Search

EP-4296472-B1 - AIRCRAFT ENGINE, GAS TURBINE INTAKE THEREFORE, AND METHOD OF GUIDING EXHAUST GASSES

EP4296472B1EP 4296472 B1EP4296472 B1EP 4296472B1EP-4296472-B1

Inventors

  • LEFEBVRE, GUY
  • GOVER, CHRISTOPHER
  • SYNNOTT, REMY

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230623

Claims (15)

  1. A gas turbine intake (16; 116) comprising: a swirl housing (42; 142) having a tangential inlet (58; 158) for fluidly connecting to an exhaust conduit (22), an annular outlet (52; 152) defined around a central axis (36) and for fluidly connecting to a turbine gas path (34), a swirl path (44) extending circumferentially around the central axis (36) from the tangential inlet (58; 158), and a plurality of vanes (56; 156) located in the swirl housing (42; 142), the vanes (56; 156) circumferentially interspaced from one another relative to the central axis (36), characterized in that each vane (56; 156) has a twisted and flat body having a length extending from a leading end (60) to a trailing end (62), the leading end (60) being oriented mainly circumferentially and axially at the swirl path (44), the trailing end (62) being oriented mainly axially and radially at the annular outlet (52; 152), the twisted and flat body twisting between the leading end (60) and the trailing end (62) around the central axis (36) and around a radial axis (70) perpendicular to the central axis (36).
  2. The gas turbine intake (16; 116) of claim 1, wherein the swirl housing (42; 142) has a radially outer wall (66) forming a radially outer limit of the swirl path (44), an axially proximal wall (80) extending annularly and radially between the annular outlet (52; 152) and the radially outer wall (66), and an axially distal wall (82) having a mainly radially-extending portion (84) connecting the radially outer wall (66), a mainly axially-oriented portion forming a radially inner edge of the annular outlet (52; 152), and a curved portion (86) bridging the mainly axially-oriented portion and the mainly radially-oriented portion.
  3. The gas turbine intake (16; 116) of claim 2, wherein the swirl path (44) manifolds into a plurality of guide paths (54), each guide path (54) being delimited between two adjacent vanes (56; 156), and between the axially-proximal wall (80) and the axially-distal wall (82).
  4. The gas turbine intake (16; 116) of claim 3, wherein each guide path (54) has an inlet (58; 158) at the swirl path (44) and an outlet at the annular outlet (52; 152).
  5. The gas turbine intake (16; 116) of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein each vane (56) has an axially proximal edge (92) joining the axially proximal wall (80), an axially distal edge (94) joining the axially distal wall (82), the axially distal edge (94) being longer than the axially proximal edge (92) and following the curved portion (86) between the leading end (60) and the trailing end (62).
  6. The gas turbine intake (116) of any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the curved portion (86) is a toroidally-curved portion.
  7. The gas turbine intake (16) of any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the swirl housing (42) has a generally rectangular cross-section with a rounded edge at the curved portion (86).
  8. An aircraft engine (10) comprising : an exhaust conduit (22); at least one combustion engine (12) having an exhaust gas outlet fluidly connected to the exhaust conduit (22); at least one gas turbine (14) having a casing (32) defining a radially outer limit of an annular gas path (34) extending along and around a central axis (36), and at least one rotor (15) having a shaft (38) concentric to the central axis (36), a plurality of blades (40) circumferentially interspaced from one another around the central axis (36) and protruding radially from the shaft (38) across the annular gas path (34); and the gas turbine intake (16; 116) of any preceding claim, wherein the tangential inlet (58; 158) is fluidly connected to the exhaust conduit, and the annular outlet (52;152) is fluidly connected to the annular gas path (34).
  9. The aircraft engine (10) of claim 8, wherein the shaft (38) of the gas turbine (14) is mechanically connected to a shaft of the combustion engine (12).
  10. The aircraft engine (10) of claim 8 or 9, further comprising a compressor (18) having an outlet fluidly connected to an intake (16; 116) of the combustion engine (12), the gas turbine (14) mechanically driving the compressor (18).
  11. The aircraft engine (10) of any of claims 8 to 10, further comprising an electric machine operable as an electric generator, the gas turbine (14) operable to drive the electric generator.
  12. A method of guiding exhaust gasses to a gas turbine (14) comprising the gas turbine intake (16; 116) according to any of claims 1-7, the method comprising: tangentially receiving the exhaust gasses at the ecircularly extending swirl path (44); manifolding the swirl path (44) into a plurality of circumferentially distributed guide paths (54) at the plurality of vanes (56), each guide path (54) scooping the exhaust gasses at the swirl path (44); and redirecting a circumferential velocity of the exhaust gasses i) radially inwardly and ii) axially, the guide paths (54) collectively outputting an annular, axially oriented, flow of exhaust gasses.
  13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the outputted annular, axially oriented flow of exhaust gasses driving a gas turbine (14), the gas turbine (14) extracting power from the flow of exhaust gasses.
  14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein said receiving the exhaust gasses includes receiving the exhaust gasses from a combustion engine (12).
  15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the gas turbine (14) outputting mechanical power to: a compressor (18), the compressor (18) compressing air upstream of an intake (16; 116) of the combustion engine (12); and/or an electric machine operating as an electric generator.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates generally to aircraft engines and, more particularly, to a gas turbine intake, to an aircraft engine comprising such gas turbine intake, and to a method of guiding exhaust gasses to a gas turbine comprising such gas turbine intake. BACKGROUND OF THE ART A gas turbine typically has an annular flow path. In an axial flow path configuration, the annular flow path may extend axially across one or more alternating sets of stator vanes and rotary blades. In a gas turbine engine, the gas path extends annularly and in sequence across one or more compressor stages and a combustor upstream of one or more turbine stages, and the gas turbine in the form of the one or more turbine stages may readily receive an annular flow of hot gasses from the combustor. In some other embodiments, such as gas turbines which can be used for powering a propulsor and/or powering a compressor, the source of hot exhaust gasses may not be readily available in an annular configuration, and a challenge can exist in transitioning the hot exhaust gas flow from its source configuration to an annular configuration. Such challenges can be amplified when taking additional factors into consideration such as limiting aerodynamic losses, limiting weight, limiting manufacturing costs, etc. There always remains room for improvement. US 9,181,855 discloses a turbocharger with an axial turbine stage. US 6,302,647 discloses a turbine inlet scroll. DE 32 42 713 discloses an inlet housing for a steam turbine. GB 2,063,368 discloses an axial flow supercharger for internal combustion engines. KR 2012/0095899 discloses a device for filtering the intake air of an internal combustion engine having ventilation means. EP 3,043,056 discloses an exhaust duct for a gas turbine engine. SUMMARY In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas turbine intake comprising: a swirl housing having a tangential inlet fluidly connecting an exhaust conduit, an annular outlet defined around a central axis and fluidly connecting a turbine gas path, a swirl path extending circumferentially around the central axis from the tangential inlet, and a plurality of vanes located in the swirl housing, the vanes circumferentially interspaced from one another relative the central axis, each vane having a twisted and flat body having a length extending from a leading end to a trailing end, the leading end being oriented mainly circumferentially and axially at the swirl path, the trailing end being oriented mainly axially and radially at the annular outlet, the twisted and flat body twisting between the leading end and the trailing end around the central axis and around a radial axis perpendicular to the central , axis. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the swirl housing has a radially outer wall forming a radially outer limit of the swirl path, an axially proximal wall extending annularly and radially between the annular outlet and the radially outer wall, and an axially distal wall having a mainly radially-extending portion connecting the radially outer wall, a mainly axially-oriented portion forming a radially inner edge of the annular outlet, and a curved portion bridging the mainly axially-oriented portion and the mainly radially-oriented portion. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the curved portion is a toroidally-curved portion. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the swirl path manifolds into a plurality of guide paths, each guide path being delimited between two adjacent vanes, and between the axially-proximal wall and the axially-distal wall. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, each vane has an axially proximal edge joining the axially proximal wall, an axially distal edge joining the axially distal wall, the axially distal edge being longer than the axially proximal edge and following the curved portion between the leading end and the trailing end. Optionally, and in accordance with any of the above, the swirl housing has a generally rectangular cross-section with a rounded edge at the curved portion. In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aircraft engine in accordance with claim 8. In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of guiding exhaust gasses to a gas turbine in accordance with claim 12. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine;Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, enlarged, of a portion of the gas turbine engine of Fig. 1;Figs. 3A to 3D are a collection of views of a gas turbine intake in accordance with a first embodiment, including an oblique view from a proximal side, a partly sectioned view from the proximal side, an oblique and fragmented view from a distal side, and a fragmented tangential view.Fig. 4A is an oblique view of a gas turbine intake in accordance with a second embodime