HIGH PRESSURE TURBINE DIRT BLOCKER

A dirt blocker (80) including a support structure (78) disposed within a gas turbine engine, the support structure (78) defining an upstream control volume (84) proximate a forward portion of the gas turbine engine (20) and a downstream control volume (86) proximate an aft portion of the gas turbine engine (20), the downstream control volume (86) being opposite the upstream control volume (84) relative to the support structure, a flow passage formed through the support structure (78), the flow passage (82) configured to fluidly couple the upstream control volume (84) with the downstream control volume (86); a radial contact wall (92) formed from the support structure (78) in fluid communication with the upstream control volume (84), the radial contact wall (92) configured to intercept debris (68) entrained within cooling air (60) within the gas turbine engine (20); and a stagnation zone (100) fluidly coupled with the flow passage (82), the stagnation zone (100) configured to reduce momentum of the debris (68).