US 6,981,841 B2
Triple circuit turbine cooling
Erich Alois Krammer, West Chester, Ohio (US); Richard Clay Haubert, Hamilton, Ohio (US); Ching-Pang Lee, Cincinnati, Ohio (US); and Harvey Michael Maclin, Cincinnati, Ohio (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Nov. 20, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/718,149.
Prior Publication US 2005/0111964 A1, May 26, 2005
Int. Cl. F03D 11/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 415—115 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A turbofan engine comprising:
a first fan, a second fan, and a multistage compressor joined in serial flow communication for pressurizing air;
a combustor disposed at a discharge end of said compressor for mixing fuel with said pressurized air to form combustion gases;
a first turbine following said combustor and joined by a first shaft to said compressor;
a second turbine following said first turbine and joined to said second fan by a second shaft;
a third turbine following said second turbine and joined to said first fan by a third shaft;
a first cooling circuit joined to an intermediate stage of said compressor for channeling first-pressure air through the center of said first turbine;
a second cooling circuit joined to another intermediate stage of said compressor for channeling second-pressure air to the aft side of said first turbine;
a third cooling circuit joined to said discharge end of said compressor for channeling third-pressure air to the forward side of said first turbine; and
wherein said first, second, and third cooling circuits are joined to sequential stages of said compressor for extracting therefrom said first-pressure air, said second-pressure air, and said third-pressure air at correspondingly increasing pressure and temperature.