Siemens Energy, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Siemens Power Generation, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengsellschaft

Jiping Zhang

Peter Jon Clayton

Randy Edward Whitener

William Cannon Gardner

William R McCown

Robert John Nelson

Kevin Michael Light

Barton M Pepperman

Ching-Pang Lee

Larry L Zeller

Yan Yin

Evan C Landrum

Thomas Leonard Schuchart

Justin Nathaniel England

Robert R Messel

David Allen Little

Jose L Rodriguez

Abdullatif M Chehab

Robert L Murphy

Stephen Thomas Soto

Joshua D Kovac

Patrick M Pilapil

Henk vanRavenswaay

Thomas L Schuchart

Justin England

William C Gardner

A gas turbine engine having a turbine blade tip clearance control system for increasing the efficiency of the engine by reducing the gap between turbine blade tips and radially outward ring segments is disclosed. The turbine blade tip clearance control system may include one or more clearance control bands positioned radially outward of inner surfaces of ring segments and bearing against at least one outer surface of the ring segments to limit radial movement of the ring segments. During operation, the clearance control band limits radial movement of the ring segments, and the turbine blade tips do not have a pinch point during start-up transient conditions. In addition, the smallest gap during turbine engine operation may be found at steady state operation of the gas turbine engine. Thus, the clearance control system can set the gap between turbine blade tips and ring segments to be zero at steady state operation.

Gas turbine engine with a turbine blade tip clearance control system

An interstage seal system () for adjusting the position of an interstage seal during operation of a gas turbine engine () to increase efficiency of the seal () is disclosed. The interstage seal system () may include a interstage seal housing () formed from a circumferentially extending housing having a seal () positioned on a radially inward surface () of the interstage seal housing (). The interstage seal housing () may biased radially outward via one or more springs () to bias the radially inward surface () of the interstage seal housing () outwardly. The interstage seal housing () may reside in an interstage housing receiving cavity (). The cavity () may be supplied with gases at a higher pressure than on the other side () of the seal housing () during turbine engine operation. As such, the interstage seal housing () is forced radially inwardly to close the gap () within the seal () as the high pressure force directed radially inward overcomes the spring bias directed radially outward.

Interstage seal housing optimization system in a gas turbine engine

A high-efficiency compressor section () for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The compressor section includes a vane carrier () adapted to hold ring segment assemblies () that provide optimized blade tip gaps () during a variety of operating conditions. The ring segment assemblies include backing elements () and tip-facing elements () urged into a preferred orientation by biasing elements () that maintain contact along engagement surfaces (). The backing and tip-facing elements have thermal properties sufficiently different to allow relative growth that strategically forms an interface gap () therebetween, resulting in blade tip gaps that are dynamically adjusted operation.

Gas turbine compressor with adaptive blade tip seal assembly

A high-efficiency compressor section () for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The compressor section includes a vane carrier () adapted to hold ring segment assemblies () that provide optimized blade tip gaps () during a variety of operating conditions. The ring segment assemblies include backing elements () and tip-facing, elements () urged into a preferred orientation by biasing elements () that maintain contact along engagement surfaces (). The backing and tip-facing, elements have thermal properties sufficiently different to allow relative growth and geometric properties strategically selected to strategically form an interface gap therebetween () resulting in blade tip gaps that are dynamically adjusted operation.

Adaptive blade tip seal assembly

Cooling air is provided from a source of cooling air through a cooling air circuit in a turbine section of a gas turbine engine. A first portion of cooling air is provided from the source along a first path of the circuit to a plurality of blades associated with a stage of the turbine section. A second portion of cooling air is provided from the source along a second path of the circuit. The second path includes a turbine disc bore where the cooling air provides cooling to a radially innermost portion of at least one turbine disc that forms a part of a rotor of the engine. The second path is independent from the first path such that the second portion of cooling air bypasses the stage and is not mixed with the first portion of cooling air in the circuit after leaving the source.

Cooling air configuration in a gas turbine engine

A turbine engine including an intermediate space defined between outer and inner portions of the turbine engine. A flow energizer is provided including a flow body located within the intermediate space and including an inlet port, an outlet port and a flow passage extending within the flow body between the inlet and outlet ports. The inlet port receives a flow of a first medium located within the intermediate space and the flow body injects an energizing flow of a second medium to a portion of the first medium within the flow body to create an energized flow of a mixed medium from the outlet portion, the energized flow of mixed medium creates a flow of the first medium adjacent to the flow body within the intermediate space.

Temperature control within a cavity of a turbine engine

A power turbine receiving cooling fluid from compressor apparatus is provided. The turbine comprises: fixed housing structure; a support shaft rotatably supported in the housing structure; at least one disk overhung on the support shaft and coupled to the support shaft so as to rotate with the support shaft; and cooling fluid structure. The at least one disk is formed from a low-alloy-content steel. The cooling fluid supply structure extends through the support shaft and the at least one disk so as to supply cooling fluid to the at least one disk.

Gas turbine engine

A shell air recirculation system for use in a gas turbine engine includes one or more outlet ports located at a bottom wall section of an engine casing wall and one or more inlet ports located at a top wall section of the engine casing wall. The system further includes a piping system that provides fluid communication between the outlet port(s) and the inlet port(s), a blower for extracting air from a combustor shell through the outlet port(s) and for conveying the extracted air to the inlet port(s), and a valve system for selectively allowing and preventing air from passing through the piping system. The system operates during less than full load operation of the engine to circulate air within the combustor shell but is not operational during full load operation of the engine.

Combustor shell air recirculation system in a gas turbine engine

During full load operation of gas turbine engine operation, a valve system is maintained in a closed position to substantially prevent air from passing through a piping system of a shell air recirculation system. Upon initiation of a turn down operation, which is implemented to transition the engine to a turning gear state or a shut down state, the valve system is opened to allow air to pass through the piping system. A blower is operated to extract air through at least one outlet port of the shell air recirculation system from an interior volume of an engine casing portion associated with the combustion section, to convey the extracted air through the piping system, and to inject the air into the interior volume of the engine casing portion through at least one inlet port of the shell air recirculation system to circulate air within the engine casing portion.

Method for operating a gas turbine engine including a combustor shell air recirculation system

A winding for use in a superconducting electric generator having a rotating rotor assembly surrounded by a non-rotating stator assembly is provided. The winding comprises at least one conductor structure associated with a component in the superconducting electric generator. The conductor structure comprises a plurality of conductive elements formed from a high temperature superconductive material. At least a portion of the conductive elements is arranged in a transposed relationship. A protective shell is positioned about the conductive elements and formed from a high strength alloy suitable for cryogenic temperatures.

Winding for use in high temperature superconducting generator

A generator rotor core () carrying superconducting windings () and having a shield () over the superconducting windings () to prevent external magnetic fields from impinging the windings. Axial shield edges () mate with corresponding features of the rotor core () or with structures affixed to or supported by the core () to support the shield ().

Rotor winding shield for a superconducting electric generator

A rotor pole crossover connection joint for use in a rotating electrical machine is disclosed. The connection joint integrally couples a bottom rotor coil strap to a rotor pole crossover connector with a single piece connector that reduces, distributes or otherwise tolerates stress concentrations in the connector. A corresponding method of forming a rotor pole crossover connection and a rotor assembly including a rotor pole crossover connection joint are also disclosed.

Rotor pole crossover connection

Support structures () for attaching superconducting conductors () to a rotor () of an electrical machine (). The support structures () are mechanically configured to transfer loads exerted on the superconducting conductors () during both normal and transient operation of the rotor (). The mechanical configuration and material of the support structures () further present a thermal path that is longer than the physical distance between the superconducting conductors () and the rotor () thereby minimizing heat flow from the warm rotor () to the cold superconducting conductors ().

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Winter Springs, FL, United States of America

Jiping Zhang