Patent ID: 11859547
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  Y | IPC F

Claim 12:
13. A turbine engine comprising:
a drive shaft rotatable about an axis;
a multi-stage compressor section circumscribing and driven by the drive shaft, the multi-stage compressor section having a first portion having a first airflow at a first pressure, and a second portion, downstream of the first portion, having a second airflow at a second pressure, higher than the first pressure;
a turbine section circumscribing and operably coupled to the drive shaft;
a thrust bearing provided between the drive shaft and at least a portion of the multi-stage compressor section and rotationally supporting the drive shaft;
a balance cavity, located at least partially axially upstream of the thrust bearing, with respect to the axis, with the balance cavity being fluidly coupled to the second portion such that at least a portion of the second airflow is supplied to the balance cavity;
a balance cavity inlet line fluidly coupling the balance cavity and either a radially inward portion or a radially outward portion of the second portion, with respect to the axis;
a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the balance cavity inlet line, and configured to cool at least a portion of the second airflow before it enters the balance cavity; and
a particle separator fluidly coupled to the balance cavity inlet line and configured to filter a fluid from the second portion before it enters the balance cavity;
wherein during operation of the turbine engine, a first axial force is applied to the thrust bearing in a fore-to-aft direction by the drive shaft, with respect to the axis, and a second axial force is applied by the balance cavity in an opposing direction to the first axial force.