GB1012909A - Improvements in anti-icing means for the compressor of a gas turbine engine - Google Patents

Abstract

1,012,909. Gas turbine engines; axial-flow compressors. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. Dec. 5, 1963 [Dec. 7, 1962], No. 48065/63. Headings FIC and F1G. The invention relates to the provision of antiicing means for the compressor of a gas turbine engine having rotatably mounted inlet guide vanes and possibly also stator vanes, each vane being formed with a cavity divided into two interconnected compartments at the leading and trailing edges thereof. A valve arrangement is provided in the rotatable supports for each vane to control the flow of a high temperature fluid into the vane compartment at the leading edge in accordance with the angular position of the vane. The gas turbine engine shown comprises an axial flow compressor 10 having a rotor 30 carrying rows of blades 29, and a stator casing 16, 25 carrying rotatably mounted inlet guide vanes 18 and rows of fixed stator vanes 28. The guide vanes 18 are mounted for rotational movement by means of spindles 19 at the radially outer ends of the vanes, the spindles engaging in bores 20 formed in bosses 21 integral with the stator casing 16. Each guide vane 18 is formed with an internal cavity which is divided into two compartments by means of a partition 50 the arrangement being such that heating fluid such as air tapped from a downstream stage of the compressor may flow through the compartment adjacent the leading edge of the guide vane then through the compartment adjacent the trailing edge discharging therefrom through outlets 51 into the air flowing into the compressor. Each spindle 19 has an internal bore which communicates by way of a port 42 with a port 41 in the wall of the boss 21, the port 41 being aligned with the internal passage of a duct 40. Air is tapped from the compressor through openings 36 into the manifold 35 and passes therefrom through a duct 37 to a second manifold 38 disposed at the upstream end of the casing, the air then passing to the ducts 40 and so into the guide vanes 18. The ports 41, 42 are so disposed that when the guide vanes are in the closed, low engine power position shown in Fig. 3 the ports 41, 42 are in alignment and so maximum flow of heating air is provided for. When the guide vanes are in the open, maximum engine power position shown in Fig. 4, the ports 41, 42 are out of alignment so that a lower amount of heating air, as a percentage of total air flow, is provided for. The first row of stator vanes may also be made angularly adjustable and provided with heating air flow passages and control means similarly to the inlet guide vanes 18. The air may alternatively be supplied to an annular manifold adjacent the radially inner ends of the inlet guide vanes passing therefrom through the hollow spindles which are formed similarly to the spindles described above.