CCA Heat Exchanger Cooling for High-Pressure Turbine Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines face challenges in efficiently cooling components due to high temperatures, as pressurized airflows from the compressor section are either too hot or lack sufficient pressure to effectively cool critical components like stage 1 high pressure turbine rotor blades.
Innovation Solution
A cooled cooling air system (CCA) is implemented, utilizing low pressure airflow from a cold location to cool high pressure airflow through a CCA heat exchanger, which then cools hot components via a hot side bleed assembly, avoiding interference with other systems and enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If pressurized airflows from the compressor section are used for cooling, then cooling capacity is improved, but the airflow is either too hot or lacks sufficient pressure to effectively cool critical components
Solution Approach 1:
A CCA heat exchanger is introduced as an intermediary device between the compressor section and the hot components. The heat exchanger receives pressurized airflow from the compressor, cools it using cooling air from the cold side bleed assembly, and delivers the cooled airflow to the hot side bleed assembly for component cooling. This intermediary system resolves the contradiction by transforming the unsuitable pressurized hot airflow into suitable cooled airflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the airflow through the CCA heat exchanger. By introducing cooling air and facilitating heat exchange, the system transforms high-temperature compressor airflow into low-temperature cooled airflow suitable for cooling critical turbine components, while maintaining the beneficial pressure characteristics.
2Temperature
If cooling systems are added to cool hot components, then component temperature is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The CCA system integrates multiple functions into a unified cooling architecture. The same heat exchanger and airflow management system serve multiple hot components (stage 1 HP turbine rotor blades, HP compressor rotor blades, HP compressor stator vanes, turbine mid-frame, and turbine rear frame), reducing overall system complexity compared to implementing separate cooling systems for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the cooling of multiple distinct components into a single integrated CCA system. By combining the cooling pathways for various hot components through common heat exchangers and airflow management, the system reduces the number of independent cooling subsystems required, thereby managing complexity while achieving comprehensive component cooling.
3Temperature
If cooling air is extracted from the working gas flowpath, then cooling capability is improved, but engine efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers cooling capability by extracting cooling air from the working gas flowpath at strategic locations. Rather than discarding this air, the system utilizes it through the CCA heat exchanger to cool critical components, thereby recovering potential thermal management benefits while minimizing the negative impact on engine efficiency through careful placement and management of the extraction points.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The CCA system allows the gas turbine engine to operate more efficiently and achieve improved performance metrics by effectively cooling critical components while minimizing interference with other systems.
Implementation Method 1
a CCA heat exchanger in thermal communication with both the cold side bleed assembly and the hot side bleed assembly to transfer heat to a cooling airflow through the cold side bleed assembly from a cooled airflow through the hot side bleed assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine is provided, having: a bifurcation; and a turbomachine further including a cooled cooling air (CCA) system, the CCA system having: a cold side bleed assembly defining an inlet positioned to be in fluid communication with an airflow over the bifurcation; a CCA heat exchanger in thermal communication with the cold side bleed assembly downstream of the inlet of the cold side bleed assembly; and a hot side bleed assembly defining an inlet in fluid communication with a working gas flowpath through a compressor section, at a compressor discharge cavity, or both, the hot side bleed assembly in thermal communication with the CCA heat exchanger to cool an airflow through the hot side bleed assembly, the hot side bleed assembly further in thermal communication with a hot component of the turbomachine to cool the hot component of the turbomachine.