Patent ID: 7574864

Claim:
A gas turbine engine for power generation, comprising: a rotationally mounted rotor having a longitudinal axis; an axial compressor arranged coaxially along a rotor that produces a compressed intake fluid flow; a combustion chamber arranged downstream of the compressor which receives the fluid flow and a fuel, and combusts the fluid flow and the fuel to form a hot working medium; an annular diffuser for diverting the fluid flow having an outer wall and an inner wall arranged coaxially along the longitudinal axis between the axial compressor and the combustion chamber; and an annular distribution element arranged coaxially along the longitudinal axis of the rotor, between the inner and outer walls of the diffuser, and having an opening which faces the fluid flow and creates a cooling air part-stream of the compressed fluid flow, the distribution element opening arranged on the leading edge of the distribution element and forming an annular opening in a central region between the outer wall and the inner wall, and means for bypassing the combustion chamber and routing the cooling air part-stream toward the rotor.