Gas turbine engine clearance control

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure is a unique gas turbine engine having a bearing system and method of operating the engine. Another embodiment is a unique rotor machine. Desired clearances are maintained in the engine and rotor and by the method. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for rotor machines, such as but not limited to, gas turbine engines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gas turbine engine, comprising:
 a rotor;   at least one of: a bearing system having a bearing with a bearing race and a bearing internal clearance; a damper system having a damper disposed in a damper gland and having a damper clearance; and a sealing system having a sealing component and a seal clearance; and   at least one thermoelectric module configured to achieve a desired value for at least one of the bearing internal clearance, the damper clearance and the seal clearance by changing a diameter of at least one of the bearing race, the damper, the damper gland and the sealing component during operation of the gas turbine engine.   
     
     
         2 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric module is configured to change the diameter of the bearing race by selectively heating and cooling the bearing race. 
     
     
         3 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a rolling element bearing. 
     
     
         4 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a roller bearing. 
     
     
         5 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the bearing race is an outer bearing race. 
     
     
         6 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , further comprising a bearing housing configured to house the bearing, wherein the at least one thermoelectric module is mounted on or in the bearing housing. 
     
     
         7 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the damper is a squeeze film damper configured to damp rotor oscillations based at least in part on a size of the damper clearance. 
     
     
         8 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric module is configured to eliminate the damper clearance during operation of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         9 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric module is configured to control the damper clearance during operation of the gas turbine engine to achieve a desired damping level. 
     
     
         10 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing system is a labyrinth seal system. 
     
     
         11 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 10 , wherein the sealing component is a stationary seal of the labyrinth seal system. 
     
     
         12 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a second thermoelectric module configured to achieve the desired value for at least another of the bearing internal clearance, the damper clearance and the seal clearance by changing a diameter of at least one of the bearing race; the damper, the damper gland and the sealing component during operation of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         13 . A method for operating a gas turbine engine, comprising: controlling at least one thermoelectric module to achieve a desired value for at least one of a bearing internal clearance, a damper clearance and a seal clearance by changing a diameter of at least one of a bearing race, a damper, a damper gland and a sealing component during operation of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising controlling at least one thermoelectric module to reduce the bearing internal clearance by changing the diameter of the bearing race. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising controlling at least one thermoelectric module to change the diameter of a damping system to eliminate the damper clearance at at least one selected operating point of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising controlling at least one thermoelectric module to change the diameter of a damping system to achieve a desired damper clearance at at least one selected operating point of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising controlling the at least one thermoelectric module to change a diameter of a sealing system to reduce the seal clearance at at least one selected operating point of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
         18 . A rotor machine, comprising:
 a rotor;   at least one of: a bearing system having a bearing with a bearing race and a bearing internal clearance; a damper system having a damper disposed in a damper gland and having a damper clearance; and a sealing system having a sealing component and a seal clearance; and   means for achieving a desired value for at least one of the bearing internal clearance, the damper clearance and the seal clearance by changing a diameter of at least one of the bearing race, the damper, the damper gland and the sealing component during operation of the rotor machine.   
     
     
         19 . The rotor machine of  claim 18 , wherein the means for achieving a desired value includes at least one thermoelectric module configured to heat at least one of the bearing race, the damper, the damper gland and the sealing component during operation of the rotor machine. 
     
     
         20 . The rotor machine of  claim 18 , wherein the means for achieving a desired value includes at least one thermoelectric module configured to cool at least one of the bearing race, the damper, the damper gland and the sealing component during operation of the rotor machine.