General Electric Company

Albert Myers

David Martin Johnson

Iain Robertson Kellock

Sacheverel Quentin Eldrid

Hans M Knuijt

Brendan F Sexton

Kyle E Coneybeer

John Edward Ford

Diether E Carreno

Ian David Wilson

Kenneth W Beebe

Gene David Palmer

Martin C Hemsworth

Philip Michael Caruso

James D Yuille

Gale V Slocum

Juergen M Tessarzik

A turbine includes a plurality of inner shell sections mounting first and second stage nozzle and shroud portions. The inner shell sections are pinned to an outer containment shell formed of sections to preclude circumferential movement of the inner shell relative to the outer shell and enable thermal expansion and contraction of the inner shell relative to the outer shell. Positive bucket tip clearance control is afforded by passing a thermal medium about the inner shell in heat transfer relation with the shrouds about the first and second stage bucket tips, the thermal medium being provided from a source of heating/cooling fluid independent of the turbine. Access is provided to the rotor and turbine buckets by removing the outer and inner shell sections.

Removable inner turbine shell with bucket tip clearance control

Removable inner turbine shell and bucket tip clearance control

A turbine includes a plurality of inner shell sections mounting first and second stage nozzle and shroud portions. An outer housing surrounds the inner shell sections and includes at least two outer shell sections overlying the inner shell sections. The inner shell sections are releasably connected to one another and the outer shell sections are releasably connected to one another. Upon removing an outer shell section, an access opening is provided through which an uppermost inner shell section is removed. Rollers are provided between the lower outer and inner shell sections so that the lower inner shell section is rotated into the access opening and can be removed through the access opening.

A rotor cooling circuit includes a cooling medium supply reservoir for supplying cooling medium to a plurality of axial passages through the turbine wheel and spacer disc rims. A passageway communicates cooling medium from the reservoir for flow in series and in a serpentine manner in and about the cavities between the wheels and discs. The flows are reunited at a plenum for flowing the cooling medium into first and second stage buckets. Return passages through the rims of the wheels and spacer discs return spent cooling medium from the buckets to a return location external of the rotor. Transition elements between the buckets and spacer plates in the rotor rim accommodate any thermal mismatch between the adjoining buckets and spacer plates to prevent cooling medium leakage at the joints.

Closed or open circuit cooling of turbine rotor components

A gas turbine combustion system includes a plurality of combustors within a pressure vessel, each combustor including a combustion liner defining a combustion chamber having a reaction zone and a dilution zone, the liner in the dilution zone provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced dilution air feed holes. A flow shield surrounds each combustion liner in radially spaced relation thereto for feeding compressor discharge air to the combustion chamber. Air staging apparatus directly controls the amount of compressor discharge air fed into each combustion chamber dilution zone via the dilution air feed holes. The apparatus includes a plurality of pressure vessel extraction ports and associated conduits for introducing compressor discharge air into a first manifold common to the plurality of combustors; a dilution air control valve located between each extraction port and the first manifold; and a second, annular manifold surrounding the flow shield and including feed tubes connecting the second manifold to each of the dilution air feed holes in the combustion liner.

Combustor external air staging device

The steam transfer arrangement includes dovetail connections between a turbine bucket 14 and rotor wheel 12 wherein a steam supply passage 20 in the rotor wheel registers with a steam return passageway 28 in the bucket and a steam return passageway 30 in the bucket lies in registry with a steam return passage in the wheel. At the interface of the dovetail connection, each registering passage and passageway includes a sleeve 50, 52 disposed in an enlarged recess 54, 56, the sleeves having annular spherical sealing surfaces for engagement with annular spherical seats on the turbine bucket. The sleeves are compressible radially relative to the bucket to enable the bucket to be secured to the wheel and expand radially outwardly to ensure sealing fit between the sealing surfaces and seats.

Steam transfer arrangement for turbine bucket cooling

A mounting assembly for use with crossfire tubes connected between plural combustors arranged in a spaced relation about a turbine, wherein the assembly includes a wire retainer formed to connect a crossfire tube end to the retainer by compressive side loading of the tube and further formed to connect the tube to a mounting base by compressive forces in a different direction between the base and the retainer wire.

Tube mounting apparatus including a wire retainer

The movable combustion system includes an outer liner defining a venturi and a centerbody including an inner liner terminating in swirler blades defining a gap at the rearmost end of the centerbody with the venturi. A secondary fuel nozzle lies within the centerbody. The centerbody is mounted to the combustor cover for axial translational non-rotational movement from a location outside the cover and during gas turbine operation to axially displace the secondary fuel nozzle and alter the gap between the centerbody and the venturi.

Movable combustion system for a gas turbine

A nozzle cover for a combustor of a combination fuel gas turbine engine is cast as a one-piece integral part requiring machining only for holes, sealing surfaces and threads. The nozzle cover cross section is generally a portion of an ellipsoid in order to maximize strength for a given amount of material. An interface between the nozzle cover and each of a plurality of combination fuel nozzles employs a single threaded opening accommodating two of a required three nozzles. The third nozzle in each combination fuel nozzle is accommodated in threads formed in a stepped wall in the nozzle cover.

Integral fuel nozzle cover for gas turbine combustor

A sensor probe is affixed at an end of a probe adapter which includes an extended portion which is radially flexible but torsionally stiff. A guideway which passes from an accessible location in a machine to the vicinity or the target surface guides the sensor probe to its operative location. Final positioning of the sensor probe is attained by abutment of a forward shoulder on the probe adapter with an abutment shoulder fixed to the machine a predetermined distance from the target surface to be monitored. This permits removal and replacement of sensor probes without requiring final adjustment of the replacement sensor probe. One embodiment of the invention permits final adjustment and locking of the sensor probe in position after full assembly of the bearing housing by providing a star wheel on an adjustment sleeve which, after adjustment is locked in position by a setscrew.

Growing community of inventors

Amsterdam, NY, United States of America

Albert Myers