Adjustable turbine vane cooling

Abstract

A turbine vane cooling system operably coupling a cooling fluid source to a turbine vane assembly is disclosed herein. A plurality of turbine vanes having an airfoil shaped surface forming a substantially hollow body is connected to the turbine vane assembly. An inlet can be operably connected to each turbine vane to form a fluid communication path between a cooling fluid source and an interior of the hollow body of each turbine vane. At least one outlet fluidly communicating with the interior of said hollow body can be formed in the vane. A regulating member can variably block a portion of an inlet of each of the turbine vanes in response to a temperature of each turbine vane.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine vane cooling system comprising:
 a cooling fluid system operably coupling a cooling fluid source and a turbine vane assembly;   a plurality of turbine vanes having an airfoil shaped surface forming a substantially hollow body connected to the turbine vane assembly;   an inlet operably connected to each turbine vane forming a fluid communication path between with the cooling fluid source and an interior of the hollow body of each turbine vane;   at least one outlet fluidly communicating with the interior of said hollow body of each turbine vane; and   a regulating member positioned proximate each inlet operable for blocking a variable portion of each inlet of each turbine vane.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein said regulating member is formed from a material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than a material forming said hollow body. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein said regulating member includes an aperture in fluid communication with said inlet. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 3 , wherein said aperture defines a substantially round orifice that expands and contracts with an increase or decrease, respectively, in temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 1  further comprising: a biasing member engaged with said regulating member. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an electronic actuator operable to move the regulating member between an open and a closed position corresponding to an open inlet flow area and a closed inlet flow area for each turbine vane.   
     
     
         7 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein an electronic controller is operable for sending a position signal to each actuator coupled to a corresponding regulating member, wherein at least one position signal is different from one of the other position signals. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a sensor operable for transmitting at least one of an actual temperature signal or a signal indicative of a temperature of a turbine vane to an electronic controller. 
 
     
     
         9 . The turbine vane cooling system of  claim 8 , wherein said sensor includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a strain gauge, and a piezoelectric sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The vane assembly of  claim 1  wherein said regulating member further comprises:
 a conical portion positioned proximate said inlet; and 
 a rod portion extending from said conical portion, wherein said rod portion changes length in response to a temperature change causing movement of the conical portion relative to said inlet; wherein an inlet flow area increases and decreases with increasing and decreasing temperature, respectively. 
 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising the steps of:
 directing cooling fluid through a plurality of turbine vanes to cool the turbine vanes; and   independently controlling the flow of cooling fluid into each turbine vane with a regulating member operably connected to each turbine vane.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the independent controlling step includes:
 passively controlling a regulating member in response to a turbine vane temperature.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein passively controlling the regulating member includes expanding and contracting a portion thereof to increase or decrease in inlet flow area of a turbine vane. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the independent controlling step includes:
 actively controlling a regulating member in response to at least one of a sensed temperature and a signal indicative of a temperature.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 sending a position signal from an electronic controller to an actuator in response to said sensed temperature and/or said signal indicative of said temperature. 
 
     
     
         16 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
 a compressor section operable to compress fluid;   a combustor section positioned downstream of said compressor section operable to receive said compressed fluid from said compressor section; and   a turbine section positioned downstream of said combustor section operable to receive combustion gases from said combustion chamber;   at least one vane assembly positioned in the turbine section operable to direct fluid further downstream, wherein the at least one vane assembly includes:   a plurality of vanes having partially hollow bodies for receiving a cooling fluid therein;   an inlet fluidly connecting a cooling source and each hollow body of the plurality of vanes;   at least one outlet fluidly communicating with the interior of said hollow body and spaced from said inlet of each of the turbine vanes; and   a regulating member operably connected with each inlet for increasing or decreasing a flow rate of cooling fluid into the inlet of each hollow body in response to a temperature of a corresponding turbine vane.   
     
     
         17 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 16 , wherein said regulating member defines an aperture in fluid communication with said inlet to passively control the flow rate of the cooling fluid entering the inlet. 
     
     
         18 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 16 , wherein said regulating member includes a material with a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than that of a material used to form the turbine vanes. 
     
     
         19 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 an active electronic control system operably connected to the regulating member to control an effective flow area of the inlet.   
     
     
         20 . The gas turbine engine of  claim 19 , wherein said active electronic control system further includes:
 a sensor coupled to each turbine vane and configured to determine a relative temperature of each turbine vane;   an electronic actuator configured to control a position of a corresponding regulating member to define an effective flow area of a corresponding inlet; and   an electronic controller operable for receiving signals indicative of temperature from each of the sensors and for transmitting a position command to each of the actuators, wherein the position command varies as a function of the temperature of each vane.