Air-driven particle pulverizer for gas turbine engine cooling fluid system

Abstract

An air-driven particle pulverizer for a gas turbine engine includes an array of fingers arranged about an axis. Each of the fingers comprises a base and a terminal end. Each terminal end extends away from the axis and canted toward one side. The terminal ends are configured to pulverize particles in a fluid directed onto the terminal ends.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air-driven particle pulverizer for a gas turbine engine comprising:
 an array of fingers arranged about an axis, each of the fingers comprises a base and a terminal end, each terminal end extending away from the axis and canted toward one side, the terminal ends configured to pulverize particles in a fluid directed onto the terminal ends.   
     
     
         2 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1  wherein a radial direction is normal to the axis, and the fingers arranged at a non-normal angle relative to the axis and the radial direction. 
     
     
         3 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1 , wherein the fingers are spaced axially relative to one another at an acute angle. 
     
     
         4 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1 , wherein the fingers are tapered to an apex. 
     
     
         5 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1 , wherein the fingers include a coating providing a hardness greater than a finger substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1 , wherein an enlarged recess is provided between the fingers. 
     
     
         7 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1 , wherein the fingers increase in length as a distance from the side increases. 
     
     
         8 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1 , wherein the array of fingers is configured to be supported by an engine static structure. 
     
     
         9 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 1 , the array of fingers comprises axially spaced apart arrays of annular fingers. 
     
     
         10 . An air-driven particle pulverizer for a gas turbine engine comprising:
 a plurality of fingers arranged in a fluid passageway having an aperture, each of the fingers having a terminal end extending from a base toward a terminal end, the terminal end pointing towards the aperture and configured to pulverize particles that flow through the aperture.   
     
     
         11 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of fingers increase in length as the distance from the aperture increases. 
     
     
         12 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 10  wherein a radial direction is normal to the axis, and the fingers arranged at a non-normal angle relative to the axis and the radial direction. 
     
     
         13 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 10 , wherein the fingers are spaced axially relative to one another at an acute angle. 
     
     
         14 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 10 , wherein the fingers are tapered to an apex. 
     
     
         15 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 10 , wherein the fingers include a coating providing a hardness greater than a finger substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The air-driven particle pulverizer according to  claim 10 , wherein an enlarged recess is provided between the fingers.