Appeal No. 2002-1840
Application 09/134,993
diffuser 2. The portion of the stream 8 which is
utilized for venting is shown as stream 9. An annular
chamber or space 11 is formed downstream of the rotor
disk 5 between opposed rotor and stator parts and
receives the stream 9 of compressed air. From the
space 11, the stream 9 is divided essentially into two
individual streams 12 and 14. Stream 14 is recycled to
the flow channel of the compressor via an annular slot
13 formed between the rotor vanes 4 and the stator
vanes 1 of the last compressor stage. The stream 12 is
discharged as leakage air into the secondary air system
of the turbine, for example, for turbine cooling
purposes [column 2, lines 43 through 57].
The examiner concedes (see pages 2 and 3 in the final
rejection) that Liebl does not respond to the limitations in
independent claim 1 relating to the “heat exchanger” and the
“compressor impeller.” The Liebl gas turbine engine has no such
elements. To overcome these deficiencies, the examiner turns to
Burrus and Zaehring.
Burrus discloses a gas turbine engine wherein a portion 32
of the compressed air exiting a high pressure compressor is bled
through an opening 102 and into a fuel-air heat exchanger 100
where it is cooled and then routed through a turbine inlet nozzle
vane 42 to various portions of a combustor. Zaehring discloses a
gas turbine engine wherein cooling air tapped from a low pressure
compressor is impelled by vane-like ribs 9 into cooling contact
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