Patent ID: 9719425
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: F01D,F02C

Claim:
1. A turbine wheel comprising: a body having a substantially hollow interior and a radial exterior; a first substantially axial passage positioned within the turbine wheel adjacent to the rotor, the first substantially axial passage communicating rotor purge air along its length; a second substantially axial passage positioned within the turbine wheel between the first substantially axial passage and the radial exterior so as to be radially spaced apart from the first substantially axial passage, the second substantially axial passage having at least one outlet in communication with at least one cooled component of the turbine wheel; a plurality of substantially radial passages positioned between the first substantially axial passage and the second substantially axial passage, each substantially radial passage of the plurality of substantially radial passages possessing an inlet in fluid communication with the first substantially axial passage and an outlet in fluid communication with the second substantially axial passage, wherein the communicated rotor purge air flows from the first substantially axial passage through the respective inlets of the plurality of substantially radial passages and out the respective outlets of the plurality of substantially radial passages and into the second substantially axial passage so as to flow within at least a portion of the second substantially axial passage and flow out through the at least one outlet of the second substantially axial passage and cool the at least one cooled component of the turbine wheel; and a bucket supply air source in fluid communication with the second substantially axial passage, wherein the second substantially axial passage directs a combined stream of the bucket supply air from the bucket supply air source and the rotor purge air into the at least one outlet of the second substantially axial passage.