longitudinal centerline axis 12. An annular boost fan casing or cooling air casing 66 circumferentially surrounds the boost fan 60 and / or at least a portion of the turbine engine 16. The cooling air casing 66 extends over an outer portion of the turbine engine 16 to define a cooling air flow passage or cooling air duct 68 therebetween. Thus, the cooling air duct 68 is radially defined between the core air flow path 33 and the bypass air flow path 56. The boost fan 60 and the cooling air duct 68 will be discussed in more detail below.

[0031] During operation of turbine engine 10, a volume of air 100 enters turbine engine 10 through inlet 58 of nacelle 50 and / or fan section 14. As volume of air 100 passes through primary fan blades 40, a first portion of the air (bypass air 102) is directed or delivered into bypass airflow passage 56, and a second portion of the air (secondary air 104) is directed or delivered into secondary air inlet 70. Secondary air inlet 70 is an annular inlet defined by cooling air casing 66 and, more specifically, by secondary air splitter 72. Secondary air inlet 70 and secondary air splitter 72 are located downstream of primary fan 38, and, more specifically, downstream of primary fan blades 40, to split the volume of air 100 into bypass air 102 and secondary air 104. Secondary air splitter 72 may be a front portion of cooling air casing 66.

[0032] After flowing through the boost fan 60, the secondary air 104 is directed (or separated) by the core air splitter 74 into cooling air 106 and core air 108. Thus, the core air splitter 74 is located downstream of the secondary air inlet 70 and may be a portion of the outer casing 18 defining the annular inlet 20. As will be discussed in more detail below, the cooling air 106 flows through the cooling air duct 68 and serves as a cooling fluid to receive heat from a heat source within the turbine engine 10. More specifically, a heat exchanger, such as a condenser 214 of the steam system 200 (discussed further below), is positioned in the cooling air duct to transfer heat from a heat source (e.g., combustion gases 112) within the turbine engine 10 to the cooling air 106.

[0033] The core air 108 is directed by the core air splitter 74 into an upstream section of the core air flow path 33, or more specifically, into the annular inlet 20 of the LPC 22. The pressure of the core air 108 is then increased by the LPC 22, producing compressed air 110, and the compressed air 110 is directed through the HPC 24 and further compressed before being directed into the combustor 26, where the compressed air 110 is mixed with the fuel 92 and combusted to produce combustion gases 112 (i.e., combustion products). One or more stages may be used in each of the LPC 22 and the HPC 24, with each subsequent stage further compressing the compressed air 110. Each stage may include a plurality of circumferentially spaced compressor stator vanes 80 coupled to the outer casing 18 and compressor rotor blades 81 coupled to the LP shaft 36 or the HP shaft 34 for rotation by the LP shaft 36 or the HP shaft 34. The compression ratio is the ratio of the pressure of the last stage of the HPC 24 to the pressure of the first stage of the HPC 24 .

[0034] The combustion gases 112 are delivered into and expanded through the HPT 28, wherein a portion of the thermal and / or kinetic energy from the combustion gases 112 is extracted via sequential stages of HPT stator blades 83 coupled to the outer casing 18 and HPT rotor blades 85 coupled to the HP shaft 34, thereby causing the HP shaft 34 to rotate, thereby supporting the operation of the HPC 24. The combustion gases 112 are then directed into and expanded through the LPT 30. Here, a second portion of the thermal and / or kinetic energy is extracted from the combustion gases 112 via sequential stages of LPT stator blades 87 coupled to the outer casing 18 and LPT rotor blades 89 coupled to the LP shaft 36, thereby causing the LP shaft 36 to rotate, thereby supporting the operation of the LPC 22 and the rotation of the primary fan 38 via the gearbox assembly 46. One or more stages may be used in each of the HPT 28 and the LPT 30.

[0035] The combustion gases 112 are then directed through one or more core exhaust nozzles 32 of the turbocharger engine 16 to provide propulsive thrust. While the core air 108 flows through the core air flow path 33, the bypass air 102 is directed through the bypass airflow passage 56 before being discharged from the fan bypass nozzle 76 of the turbine engine 10, also providing propulsive thrust. The combustor 26, the HPT 28, the LPT 30, and the one or more core exhaust nozzles 32 at least partially define a hot gas path 78 for directing the combustion gases 112 through the turbocharger engine 16.

[0036] As described above, compressed air 110 (i.e., core air 108) is mixed with fuel 92 in combustor 26 to produce a fuel and air mixture, and burns to produce combustion gases 112 (i.e., combustion products). Fuel 92 may include any type of fuel for a turbine engine, for example, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), including biofuel, JetA or other hydrocarbon fuels. Fuel 92 may also be a hydrogen-based fuel (H2), and although hydrogen-based fuels may include a mixture with hydrocarbon fuels, the fuel 92 used herein is preferably unmixed and is referred to herein as hydrogen fuel. In some embodiments, hydrogen fuel may include substantially pure hydrogen molecules (i.e., diatomic hydrogen). Fuel 92 may also be a cryogenic fuel. For example, when using hydrogen fuel, the hydrogen fuel may be stored in a liquid phase at low temperatures.

[0037] Turbine engine 10 includes a fuel system 90 for providing fuel 92 to combustor 26. Fuel system 90 includes a fuel tank 91 for storing fuel 92 therein and a fuel delivery assembly 93. Fuel tank 91 may be located on an aircraft (not shown) to which turbine engine 10 is attached. Figure 1 26 , a single fuel tank 91 is shown, but the fuel tank 91 may include any number of fuel tanks 91 as desired. A fuel delivery assembly 93 delivers fuel 92 from the fuel tank 91 to the burner 26. The fuel delivery assembly 93 includes one or more lines, conduits, pipes, tubes, etc., which are configured to carry the fuel 92 from the fuel tank 91 to the burner 26. The fuel delivery assembly 93 also includes a pump 95 to direct the fuel 92 to flow through the fuel delivery assembly 93 to the burner 26. In this way, the pump 95 pumps the fuel 92 from the fuel tank 91, through the fuel delivery assembly 93, and into the burner 26.

[0038] In some embodiments, for example, when the fuel 92 is a hydrogen fuel, the fuel system 90 includes one or more vaporizers 97 (shown by dashed lines) and a metering valve 99 (shown by dashed lines) in fluid communication with the fuel delivery assembly 93. In this example, the hydrogen fuel is stored in the fuel tank 91 as a liquid hydrogen fuel. The one or more vaporizers 97 heat the liquid hydrogen fuel flowing through the fuel delivery assembly 93. The one or more vaporizers 97 are located in the flow path of the fuel 92 between the fuel tank 91 and the combustor 26, and are located downstream of the pump 95. The one or more vaporizers 97 are thermally connected to at least one heat source, such as waste heat from the turbine engine 10 and / or from one or more systems (not shown) of the aircraft. The one or more vaporizers 97 heat the liquid hydrogen fuel, and the liquid hydrogen fuel is converted into gaseous hydrogen fuel within the one or more vaporizers 97. The fuel delivery assembly 93 guides the gaseous hydrogen fuel to the combustor 26.

[0039] A metering valve 99 is located downstream of the one or more vaporizers 97 and the pump 95. The metering valve 99 receives hydrogen fuel in a substantially complete gas phase or a substantially complete supercritical phase. The metering valve 99 provides the fuel flow to the burner 26 in a desired manner. More specifically, the metering valve 99 provides a desired volume of hydrogen fuel at, for example, a desired flow rate to a fuel manifold that includes one or more fuel injectors that inject hydrogen fuel into the burner 26. The fuel system 90 may include any components for supplying fuel 92 from the fuel tank 91 to the burner 26 as desired.

[0040] The turbine engine 10 includes a steam system 200 in fluid communication with one or more core exhaust nozzles 32. As the combustion gases 112 flow through the steam system 200, the steam system 200 extracts steam from the combustion gases 112, as described in further detail below.

[0041] Figure 1 The turbine engine 10 shown is only an example. In other exemplary embodiments, the turbine engine 10 may have any other suitable configuration. For example, in other exemplary embodiments, the primary fan 38 can be configured in any other suitable manner (e.g., as a fixed pitch fan) and can also be supported using any other suitable fan frame configuration. In addition, in other exemplary embodiments, any other suitable number or configuration of compressors, turbines, shafts, or combinations thereof may be provided. In yet other exemplary embodiments, various aspects of the present disclosure may be incorporated into any other suitable turbine engine, such as a turbofan engine, a propeller engine, and / or a turboprop engine.

[0042] Figure 2 According to the present disclosure Figure 1 Schematic diagram of turbine engine 10 and steam system 200. For clarity, the various features of turbine engine 10 described and shown above are shown in FIG. Figure 2 is schematically shown in FIG. 1 , and Figure 2 Some components are not shown in the figure, but the description of such components also applies here. The steam system 200 includes a boiler 212, a condenser 214, a water separator 216, a water pump 218, and a steam turbine 220.

[0043] Boiler 212 is a heat exchanger that evaporates liquid water from a water source to produce steam or water vapor, as described in further detail below. Boiler 212 is therefore a steam source. Specifically, boiler 212 is an exhaust gas-water heat exchanger. Boiler 212 is connected to hot gas path 78 ( Figure 1) is fluidly connected to and positioned downstream of the LPT 30. The boiler 212 is also fluidly connected to a water pump 218, as described in further detail below. The boiler 212 may include any type of boiler or heat exchanger for extracting heat from the combustion gases 112 and evaporating the liquid water into steam or water vapor as the liquid water and the combustion gases 112 flow through the boiler 212.

[0044] The condenser 214 is a heat exchanger that further cools the combustion gases 112 as the combustion gases 112 flow through the condenser 214, as described in further detail below. Specifically, the condenser 214 is an air-to-exhaust heat exchanger. The condenser 214 is in fluid communication with the boiler 212 and, in this embodiment, is positioned within the cooling air duct 68. The condenser 214 may include any type of condenser for condensing water from the exhaust (e.g., the combustion gases 112).

[0045] The water separator 216 is in fluid communication with the condenser 214 for receiving the cooled exhaust gas (combustion gases 112) having condensed water entrained therein. The water separator 216 is also in fluid communication with one or more core exhaust nozzles 32 and a water pump 218. The water separator 216 includes any type of water separator for separating water from the exhaust gas. For example, the water separator 216 may include an inertial separator, such as a cyclone separator that uses vortex separation to separate water from air. In such an embodiment, the water separator 216 generates a cyclonic flow within the water separator 216 to separate water from the cooled exhaust gas. Figure 2 , the water separator 216 is schematically depicted as being located in the nacelle 50, but the water separator 216 may be located elsewhere within the turbine engine 10, such as radially inward of the nacelle 50, closer to the turbocharger engine 16. The water separator 216 may be driven to rotate by one of the engine shafts, such as the HP shaft 34 or the LP shaft 36. As described above, the boiler 212 receives liquid water from a water source to generate steam or water vapor. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the condenser 214 and the water separator 216 are individually or collectively the source of water for the boiler 212 .

[0046] The water pump 218 is in fluid communication with the water separator 216 and the boiler 212. The water pump 218 is in fluid communication with the condenser 214 via the water separator 216. The water pump 218 can be any suitable pump, such as a centrifugal pump or a positive displacement pump. The water pump 218 directs the water flow 122 through the boiler, where the water flow is converted back into steam 124, 126. The steam 124, 126 is sent through a steam turbine and then injected into the combustor 26.

[0047] In operation, combustion gases 112 (also referred to as exhaust) flow from the LPT 30 into the boiler 212. The combustion gases 112 transfer heat to water 122 within the boiler 212, as described in further detail below. The combustion gases 112 then flow into the condenser 214. The condenser 214 condenses the water 122 in the combustion gases 112. The cooling air 106 flows through the cooling air duct 68 and flows through or through the condenser 214, and extracts heat from the combustion gases 112, cools the combustion gases 112, and condenses the water 122 in the combustion gases 112 to produce an exhaust-water mixture 114. As will be discussed in more detail below, the cooling air 106 is then discharged from the turbine engine 10 through the fan bypass nozzle 76 (or other outlet) to generate thrust. Therefore, the condenser 214 can be positioned in the cooling air duct 68.

[0048] The exhaust-water mixture 114 flows into the water separator 216. The water separator 216 separates the water 122 in the exhaust-water mixture 114 from the exhaust gas to produce separated exhaust gas 116 and water 122. The exhaust gas 116 is discharged from the turbine engine 10 through one or more core exhaust nozzles 32 to generate thrust, as described above. Therefore, the boiler 212, the condenser 214, and the water separator 216 also define the hot gas path 78 ( Figure 1 ) for directing the combustion gases 112, the exhaust-water mixture 114, and the exhaust gas 116 through the steam system 200 of the turbine engine 10.

[0049] The water pump 218 pumps water 122 (e.g. Figure 2 The steam turbine 220 includes one or more steam turbine blades (not shown) and a steam turbine stator (not shown). The steam 124 is supplied to the steam turbine 220 through one or more steam lines (such as the steam turbine 220). Figure 2 Steam 124 (indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 ) flows from the boiler 212 into the steam turbine 220 , causing the steam turbine blades of the steam turbine 220 to rotate, thereby generating additional work in the output shaft connected to the turbine blades of the steam turbine 220 .

[0050] As described above, the turbocharger engine 16 includes a shaft, also referred to as an engine shaft, that couples the various rotating components of the turbocharger engine 16 and other thrust generating components such as the primary fan 38. Figure 1In the illustrated turbocharger engine 16, these engine shafts include an HP shaft 34 and an LP shaft 36. A steam turbine 220 is coupled to one of the engine shafts of the turbocharger engine 16, such as the HP shaft 34 or the LP shaft 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the steam turbine 220 is coupled to the LP shaft 36. As the steam 124 flows from the boiler 212 through the steam turbine 220, the kinetic energy of the gas is converted by the steam turbine 220 into mechanical shaft work in the LP shaft 36. The steam (as steam 126) leaving the steam turbine 220 with a reduced temperature is then injected into the core air flow path 33, such as into the combustor 26, upstream of the combustor 26, or downstream of the combustor 26. The steam 126 injected into the core air flow path 33 increases the mass flow of the core air 108, so that less core air 108 is required to produce the same amount of work through the turbine section 27. In this way, the steam system 200 extracts additional energy from the heat in the exhaust gas, which would otherwise be wasted.

[0051] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the front end of a turbine engine 10 according to the present disclosure, showing Figure 1 Detail 3. As described above, the inlet 58 (see Figure 1 ) can be used to cool the combustion gases 112 ( Figure 2 ) and condenses (extracts) water from the combustion gases 112 to produce an exhaust-water mixture 114. The bypass air 102 may be used as cooling air flowing through the condenser 214, but if the condenser 214 is positioned within the bypass airflow passage 56, the condenser 214 creates a flow restriction within the bypass airflow passage 56 and may reduce the efficiency or thrust of the turbine engine 10. For example, additional pressure may need to be generated by the primary fan 38 to overcome the restriction (pressure drop) caused by the condenser 214. However, this additional pressure may be contrary to the efficient operation of the turbine engine 10, where it is preferred to move a large amount of bypass air 102 at a low pressure. Therefore, in the embodiments discussed herein, a separate portion of a volume of air 100 flowing into the primary fan 38 is directed through a separate (third) airflow passage (cooling air duct 68) to serve as cooling air 106 for the condenser 214.

[0052] The cooling air duct 68 includes a cooling air inlet 132 and a cooling air outlet 134. After flowing through the cooling air inlet 132, the cooling air 106 is heated by the condenser 214 by absorbing heat from the condenser 214. The cooling air outlet 134 is positioned downstream of the condenser 214 to discharge the cooling air 106 from the cooling air duct 68. Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling air outlet 134 is positioned to discharge the cooling air 106 into the bypass airflow passage 56, and thus the cooling air outlet 134 is located upstream of the fan bypass nozzle 76 (see FIG. Figure 1 ).

[0053] In order to overcome the increased flow resistance (pressure drop) from the condenser 214, the pressure of the cooling air 106 is preferably increased relative to the pressure of the bypass air 102 by the booster fan 60. The size of the booster fan 60 can be designed to overcome the pressure drop from the condenser 214 (and any other components located in the cooling air duct 68). The booster fan 60 can have a pressure ratio of, for example, 1.1 to 1.7. As will be discussed further below, the booster fan blades 62 are coupled to a drive shaft (also referred to herein as a booster fan shaft), and when coupled to the same drive shaft as the primary fan 38, the booster fan 60 can have a pressure ratio of 1.1 to 1.3, or when coupled to a drive shaft different from the primary fan 38, the booster fan 60 can have a pressure ratio of 1.3 to 1.7.

[0054] The length of each boost fan blade 62 is less than the length of each primary fan blade 40. More specifically, each primary fan blade 40 includes an airfoil having a blade length from the root end of the airfoil to the tip end of the airfoil. Similarly, each boost fan blade 62 includes an airfoil having a blade length from the root end of the airfoil to the tip end of the airfoil. The blade length of boost fan blade 62 may be three percent (3.0%) to forty-one point six percent (41.6%) of the blade length of primary fan blade 40.

[0055] In operation, the secondary air 104 flows into the secondary air inlet 70 defined by the cooling air housing 66, more specifically, the secondary air splitter 72, and the pressure of the secondary air 104 is increased. Although other arrangements of the boost fan 60 may be used, the secondary air 104 includes both the cooling air 106 and the core air 108, and the boost fan 60 may be used to increase the pressure of the core air 108 at the compressor section 21 of the turbocharged engine 16 (see FIG. Figure 1 ) through LPC 22 and HPC24 (see Figure 1 ) before increasing the pressure of the core air 108. Therefore, the core air splitter 74 is located downstream of the boost fan 60. The core air splitter 74 and the cooling air housing 66 define a cooling air inlet 132.

[0056] To help guide the secondary air 104 into the boost fan 60 and more specifically into the boost fan blades 62, the boost fan 60 may also include a plurality of inlet guide vanes 142. The inlet guide vanes 142 may be located in the secondary air inlet 70 and may be circumferentially spaced apart. The inlet guide vanes 142 may be variable inlet guide vanes that are movable to control an amount of air flowing into the secondary air inlet 70 (i.e., movable to control an amount of secondary air 104). More specifically, the plurality of inlet guide vanes 142 may be operably coupled to one or more actuators 144 that are configured to change the pitch of the corresponding inlet guide vanes 142. The actuators 144 may be operably coupled to the plurality of inlet guide vanes 142 to collectively and uniformly change the pitch of the inlet guide vanes 142.

[0057] As described above, each boost fan blade 62 is attached to a disc 64. The disc 64 is connected to a drive shaft (also referred to herein as a boost fan shaft), and as the drive shaft rotates, the disc 64 and boost fan blades 62 are driven to rotate at a certain speed, thereby generating the above-mentioned pressure increase. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the boost fan shaft is located on the input side of the gear box assembly 46. More specifically, the drive shaft of the boost fan 60 (boost fan shaft) is the LP shaft 36. The primary fan 38 is connected to the fan shaft 45, which is located on the output side of the gear box assembly 46 to rotate at a certain rotational speed. With the boost fan 60 connected to the input side of the gear box assembly 46 and the primary fan 38 connected to the output side of the gear box assembly 46, the primary fan blades 40 rotate at a rotational speed less than the rotational speed of the boost fan blades 62. With the boost fan blades 62 connected to the input side of the gear box assembly 46, and more specifically, to the LP shaft 36, the boost fan 60 may have a pressure ratio of 1.3 to 1.7.

[0058] Figure 4 According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 Detail 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the front end of the turbine engine, showing the boost fan 160 . Figure 4 The structure of the turbine engine shown is similar to that of the above reference Figure 3 The same reference numerals will be used for components and features in this embodiment that are the same or similar to the components and features described above. The above description of these components also applies to this embodiment, and detailed descriptions of these components and features are omitted here. Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, the primary fan 38 and the booster fan 60 are attached to different sides (different drive shafts) of the gearbox assembly 46 to rotate at different speeds. In this embodiment, the primary fan 38 and the booster fan 160 are connected to the same drive shaft, more specifically, to the fan shaft 45. Therefore, the primary fan 38 and the booster fan 160 rotate at the same speed. With the booster fan blades 62 connected to the fan shaft 45, the booster fan 160 can have a pressure ratio of 1.1 to 1.3.

[0059] Figure 5 According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a front end of a turbine engine, taken from the perspective of Detail 3 , shows steam system 202 . Figure 5 The steam system 202 shown is similar to the steam system 202 shown in FIG. Figures 1 to 4 The steam system 200 discussed. The same reference numerals will be used for components and features in this embodiment that are the same or similar to the components and features described above. The above description of these components also applies to this embodiment, and a detailed description of these components and features is omitted here. In the above embodiment, the combustion gas 112 is discharged from the turbine engine 10 using a nozzle separate from the fan bypass nozzle 76. However, in this embodiment, the combustion gas 112, and more specifically, the low moisture content exhaust gas 116 can be discharged from the exhaust nozzle 232 into the bypass air 102. Therefore, the exhaust nozzle 232 can be positioned within the bypass airflow passage 56, for example, in the downstream portion of the outlet guide vane 52, to discharge the exhaust gas 116 in a downstream direction relative to the bypass airflow passage 56.

[0060] The condenser 214 of this embodiment can be arranged in counter-flow with the cooling air 106. More specifically, the cooling air 106 flows from the cooling air inlet 132 to the cooling air outlet 134 in a direction generally from the front to the rear of the turbine engine 10, and the combustion gases 112 flow through the condenser 214 in a direction generally from the rear to the front. Therefore, the water separator 216 can be positioned on the upstream side of the condenser 214 relative to the flow of the cooling air 106 in the cooling air duct 68 to receive the exhaust-water mixture 114 from the condenser 214. After the water 122 is separated in the water separator 216, the water 122 flows back to the boiler 212 of the steam system 202 (see Figure 2 ), and the exhaust gas 116 is discharged from the exhaust nozzle 232, as described above.

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the aft end of a turbine engine 10 showing a cooling air duct 162 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 The turbine engine 10 and cooling air duct 162 shown are similar to those described above with reference to Figure 1and Figure 2 as well as Figures 3 to 5 The turbine engine 10 and cooling air duct 68 discussed in any one of the embodiments. The same reference numerals will be used for components and features in this embodiment that are the same or similar to the above-mentioned components and features. The above-mentioned description of these components also applies to this embodiment, and the detailed description of these components and features is omitted here.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, cooling air outlet 134 discharges cooling air 106 into bypass airflow passage 56. However, cooling air outlet 134 may be positioned to discharge cooling air 106 to other locations within turbine engine 10. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling air outlets 134 are positioned such that the cooling air 106 flows into and / or exhausts into the core air flow path 33 , such as into the hot gas path 78 . Figure 6 The cooling air 106 shown in FIG. 1 is positioned to discharge the cooling air 106 downstream of the LPT 30 and downstream of the steam system 200. For example, the cooling air 106 can be discharged into the exhaust gas 116, and then the combination of the cooling air 106 and the exhaust gas 116 is discharged from the turbine engine 10 through the core exhaust nozzle 32. Additionally or alternatively, the cooling air 106 can be used as cooling air for various other components within the turbine engine 10 (more specifically, the turbocharger engine 16) after flowing through the condenser 214, so that the cooling air 106 is discharged to the hot gas path 78 ( Figure 1 ) in other parts of the .

[0063] Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the aft end of a turbine engine 10 showing a cooling air duct 164 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The turbine engine 10 and cooling air duct 164 shown are similar to those described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 as well as Figures 3 to 5 The turbine engine 10 and cooling air duct 68 discussed in any one of the embodiments. The same reference numerals will be used for components and features in this embodiment that are the same or similar to the above-mentioned components and features. The above-mentioned description of these components also applies to this embodiment, and the detailed description of these components and features is omitted here.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the cooling air outlet 134 discharges the cooling air 106 into a flow passage of the turbine engine 10, such as the bypass air flow passage 56 (see Figures 1 to 5 ) or core air flow path 33 (see Figure 6). However, the cooling air 106 can be discharged separately from these airflow channels. Therefore, the cooling air duct 164 of the present embodiment includes a cooling air exhaust nozzle 166. The cooling air exhaust nozzle 166 is separated from the fan bypass nozzle 76 and the at least one core exhaust nozzle 32, so that the cooling air 106 is discharged from the cooling air duct 164 separately from the bypass air 102 and the exhaust gas 116.

[0065] The turbine engine discussed herein includes a third or separate flow path or passage (i.e., cooling air duct 68) for cooling air 106, which is used to cool a heat exchanger, such as condenser 214 of steam system 200. With cooling air 106 flowing separately from bypass air 102, bypass air 102 can flow unimpeded by condenser 214, and boost fans 60, 160 can be used to provide a pressure boost to only a portion of the air that bypasses turbocharger engine 16. This arrangement provides increased efficiency and bypass thrust of turbine engine 10 compared to an arrangement in which condenser 214 is positioned in bypass airflow passage 56 and impedes the flow of bypass air 102.

[0066] Further aspects of the disclosure are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses.

[0067] A turbine engine comprises: a fan, a turbocharger, a nacelle circumferentially surrounding the fan, a cooling air duct and a steam system. The fan comprises a plurality of fan blades, which rotate to increase the pressure of a certain amount of air. The turbine engine comprises a burner, a turbine and a core air flow path. The burner burns compressed air and fuel to produce combustion gases. The turbine comprises a turbine shaft. The fan is coupled to the turbine shaft so that rotation of the turbine causes the fan to rotate. The core air flow path is at least partially defined by the burner and the turbine. The nacelle defines a bypass airflow channel between the nacelle and the turbocharger. The cooling air duct is radially defined between the core air flow path and the bypass airflow channel. The certain amount of air from the fan is diverted and flows into the bypass airflow channel as bypass air, flows into the cooling air duct as cooling air, and flows into the core air flow path as core air. The steam system extracts water from the combustion gases, evaporates the water to produce steam, and injects the steam into the core air flow path, the steam system including a condenser positioned in the cooling air duct to transfer heat from the combustion gases to the cooling air and condense the water in the combustion gases.

[0068] Turbine engine according to the preceding clause, wherein said shaft is a low-pressure shaft and said turbine is a low-pressure turbine.

[0069] A turbine engine as in any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the turbocharger engine further comprises a compressor compressing the core air to produce the compressed air, the compressor being coupled to the turbine shaft and defining a portion of the core air flow path.

[0070] Turbine engine according to the preceding clause, wherein the shaft is a low-pressure shaft, the turbine is a low-pressure turbine and the compressor is a low-pressure compressor.

[0071] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a high-pressure shaft, a high-pressure turbine and a high-pressure compressor. The high-pressure turbine is positioned downstream of the combustor to receive the combustion gases and rotate the high-pressure turbine. The high-pressure turbine is coupled to the high-pressure shaft to rotate the high-pressure shaft when the high-pressure turbine rotates. The high-pressure compressor is positioned in the core air flow path, upstream of the combustor and downstream of the low-pressure compressor. The high-pressure compressor is driven by the high-pressure shaft to compress the core air flowing through the core air flow path and produce the compressed air.

[0072] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a secondary air splitter, the secondary air splitter being arranged downstream of the fan to split the amount of air into the bypass air and the secondary air, the secondary air comprising the core air and the cooling air, the secondary air splitter defining a secondary air inlet.

[0073] A turbine engine as described in any preceding clause, further comprising variable inlet guide vanes positioned in the secondary air inlet and movable to control the amount of air flowing into the secondary air inlet.

[0074] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a core air splitter positioned downstream of the secondary air inlet to split the secondary air into the core air and the cooling air.

[0075] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the fan is a primary fan, the plurality of fan blades are a plurality of primary fan blades, and the turbine engine further comprises: a boost fan positioned downstream of the secondary air inlet, the boost fan comprising a plurality of boost fan blades, the plurality of boost fan blades rotating to increase the pressure of the secondary air.

[0076] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein each of the plurality of primary fan blades comprises an airfoil having a blade length from a root end of the airfoil to a tip end of the airfoil, and each of the plurality of boost fan blades comprises an airfoil having a blade length from a root end of the airfoil to a tip end of the airfoil, the blade length of the boost fan blade being 3.0% to 41.6% of the blade length of the primary fan blade.

[0077] A turbine engine as described in any preceding clause, wherein each primary fan blade and each boost fan blade is coupled to a fan shaft to rotate at the same speed as the fan shaft.

[0078] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses further comprises a gearbox assembly, the gearbox assembly comprising an input shaft and an output shaft, the gearbox assembly comprising a plurality of gears to reduce the speed of the output shaft relative to the input shaft, wherein each boost fan blade is coupled to the boost fan shaft to rotate at a certain rotational speed with the boost fan shaft, the boost fan shaft is coupled to the input shaft of the gearbox assembly, and each primary fan blade is coupled to a primary fan shaft to rotate with the primary fan shaft, the primary fan shaft is coupled to the output shaft of the gearbox assembly so that the primary fan blade rotates at a rotational speed less than the rotational speed of the boost fan blade.

[0079] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the boost fan has a pressure ratio of 1.1 to 1.3.

[0080] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the boost fan has a pressure ratio of 1.3 to 1.7.

[0081] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising an outer turbine casing circumferentially surrounding the turbocharger engine and a cooling air casing circumferentially surrounding the supercharger fan and defining the cooling air duct between the cooling air casing and the outer turbine casing.

[0082] Turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the secondary air splitter is a front part of a cooling air casing.

[0083] Turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the cooling air duct comprises a cooling air outlet positioned downstream of the condenser to discharge the cooling air.

[0084] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the cooling air outlet discharges the cooling air into the bypass air flow passage.

[0085] A turbine engine as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the cooling air outlet discharges the cooling air into the core air flow path.

[0086] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses further comprises: a fan bypass nozzle positioned downstream of the fan to discharge the bypass air; and at least one core exhaust nozzle positioned downstream of the combustor to discharge the combustion gas from the turbine engine, wherein the cooling air outlet is an exhaust nozzle separated from the fan bypass nozzle and the at least one core exhaust nozzle.

[0087] A turbine engine as described in any preceding clause, wherein said at least one core exhaust nozzle discharges said combustion gases into said bypass air flow passage.

[0088] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a plurality of exit guide vanes positioned in the bypass airflow passage downstream of the fan, the at least one core exhaust nozzle being located in one of the plurality of exit guide vanes.

[0089] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a secondary air splitter, the secondary air splitter being arranged downstream of the fan to split the certain amount of air into the bypass air and the secondary air, the secondary air comprising the core air and the cooling air, the secondary air splitter defining a secondary air inlet, wherein the plurality of outlet guide vanes are located downstream of the secondary air splitter.

[0090] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the steam system includes a boiler located downstream of the burner, the boiler receiving the water extracted from the combustion gases and being fluidly connected to the burner to receive the combustion gases and boil the water to produce the steam.

[0091] A turbine engine as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the steam system comprises a water pump in fluid communication with the condenser and the boiler to direct an extracted water flow from the condenser to the boiler.

[0092] A turbine engine as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the steam system comprises a steam turbine receiving the steam to rotate the steam turbine, the steam turbine being coupled to the turbine shaft to rotate the turbine shaft when the steam turbine rotates.

[0093] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the combustor is fluidly connected to the steam system downstream of the steam turbine to receive the steam after it has passed through the steam turbine and to inject the steam into the combustor.

[0094] A turbine engine as in any preceding clause, wherein the combustor is fluidly connected to the steam system to receive the steam and inject the steam into the combustor.

[0095] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the condenser is located downstream of the combustor to condense water in the combustion gases and produce an exhaust-water mixture, wherein the steam system includes a water separator, which is located downstream of the condenser relative to the combustion gas flow to receive the exhaust-water mixture and separate the water from the exhaust-water mixture.

[0096] Turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the water separator is located in the cooling air duct.

[0097] Turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the water separator is located in the cooling air duct upstream of the condenser with respect to the cooling air flow.

[0098] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the steam system comprises a boiler located downstream of the combustor, the boiler being fluidly connected to the water separator to receive extracted water therefrom.

[0099] A turbine engine as described in any preceding clause, wherein the steam system comprises a water pump in fluid communication with the water separator and the boiler to direct a flow of water from the water separator into the boiler.

[0100] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the water separator is an inertial separator.

[0101] A turbine engine as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the water separator is a cyclone separator.

[0102] A turbine engine comprises: a primary fan, a turbocharger, a nacelle circumferentially surrounding the primary fan, a cooling air duct, a heat exchanger, a secondary air splitter and a boost fan. The primary fan comprises a plurality of primary fan blades, which rotate to increase the pressure of a certain amount of air. The turbocharger comprises: a burner, which burns compressed air and fuel to produce combustion gases; a turbine, which comprises a turbine shaft, the primary fan is coupled to the turbine shaft, so that the rotation of the turbine causes the fanned primary wind to rotate; and a core air flow path, which is at least partially defined by the burner and the turbine. The nacelle defines a bypass airflow channel between the nacelle and the turbine engine. The cooling air duct is radially defined between the core air flow path and the bypass airflow channel. The certain amount of air from the primary fan is split and flows into the bypass airflow channel as bypass air, flows into the cooling air duct as cooling air, and flows into the core air flow path as core air. The heat exchanger is positioned in the cooling air duct to transfer heat from a heat source within the turbine engine to the cooling air. The secondary air splitter is positioned downstream of the primary fan to split the amount of air into the bypass air and the secondary air. The secondary air includes the core air and the cooling air. The secondary air splitter defines a secondary air inlet. The boost fan is positioned downstream of the secondary air inlet. The boost fan includes a plurality of boost fan blades that rotate to increase the pressure of the secondary air.

[0103] Turbine engine according to the preceding clause, wherein said shaft is a low-pressure shaft and said turbine is a low-pressure turbine.

[0104] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, the turbocharger engine further comprising a compressor compressing the core air to produce the compressed air, the compressor being coupled to the turbine shaft and defining a portion of the core air flow path.

[0105] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the shaft is a low-pressure shaft, the turbine is a low-pressure turbine and the compressor is a low-pressure compressor.

[0106] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a high-pressure shaft, a high-pressure turbine and a high-pressure compressor. The high-pressure turbine is positioned downstream of the combustor to receive the combustion gases and rotate the high-pressure turbine. The high-pressure turbine is coupled to the high-pressure shaft to rotate the high-pressure shaft when the high-pressure turbine rotates. The high-pressure compressor is positioned in the core air flow path, upstream of the combustor and downstream of the low-pressure compressor. The high-pressure compressor is driven by the high-pressure shaft to compress the core air flowing through the core air flow path and produce the compressed air.

[0107] A turbine engine as described in any preceding clause, further comprising a variable inlet guide vane positioned in the secondary air inlet and movable to control the amount of air flowing into the secondary air inlet.

[0108] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a core air splitter positioned downstream of a secondary air inlet to split the secondary air into the core air and the cooling air.

[0109] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein each of the plurality of primary fan blades comprises an airfoil having a blade length from a root end of the airfoil to a tip end of the airfoil, and each of the plurality of boost fan blades comprises an airfoil having a blade length from a root end of the airfoil to a tip end of the airfoil, the blade length of the boost fan blade being 3.0% to 41.6% of the blade length of the primary fan blade.

[0110] A turbine engine as described in any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the plurality of primary fan blades and the plurality of boost fan blades are coupled to a fan shaft to rotate at the same speed as the fan shaft.

[0111] A turbine engine as in any preceding clause, wherein the plurality of primary fan blades are coupled to the fan shaft and the plurality of boost fan blades are coupled to a boost fan shaft, wherein the fan shaft and the boost fan shaft rotate at different speeds.

[0112] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses further comprises a gearbox assembly, the gearbox assembly comprising an input shaft and an output shaft, the gearbox assembly comprising a plurality of gears to reduce the speed of the output shaft relative to the input shaft, wherein each boost fan blade is coupled to the boost fan shaft to rotate at a certain rotational speed with the boost fan shaft, the boost fan shaft is coupled to the input shaft of the gearbox assembly, and wherein each primary fan blade is coupled to the primary fan shaft to rotate with the primary fan shaft, the primary fan shaft is coupled to the output shaft of the gearbox assembly so that the primary fan blade rotates at a rotational speed less than the rotational speed of the boost fan blade.

[0113] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the boost fan has a pressure ratio of 1.1 to 1.3.

[0114] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the boost fan has a pressure ratio of 1.3 to 1.7.

[0115] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising an outer turbine casing circumferentially surrounding the turbocharger engine and a cooling air casing circumferentially surrounding the supercharger fan and defining the cooling air duct between the cooling air casing and the outer turbine casing.

[0116] Turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the secondary air splitter is a front part of a cooling air casing.

[0117] Turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the cooling air duct comprises a cooling air outlet positioned downstream of the heat exchanger to discharge the cooling air.

[0118] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the cooling air outlet discharges the cooling air into the bypass air flow passage.

[0119] A turbine engine as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the cooling air outlet discharges the cooling air into the core air flow path.

[0120] The turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses further comprises: a fan bypass nozzle positioned downstream of the primary fan to discharge the bypass air; and at least one core exhaust nozzle positioned downstream of the combustor to discharge the combustion gas from the turbine engine, wherein the cooling air outlet is an exhaust nozzle separated from the fan bypass nozzle and the at least one core exhaust nozzle.

[0121] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the heat exchanger is a condenser.

[0122] A turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising a steam system which extracts water from the combustion gases, evaporates the water to produce steam, and injects the steam into the core air flow path, the steam system comprising the condenser to transfer heat from the combustion gases to the cooling air and condense water in the combustion gases.

[0123] Although the foregoing description is directed to a preferred embodiment, other variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. In addition, features described in conjunction with one embodiment may be used in conjunction with other embodiments, even if not explicitly stated above.

Claims

1. A turbine engine, characterized in that: include: a fan, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades, the plurality of fan blades rotating to increase the pressure of a certain amount of air; A turbocharged engine, the turbocharged engine comprising: a burner that combusts the compressed air and fuel to produce combustion gases; a turbine including a turbine shaft, the fan being coupled to the turbine shaft such that rotation of the turbine causes rotation of the fan; and a core air flow path defined at least in part by the combustor and the turbine; a nacelle circumferentially surrounding the fan, the nacelle defining a bypass airflow passage between the nacelle and the turbocharged engine; a cooling air duct radially defined between the core air flow path and the bypass air flow passage, the amount of air from the fan being diverted and flowing into the bypass air flow passage as bypass air, into the cooling air duct as cooling air, and into the core air flow path as core air; and a steam system that extracts water from the combustion gases, evaporates the water to produce steam, and injects the steam into the core air flow path, the steam system including a condenser positioned in the cooling air duct to transfer heat from the combustion gases to the cooling air and condense the water in the combustion gases.

2. The turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that in, The fan is a primary fan, the plurality of fan blades are a plurality of primary fan blades, and the turbine engine further comprises: a secondary air splitter positioned downstream of the primary fan to split the volume of air into the bypass air and secondary air, the secondary air comprising the core air and the cooling air, the secondary air splitter defining a secondary air inlet; and A booster fan is positioned downstream of the secondary air inlet, the booster fan comprising a plurality of booster fan blades that rotate to increase the pressure of the secondary air.

3. The turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The steam system includes a boiler located downstream of the burner, the boiler receiving the water extracted from the combustion gases and fluidly connected to the burner to receive the combustion gases and boil the water to generate the steam.

4. The turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that: in, The burner is fluidly connected to the steam system to receive the steam and inject the steam into the burner.

5. The turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that in, At least one core exhaust nozzle discharges the combustion gases into the bypass airflow passage.

6. The turbine engine according to claim 5, characterized in that Further comprising a plurality of exit guide vanes positioned in the bypass airflow passage downstream of the fan, the at least one core exhaust nozzle being located in one of the plurality of exit guide vanes.

7. The turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that in, The steam system further includes a steam turbine that receives the steam to rotate the steam turbine, the steam turbine coupled to the turbine shaft to rotate the turbine shaft when the steam turbine rotates.

8. The turbine engine according to claim 7, characterized in that in, The combustor is fluidly connected to the steam system downstream of the steam turbine to receive the steam after the steam flows through the steam turbine and inject the steam into the combustor.

9. The turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that in, The condenser is located downstream of the burner to condense water in the combustion gas and produce an exhaust-water mixture, The steam system further includes a water separator located downstream of the condenser relative to the flow of the combustion gas to receive the exhaust gas-water mixture and separate the water from the exhaust gas-water mixture.

10. The turbine engine according to claim 9, characterized in that in, The water separator is located in the cooling air duct upstream of the condenser with respect to the cooling air flow.

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