Patent ID: 8677766
Filing Date: 2014-03-25
Classification: F01D,F02C,F05D

Abstract:
1. A gas turbine engine having a central axis defining an axial direction comprising: a supply of cooling fluid; a rotatable shaft extending in the axial direction of the engine; shaft cover structure disposed about said shaft such that a flow path extends in the axial direction between said shaft and said shaft cover structure; pre-swirl structure coupled to said shaft cover structure and located radially between said supply of cooling fluid and said flow path, said pre-swirl structure extending in a circumferential direction about said shaft, said pre-swirl structure comprising: wherein a flow direction of the first portion of cooling fluid passing through said flow passage is altered by said swirl members such that the first portion of cooling fluid has a velocity component in a direction tangential to the circumferential direction when the first portion of cooling fluid enters said flow passage; at least one bypass passage defined through said shaft cover structure, said at least one bypass passage receiving a second portion of cooling fluid from said supply of cooling fluid, said at least one bypass passage including an exit opening at an end of said shaft cover structure supplying the second portion of cooling fluid to a turbine rim cavity associated with a first row vane assembly to prevent hot gas ingestion into the turbine rim cavity from a hot gas flow path associated with a turbine section of the engine; and a metering structure associated with an outlet of said at least one bypass passage, said metering structure comprising a corresponding flow passageway formed therein in communication with the outlet of each respective bypass passage for permitting the second portion of cooling fluid in said at least one bypass passage to pass into the turbine rim cavity, wherein at least one of said flow passageways is formed in said metering structure at an angle such that the second portion of cooling fluid flowing out of said at least one flow passageway has a velocity component in the direction tangential to the circumferential direction; wherein: