Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Siemens Power Generation, Inc.

Seimens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Jan P Smed

Dennis H Lemieux

James P Williams

Paul John Zombo

Kent Goran Hultgren

Vinay Jonnalagadda

Stephen E Mumford

David W Fox

Kenneth E Seitzer

In an optical probe () having an inner tube () arranged to house one or more optical elements (), a method is provided which allows constructing the inner tube to have at least two corresponding inner tube sections () separable from one another along a longitudinal axis of the inner tube. While corresponding inner tube sections () are detached from one another, one or more of the optical elements may be disposed into either of the inner tube sections. The inner tube sections may be attached to one another by way of at least one removable affixing element to facilitate servicing of the probe.

Methods regarding optical probe having an inner tube with separable tube sections to house optical elements

The monitoring system for a gas turbine engine including a viewing tube assembly having an inner end and an outer end. The inner end is located adjacent to a hot gas flow path within the gas turbine engine and the outer end is located adjacent to an outer casing of the gas turbine engine. An aperture wall is located at the inner end of the viewing tube assembly and an optical element is located within the viewing tube assembly adjacent to the inner end and is spaced from the aperture wall to define a cooling and purge chamber therebetween. An aperture is defined in the aperture wall for passage of light from the hot gas flow path to the optical element. Swirl passages are defined in the viewing tube assembly between the aperture wall and the optical element for passage of cooling air from a location outside the viewing tube assembly into the chamber, wherein swirl passages effect a swirling movement of air in a circumferential direction within the chamber.

Optical monitoring system for a turbine engine

An inspection system formed at least from a viewing tube for inspecting aspects of a turbine engine during operation of the turbine engine. An outer housing of the viewing tube may be positioned within a turbine engine using at least one bearing configured to fit into an indentation of a support housing to form a ball and socket joint enabling the viewing tube to move during operation as a result of vibrations and other movements. The viewing tube may also include one or more lenses positioned within the viewing tube for viewing the turbine components. The lenses may be kept free of contamination by maintaining a higher pressure in the viewing tube than a pressure outside of the viewing tube and enabling gases to pass through an aperture in a cap at a viewing end of the viewing tube.

Inspection system for a turbine blade region of a turbine engine

A turbine seal closure mechanism for sealing an opening in a turbine component or between one or more turbine components. The turbine seal may include a main body having a longitudinal axis positioned transverse to the axial direction of the turbine and having at least one arm for sealing the main body to a surface of a turbine component and configured to fit within a recess in a turbine component. The turbine seal may also have one or more arms coupled to a side of the main body opposite to the first side having arms attached thereto for sealing the turbine seal to another turbine surface.

Multidirectional turbine shim seal

A variable area restrictor is disclosed that is a turbine engine contains a variable area restrictor to provide improved matching between the pressure required for aerofoil cooling and the somewhat lower pressure requirement for supplying air to the interstage seals and disc cavities, where a spring loaded valve assembly with a fixed minimum flow area is controlled by pre-setting a minimum dimension for the opening between an inlet and the housing or body of the valve. A pre-loaded spring maintains the lift at this minimum dimension until the pressure drop across the flow area exceeds a certain value. Above this critical pressure drop, the valve lifts, causing the flow area to increase, and thereby reducing the supply pressure that would be otherwise necessary to achieve a disc cavity flow adequate to maintain the temperatures within specifications.

Variable area compensation valve

A variable area restrictor is disclosed that is preferably used in a turbine engine to provide improved matching between the pressure required for aerofoil cooling and the somewhat lower pressure requirement for supplying air to the interstage seals and disc cavities. In a preferred embodiment, the valve of the present invention comprises a spring loaded valve assembly with a fixed minimum flow area controlled by pre-setting a minimum dimension for the opening between an inlet and the housing or body of the valve. A pre-loaded spring maintains the lift at this minimum dimension until the pressure drop across the flow area exceeds a certain value. Above this critical pressure drop, the valve lifts, causing the flow area to increase, and thereby reducing the supply pressure that would be otherwise necessary to achieve a disc cavity flow adequate to maintain the temperatures within specifications.

A gas turbine combustion chamber with an inlet and outlet has apertures in the combustion chamber wall and air scoops provided in the apertures, the air scoops having an outer tubular member and coaxially spaced inner tubular member. The spaced tubular members have inner cylindrical portions and outwardly extending flanges, with spacers disposed between and secured to the flanges with cooling air passing therebetween and through the annular air flow passage into the combustion chamber. Preferably, a radially outwardly extending arcuate section on the inner tubular member has a radius at least about one-third of the inner diameter of the inner cylindrical portion thereof.

Gas turbine combustion chamber with air scoops

In an axial flow turbine having a casing disposed about a rotor, a liner also disposed about the rotor and in a radially spaced relationship with the casing, such that the spaced relationship defines an annular opening, and an annular row of stationary blades positioned within the annular opening, apparatus for maintaining the efficiency of said turbine is shown to include a sealing mechanism, connected to the stationary blades, for preventing motive fluid applied to the annular opening from circumventing the stationary blades so that the efficiency of the turbine is maintained. The sealing mechanism includes a pair of sealing bars disposed between the stationary blades, the casing and the liner.

Turbine vane shroud sealing system

An arrangement is provided for statically sealing between the inner shroud 12 of individual stator vanes of a gas turbine, and a seal housing 14 provided with a radially outwardly open channel 22 into which is received a plurality of outer seal segments 24, and which includes a radially outwardly open channel 33 throughout the length of each outer seal segment and with a plurality of inner seal segments received in the channel, with the outer seal segments being biased outwardly by the springs 36, and the inner seal segments 34 being biased outwardly into sealing contact with individual inner shrouds by the concentric inner compression springs 38 carried by the outer seal segments 24.

Growing community of inventors

Winter Springs, FL, United States of America

Jan P Smed