General Electric Company

Bruce William Brisson

David Alan Caruso

Christopher Edward Wolfe

Mark Edward Burnett

Norman Arnold Turnquist

Farshad Ghasripoor

Frederick George Baily

Michael Earl Montgomery

Dennis Roger Ahl

Biao Fang

William Guy Morris

Danian Zheng

David Deloyd Anderson

Cheryl Margaret Surman

Robert Edward Deallenbach

Roderick Mark Lusted

Michael Thomas Hamlin

David James Monk

Edward Arthur Dewhurst

James Harvey Vogan

Franco Sarri

Jeyaruban Selliah Amirtharajah

Mark Arne Florin

Joseph Mark Serafini

Gary Edward Yehle

Mark Steven Pape

Richard Mattice

Kieman Francis Ryan

Fredrick George Baily

A boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel having a feedwater inlet for the introduction of recycled steam condensate and/or makeup coolant into the vessel, and a steam outlet for the discharge of produced steam for appropriate work. A fuel core is located within a lower area of the pressure vessel. The fuel core is surrounded by a core shroud spaced inward from the wall of the pressure vessel to provide an annular downcomer forming a coolant flow path between the vessel wall and the core shroud. A probe system that includes a combination of conductivity/resistivity probes and/or one or more time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes is at least partially located within the downcomer. The probe system measures the coolant level and flow velocity within the downcomer.

System and method for determining coolant level and flow velocity in a nuclear reactor

A seal assembly and method for a turbomachine having a rotary member and a stationary member circumscribing the rotary member. The seal assembly comprises an annular-shaped platform on the rotary member so as to be disposed at an outer circumferential region thereof. The platform is supported radially outward from the rotary member so as to project beyond axially-adjacent regions of the rotary member. The platform has a contact region radially separated from the rotary member by a cavity. A sealing member is disposed at a radially inward region of the stationary member, with a portion of the sealing member in rubbing contact with the contact region.

Turbomachine seal assembly and method therefor

In the diaphragm packing area of a turbine, a raised platform affords an annular sealing surface for contact with a brush seal carried by the diaphragm. The platform includes a plurality of platform sealing segments secured to a locking device carried by the rotor. The locking device includes a pair of raised rims having flanges with teeth projecting axially toward one another and defining slots therebetween. The platform segments each include underlying flanges with axially oppositely directed teeth. By displacing the platform sealing segments radially inwardly and passing the teeth of the locking device and platform segments through the respective slots, the platform segment teeth lie radially inwardly of the locking device teeth. The platform segments are then rotated radially to align the teeth to secure the sealing surface against radial movement. One segment may be staked, welded or screwed to the locking device to preclude circumferential movement during turbine operation.

Raised rotor platform with an internal breech ring locking mechanism for brush seal application in a turbine and methods of installation

In the diaphragm packing area of a steam turbine, a raised platform affords an annular sealing surface for contact with a brush seal carried by the diaphragm. The platform includes a plurality of platform sealing segments secured to a locking device carried by the rotor. The locking device includes a raised rim having flanges with axially oppositely projecting teeth circumferentially spaced one from the other by slots. The platform segments each include a channel section having flanges with axially inwardly directed teeth. By displacing the platform sealing segments radially inwardly and passing the teeth of the locking device and platform segments through the respective slots, the platform segment teeth lie radially inwardly of the locking device teeth. The platform segments are then rotated radially to align the teeth to secure the sealing surface against radial movement. One segment may be staked, welded or screwed to the locking device to preclude circumferential movement during turbine operation.

Raised sealing surface platform with external breech ring locking system for a brush seal in a turbine and methods of installation

In a steam turbine, a combined brush and labyrinth seal is provided between a diaphragm web and a radially outwardly projecting platform between axially adjacent wheels on the rotor. The brush seal is located upstream of the labyrinth seal teeth. The platform has at least one and preferably a pair of flanges or fins projecting in opposite axial directions adjacent radial outer ends of the platform. Non-uniform heat distribution resulting from the frictional contact between the bristles of the brush seal and a sealing surface on the platform along the rotor surface affecting rotor dynamics is thereby eliminated or minimized.

Rotor platform modification and methods using brush seals in diaphragm packing area of steam turbines to eliminate rotor bowing

A locating plate for locating a first piece of rotary machinery relative to a second piece of rotary machinery is provided. The plate has a first periphery surface for mating with a first receiving surface of the first piece of rotary machinery and a second periphery surface for mating with a second receiving surface of the second piece of rotary machinery. The plate also has at least one attaching device for use in attaching the plate to the first piece of rotary machinery and at least one removal device for use in removing the plate from the first piece of rotary machinery. The plate is removably attachable to the second piece of rotary machinery, and the second periphery surface is sizable independently from the first periphery surface.

Rabbet plate for coupling rotors

In a steam turbine, a combined brush and labyrinth seal is provided between a diaphragm web and a sealing surface on a rotatable component radially outwardly of the rotor surface. The contact between the brush seal and sealing surface lies along an axially upstream projecting flange of an annular platform such that heat generated by frictional contact between the bristles and the sealing surface has minimal effect on the rotor surface and hence rotor dynamics. A backup labyrinth seal is provided between the web and platform. Additionally, axially upstream projecting flanges are provided on the downstream buckets and which flanges are spaced radially outwardly of the rotor surface and lie in registration with the diaphragm web. Labyrinth teeth seal between the diaphragm web and the bucket flanges serving as a backup seal.

Method and apparatus for eliminating thermal bowing using brush seals in the diaphragm packing area of steam turbines

A steam turbine has a rotor mounting axially spaced rotor wheels having male dovetails for mounting a plurality of axially spaced buckets having female dovetails. A plurality of arcuate bridging members extend axially between the axially adjacent bucket dovetails at locations spaced radially outwardly of the surface of the rotor shaft. A diaphragm in radial opposition to the bridging member mounts a brush seal having bristles engaging the bridging member. The bridging member carries backup labyrinth seal teeth for sealing with the diaphragm. The friction generated by contact between the brush seal bristles and bridging members lies radially outwardly of the rotor whereby non-uniform distribution of heat about the rotor surface due to frictional contact with the brush seal is avoided, with consequent avoidance of rotor bowing.

Bucket dovetail bridge member and method for eliminating thermal bowing of steam turbine rotors

In a steam turbine, a combined brush and labyrinth seal is provided between a diaphragm web and axial projecting platforms on bucket dovetails at a location spaced radially outwardly of the outer diameter of the rotor. The downstream axially adjacent bucket dovetails also have platforms serving as complementary sealing surfaces to labyrinth teeth formed on the web. By locating the combined labyrinth and brush seal radially outwardly of the outer diameter of the shaft, thermal bowing of the rotor is eliminated. By providing backup labyrinth seals at the same radial location, axial thrust loads are eliminated in the event of brush seal failure.

Method and apparatus for eliminating thermal bowing and axial thrust loads of steam turbine rotors

A turbine shell assembly includes radially inner and outer shell components; axial alignment fits on the inner and outer shell components, each alignment fit comprising a male fit component on one of the inner and outer shell components and a female fit component on the other of the inner and outer shell components, the female fit component comprising a pair of flanges forming a U-shaped channel with opposed faces, and the male fit component comprising a projection received within the U-shaped channel; and a pair of axial alignment keys, each key having a mounting flange for securement along an outer edge of a respective one of the pair of flanges and an alignment flange engaged along a respective one of the opposed faces.

Method and apparatus for axially aligning inner and outer turbine shell components

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Galway, NY, United States of America

Bruce William Brisson