Patent ID: 7810332

Claim:
A gas turbine comprising: a compressor configured to compress combustion air; at least one combustion chamber, a first portion of the compressed combustion air being supplied to the at least one combustion chamber and a fuel being burned in the at least one combustion chamber; at least one first turbine disposed downstream of the combustion chamber, hot combustion gases from the combustion chamber being expanded in the at least one first turbine so as to perform work; a cooling air cooler, wherein a second portion of the compressed combustion air is branched off and cooled in the cooling air cooler so as to generate cooling air; and a second turbine configured to lower a pressure of the cooling air and to supply the cooling air for cooling purposes, wherein the second turbine is disposed upstream of the cooling air cooler, and wherein the second portion of the compressed combustion air is provided from the cooling air cooler to the at least one first turbine.