General Electric Company

Daniel Mark Brown

Edward John Sharrow

Xiaoqing Zheng

Douglas Carl Hofer

Fred Thomas Willett, Jr

Norman Douglas Lathrop

Jason Winfred Jewett

Richard Mattice

David Orus Fitts

Stephen Roger Swan

Stephen Hugh Black

George Horner Kirby, Iii

Klaus Manfred Retzlaff

Carol Ann Sterantino

Scott William Blackwell

Brian E Thompson

Andrew Ivan Christopher Hunter

George Kirby

Kristin Segreto

George Horner Kirby

Richard Lloyd Mattice

A seal assembly for sealing between a rotating component and a stationary component in a turbomachine. The seal assembly includes a plurality of radially inwardly projecting, axially spaced teeth extending from the stationary component, wherein at least one of the plurality of teeth has at least one axially extending hole therethrough. Axial flow of an operating fluid through the holes acts as an air-curtain to interrupt swirl flow in a seal cavity, therefore reducing steam force that could act to destabilize rotordynamics.

Swirl interruption seal teeth for seal assembly

A method for assembling a turbine engine including an exhaust diffuser extending aftward from exhaust casing, wherein the method includes coupling a relief diaphragm to the exhaust diffuser and coupling a guide system to the exhaust diffuser such that the guide system is radially inward from the relief diaphragm and defines at least a portion of the exhaust flow path through the exhaust diffuser.

Method and system for reducing turbine exhaust turbulence

A method for assembling a power system is provided. The method includes coupling a first turbine and second turbine together with a coupling that extends between a first rotor of a first turbine and a second rotor of the second turbine, and such that the first turbine has fluid flow along a first flow path, and the second turbine has fluid flow along a second flow path. The method further includes fixedly coupling an outer wall to the first turbine that directs fluid flow from the first flow path towards the second flow path.

Methods and apparatus for assembling turbine engines

The shafts of upstream and downstream turbines are interconnected by a coupling. A diffuser is provided in an intermediate cavity between the upstream and downstream turbines to recover kinetic energy, as well as minimize or eliminate windage and spinning losses resultant from exposure of the coupling to the flowpath along the turbines. A radial entry inlet provides a supplemental fluid admission into the intermediate cavity, the admission being turned axially and circumferentially for joining with the flow exiting the upstream turbine for combined flow to the downstream turbine.

Diffusing coupling cover for axially joined turbines

A cover is provided to conceal the forward-facing step defined by the protrusion of the first stage diaphragm into the LP inlet. The cover presents a smoothly contoured surface to the flowing fluid in both radial and circumferential directions and thus reduces energy loss of the working fluid, thereby to increase performance of the LP turbine.

Cover for LP first stage diaphragm and method for improving inflow to first stage diaphragm

A flow conditioner for a steam turbine inlet includes an annular ring adapted to seat in a flange portion of an inlet in a turbine casing and a pair of wing portions extending from the annular ring in a flow direction, away from the annular ring. A related method of smoothing flow through an inlet of a steam turbine inlet casing wherein the inlet includes a circular flange and a non-circular transition portion extending between the annular flange and a main body portion of the steam turbine casing includes the steps of a) identifying surface discontinuities that disrupt flow of working fluid through the steam inlet; b) providing a flow conditioner that is shaped to conceal one or more of the surface discontinuities; and c) inserting the flow conditioner into the inlet.

Steam turbine low pressure inlet flow conditioner and related method

A pair of steam turbine inlet ports are disposed at opposite sides of a steam turbine housing for flowing steam in opposite circumferential directions in a generally annular steam chamber to first stages of a turbine through axially opposite outlets. Portions of the chamber in the upper and lower housing have decreasing cross-sections in a generally circumferential direction away from the steam inlet portions to provide a substantially uniform flow of steam about the chamber in a generally radially inward direction and about and through the axial outlets.

Steam turbine inlet and methods of retrofitting

A combustor for a turbine includes a combustor liner; a first flow sleeve surrounding the liner, the flow sleeve having a plurality of rows of cooling holes formed about a circumference of the flow sleeve; and a transition piece connected to the combustor liner and the flow sleeve and adapted to carry hot combustion gases to a stage of the turbines. The transition piece is surrounded by a second flow sleeve which directs cooling air to the transition piece. One of the plurality of rows of cooling holes in the first flow sleeve is located adjacent the transition piece, and cooling conduits are mounted in the cooling holes of at least the first of the plurality of rows of cooling holes to direct impingement cooling air against the surface of the liner while diverting crossflow cooling air around the impingement cooling air. A related method of cooling a combustor liner of a gas turbine combustor with a flow sleeve surrounding the liner in substantially concentric relationship therewith includes the steps of a) providing a plurality of axially spaced rows of cooling holes in the flow sleeve, each row extending circumferentially of the flow sleeve, a first of the rows adjacent a forward or downstream end of the flow sleeve; b) locating a plurality of cooling conduits in the cooling holes of at least the first of the rows, the cooling conduits extending radially towards, but not engaging, the liner; and c) supplying cooling air to the annulus such that the cooling conduits direct the cooling air against the liner.

Growing community of inventors

Altamont, NY, United States of America

Daniel Mark Brown