GB861632A - Method and apparatus for cooling a member such, for example, as a turbine blade of agas turbine engine - Google Patents

Abstract

861,632. Contacting gases with liquids. ROLLS-ROYCE Ltd. June 18, 1959 [June 25, 1958], No. 20279/58. Class 55 (2). [Also in Group XXVI] In an arrangement for cooling a member such as a blade of a gas turbine engine, a quantity of water (or other liquid) is introduced into a chamber which has a perforated wall, air (or other gas) being passed through a conduit of which the perforated wall forms a part so that the air becomes mixed with evaporated particles of water, the latent heat of evaporation of the liquid assisting to cool the air, the mixture of air and water vapour being directed into or on to the member to be cooled. In the gas turbine engine shown, a tank 21 is provided and has a perforated frusto-conical tube 22 therein, the larger diameter end of the tube being connected through duct 24 to a tapping on the compressor 10. Air normally passes through the tube 22 and duct 20 to a manifold 19 and thence through ducts 17a and 18a in the rotor disc 17 and rotor blades 18 respectively finally discharging into the working fluid stream. When greater cooling is necessary, water is passed into the tank 21 from the reservoir 29 and the air then discharges from the tube 22 through the water so that a mixture of air and water vapour passes to the cooling passages in the turbine blades. When the water in the tank 21 is used up, the blades will again be cooled with air alone. In Fig. 3 the perforated tube 22 is connected at its smaller diameter end to the duct 20, the larger diameter end being connected to the duct 24 as in the first embodiment. When greater cooling is required, water is passed into the tank 21 as before and the water is pressurized by air supplied through duct 24a. Water is thus injected through the perforations in tube 22 into the air stream passing therethrough, the air and water vapour passing to the turbine blades as before.