General Electric Company

Azad A Ladhani

Ian David Wilson

Sacheverel Quentin Eldrid

Gene David Palmer

Alan Richard DeMania

Philip Michael Caruso

Robert Craig Akin

Lisa Shirley Rathbun

In a turbine having closed-circuit steam-cooling passages about the rim of the rotor during steady-state operation, compressor discharge air is supplied to the rotor bore for passage radially outwardly into the wheel space cavities between the wheels and spacers. Communicating slots and channels in the spacers and wheels at circumferentially spaced positions enable egress of the compressor discharge air into the hot gas flow path. At turbine startup, cooling air flows through the closed-circuit steam passages to cool the outer rim of the rotor while compressor discharge air pre-warms the wheels and spacers. At steady-state, cooling steam is supplied in the closed-circuit steam-cooling passages and compressor discharge air is supplied through the bore and into the wheel space cavities to cool the rotor.

Rotor bore and turbine rotor wheel/spacer heat exchange flow circuit

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Niskayuna, NY, United States of America

Azad A Ladhani