Fluid flow control system

• Main Author: TIMOTHY JOHN SCANLON
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.11.2007
• Subjects: AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; FLUID-CIRCUIT ELEMENTS PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR COMPUTING ORCONTROL PURPOSES; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAMTURBINES; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS; POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS; STEAM ENGINES; WEAPONS

A fluid flow control system 24 comprises a fluidic device (such as a vortex amplifier) 26, having a main fluid flow path 34 and a control fluid flow path 30, having a valve 28 for controlling the flow of control fluid there through, at least part of the control fluid path 30 coinciding with at least part of the main fluid flow path 34, whereby the flow of fluid 22 out of the fluidic device is controlled. The main fluid flow path 34 may communicate with a relatively low pressure stage of a compressor 13 of a gas turbine engine, and the control fluid path 30 may communicate with a relatively high pressure stage. The output of the fluidic device 22 may provide cooling air to a turbine 16 or a compressor. A plurality of fluidic control devices may be provided and in one arrangement there is a fluidic control device at a compressor and a plurality of fluidic devices arranged around a turbine and supplied with control fluid via a manifold. In another arrangement, the fluidic device controls the venting of a mixture of oil and air from a bearing chamber.