Steam injected inter-turbine burner engine
A turbine engine assembly includes a turbine section including at plurality of turbine stages through which the gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output. An inter-turbine burner between at least two of the plurality of turbine stages reheats the gas flow. A condenser extracts water from the gas flow exhausted from the turbine section, and an evaporator heats the water extracted by the condenser to generate a steam flow with the steam flow communicated to the inter-turbine burner and added to the gas flow expanded through the turbine section.
1 . A turbine engine assembly comprising:
a compressor section in which an inlet airflow is compressed;
a combustor section where compressed airflow from the compressor section is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a gas flow;
a turbine section including a plurality of turbine stages through which the gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output;
an inter-turbine burner where the gas flow between at least two of the plurality of turbine stages is reheated;
a condenser where water is extracted from the gas flow exhausted from the turbine section; and
an evaporator where water extracted by the condenser is heated to generate a steam flow with the steam flow communicated to the inter-turbine burner and added to the gas flow expanded through the turbine section.
2 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of turbine stages is distributed between a high pressure turbine section and a power turbine section and the inter-turbine burner is disposed axially between the high pressure turbine section and the power turbine section.
3 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein a portion of the steam flow is communicated to the combustor section and added to the gas flow generated in the combustor section.
4 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 1 , including a pump where water extracted from the exhaust gas flow is pressurized and communicated to the evaporator.
5 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 4 , including a water storage tank where water extracted from the condenser is stored prior to being pressurized by the pump and communicated to the evaporator.
6 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the evaporator provides thermal communication between the exhaust gas flow and a water flow extracted by the condenser.
7 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 6 , wherein the evaporator is disposed aft of the turbine section.
8 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 7 , wherein the condenser is disposed aft of the evaporator.
9 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein a portion of the inlet airflow is communicated to the condenser wherein the inlet airflow cools the exhaust gas flow.
10 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the inter-turbine burner receives a fuel flow that is mixed with the exhaust gas flow and ignited to generate a reheated exhaust gas flow that is communicated through at least one of the plurality of turbine stages.
11 . The turbine engine assembly as recited in claim 10 , wherein the inter-turbine burner comprises a different power output capacity than the combustor section.
12 . A method of operating a turbine engine comprising:
compressing an inlet airflow in a compressor section;
generating a gas flow by igniting a mixture of the compressed inlet airflow and fuel within a combustor section;
generating a power output by expanding the gas flow through a first turbine section;
generating a reheated gas flow by igniting a mixture of exhaust gases from the first turbine section and fuel within an inter-turbine burner;
generating an additional power output by expanding the reheated gas flow through a second turbine section;
extracting water from the reheated exhaust gas flow in a condenser;
generating a steam flow by heating the extracted water in an evaporator; and
injecting the steam flow into the inter-turbine burner to be expanded through the second turbine section with the reheated gas flow.
13 . The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein a portion of the steam flow is communicated to the combustor section and added to the gas flow generated in the combustor section.
14 . The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the condenser is downstream from the evaporator and the reheated exhaust gas flow is cooled with a portion of the inlet airflow within the condenser.