General Electric Company

Kenneth James Robertson

Douglas Carl Hofer

George Ernest Reluzco

Norman Douglas Lathrop

Raymond Kenneth Overbaugh, Jr

Alison Carol Farrell

Steven Sebastian Burdgick

William Thomas Parry

Victor John Knorowski

Thomas Patrick Russo

Michael Joseph Boss

Maurice David Fournier

David C Gonyea

John Patrick McGrane

Paul L Adamkoski

The present invention provides a steam turbine that has upper and lower halves of diaphragm. The steam turbine of the present invention also provides an adjustable support bar attached to at least the upper half or the lower half of the diaphragm. The adjustable support bar of the present invention has a screw therein such that the adjustable support bar can raise or lower the upper half or the lower half of the diaphragm without removing each half of the diaphragm. Also provided are methods for adjusting and supporting a vertical position of the upper half and the lower half of the diaphragm at a horizontal split line in a steam turbine.

Adjustable support for steam turbine diaphragms

A method to facilitate sealing between a rotary component and a stationary component is provided. The rotary component includes at least one bucket secured thereon, the bucket having a flow admission side and a flow exit side. The method includes coupling a spill strip in a gap defined between the rotary and stationary component, wherein the spill strip has a substantially flat contact surface, and coupling a cover to a radially outer tip of the bucket, wherein a protrusion extends from the bucket cover to contact the substantially flat contact surface of the spill strip.

Method and apparatus to facilitate sealing within turbines

The root region of a flowpath through a turbine includes a sealing configuration for minimizing leakage flow and secondary aerodynamic losses. Entrance and exit root radial seals are provided between upstream and downstream nozzles at locations radially inwardly of the root region of the flowpath to minimize radial leakage flow. To minimize intrusion flow into the flowpath from rotor pumping action and consequent aerodynamic losses, an exit flow guide on each bucket turns the exiting radial flow in a predominantly axial direction. Additionally, the upstream bucket root radius and nozzle root radius are faired or tapered to minimize the possibility of a protuberance projecting into the flowpath at steady state operation. An additional entrance root axial fin is provided on the buckets to reduce the flow coefficient and afford further reduction in leakage flow.

Flowpath sealing and streamlining configuration for a turbine

The turbine includes inner and outer rings and partitions mechanically connected therebetween. In one form, the partitions have connecting elements at tip and root portions of the vanes which are received in complementary grooves in the outer and inner rings, respectively. The partitions in one form are stacked against one another and secured by end lugs at the diaphragm joints. In another form, the partitions are pinned to the outer and inner rings with spaces between the connecting elements to avoid accumulation of tolerances. In a third form, the partitions are applied against the outer and inner rings in an axial direction and retainer plates are bolted to the outer and inner rings to secure the partitions in the diaphragm assembly. In all cases, the diaphragm is formed without welding.

Mechanically assembled turbine diaphragm

A nozzle diaphragm for a turbine includes an outer ring having a groove formed along its inner surface for receiving a first locator ring, an inner web having a groove formed along its outer surface for receiving a second locator ring and partitions circumferentially spaced one from the other and connected to the outer ring and inner web. The locator rings have slots opening into the flow region for receiving tenons formed on the ends of the partitions. By precisely locating the tenons and slots, the aerodynamic characteristics of the partitions can be set during fabrication without the need for expensive and time-consuming fixtures.

Turbine nozzle diaphragm and method of assembly

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Broadalbin, NY, United States of America

Kenneth James Robertson