Patent ID: 8523512

Claim:
A method for mitigating restart pinch during a hot restart comprising: providing a gas turbine engine including a stator including a casing having an inner surface; a rotor rotatably situated within the casing, the rotor adapted to rotate about an axis of rotation, the rotor comprising a blade, the blade having a tip proximal the inner surface of the casing; providing an external heat source capable of selectively supplying auxiliary heat to the casing; operating the gas turbine engine for a first period of time at a steady state condition without supplying the auxiliary heat to the casing; and supplying the auxiliary heat to the casing for a second period of time when shutting down the gas turbine after operating at the steady state condition for the first period of time; wherein the external heat source comprises a fluidic thermal switch adapted to allow heat to be selectively supplied to the casing, the fluidic thermal switch including a vessel having an interior; a first thermal conductor having a first end in thermally-conductive contact with the casing, and a second end extending into the interior of the vessel; and a fluid circuit fluidly communicating with the interior of the vessel configured to selectively supply a fluid to the vessel and vacate the fluid from the vessel as needed.