Systems and methods for active component life management for gas turbine engines

Abstract

The present application thus provides an active cooling system for a compressor and a turbine of a gas turbine engine. The active cooling system may include an air extraction pipe extending from the compressor to the turbine, a heat exchanger positioned about the air extraction pipe, and an external air cooling system in communication with the air extraction pipe.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An active cooling system for a compressor and a turbine of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 an air extraction pipe extending from the compressor to the turbine;   a heat exchanger positioned about the air extraction pipe; and   an external air cooling system in communication with the air extraction pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The active cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the air extraction pipe comprises a plurality of air extraction pipes extending towards the turbine. 
     
     
         3 . The active cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the air extraction pipe comprises an intermediate stage extraction pipe extending to the turbine. 
     
     
         4 . The active cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the air extraction pipe comprises a thirteenth stage extraction pipe extending to a second stage of the turbine. 
     
     
         5 . The active cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the air extraction pipe comprises a flow and temperature sensor thereon. 
     
     
         6 . The active cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the external air cooling system comprises an external air in-take line in communication with a flow of external air. 
     
     
         7 . The active cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the external air cooling system comprises a stage external air line in communication with the flow of eternal air and the air extraction pipe. 
     
     
         8 . The active cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the stage external air line comprises a flow and temperature sensor thereon. 
     
     
         9 . The active cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising a flow and temperature sensor downstream of the turbine. 
     
     
         10 . The active cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising an infrared camera positioned about the turbine. 
     
     
         11 . The active cooling system of  claim 10 , wherein the turbine comprises a plurality of hot gas path components therein and wherein the infrared camera is positioned about the plurality of hot gas path components. 
     
     
         12 . A method of actively cooling hot gas path components in a turbine, comprising:
 determining a temperature of the hot gas path components;   determining a load on the turbine;   conditioning an air extraction to the turbine; and   providing a flow of external air to the air extraction.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of creating operational histories for the hot gas path components based upon the determining steps. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of predicting the lifetime of the hot gas path components based upon the operational histories. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of altering the temperature of the air extraction based upon the predicted lifetime. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of determining the temperature of the hot gas path components comprises measuring an exhaust gas temperature. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of determining the temperature of the hot gas path components comprises optically capturing a temperature distribution thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of creating a condition index based upon the temperature distribution. 
     
     
         19 . An active cooling system for a compressor and a turbine of a gas turbine engine, comprising:
 one or more air extraction pipes extending from an intermediate stage of the compressor to a stage of the turbine;   one or more heat exchangers positioned about the one or more air extraction pipes; and   an external air cooling system in communication with the one or more air extraction pipes.   
     
     
         20 . The active cooling system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more air extraction pipes comprise a ninth stage air extraction pipe extending from a ninth stage of the compressor to a third stage of the turbine and a thirteenth stage air extraction pipe extending from the thirteenth stage of the compressor to a second stage of the turbine and wherein the one or more heat exchangers comprise a ninth stage heat exchanger positioned about the ninth air extraction pipe and a thirteenth stage heat exchanger positioned about the thirteenth air extraction pipe.