Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Siemens Energy, Inc.

Lewis Gray

John C Groenendaal

Harry F Martin

Robert C Wynn

Vincent M Iacono

Douglas C Hofer

Ralph E McGinnis

Matthew J McHale

Joseph L Garbarino

Heinrich Stueer

John S Micol

Johnny W Crenshaw

James C Barley

Frank Truckenmueller

Richard L Hollen

Susan M Kron

Terry M Graziani

An array of blades for use in a turbomachine is provided comprising a plurality of blades mounted to a rotor disk. A plurality of first blades form a first set of blades and a plurality of second blades form a second set of blades. A blade-to-blade flow field defined between successive ones of the first set of blades is interrupted by the second set of blades to form an asymmetric blade-to-blade flow field around the array of blades. The trailing edges of the second set of blades are positioned forwardly from a line connecting the trailing edges of the first set of blades such that shock forces in the flow field around the array of blades will generally impinge on a stable region of the first set of blades.

Aero-mixing of rotating blade structures

A method and apparatus for reducing steam swirl in a steam turbine. A plurality of seal segments () are circumferentially juxtaposed to form a seal ring () encircling the turbine shaft (), each seal segment () supporting a plurality of circumferentially disposed annular seal fins () to limit axial steam flow along the shaft (). A plurality of flow dams () are disposed within grooves () defined in the plurality of seal fins () and seal segments () for limiting circumferential steam flow and thereby reducing rotor instability.

Flow dam design for labyrinth seals to promote rotor stability

A dual-fluid cooling spray device for use with a steam turbine. The steam turbine includes a casing, a plurality of rotating blades and a plurality of stationary vanes. The dual fluid spray device includes a nozzle adjacent to one row of rotating blades and/or stationary vanes, and a dual fluid housing assembly penetrating the casing and coupled to the nozzle. Both a steam pipe and a water pipe are coupled to the dual-fluid housing assembly.

Cooling spray application to a turbine and exhaust region of a steam turbine

A steam turbine having improved stationary parts in which a moisture removal slot is formed in a blade ring cylinder immediately upstream of the last row of rotating blades. The slot has a reduced width inlet throat portion and an enlarged manifold portion. The manifold portion of the slot distributes the moisture collected to a plurality of radially oriented discharge holes formed in the blade ring. The inlet throat serves to insolate the manifold from the swirling steam flowing through the turbine, thereby preventing entrainment of the moisture droplets into the steam flow. The blade ring encircles the tips of the last row of rotating blades and the outer flow guide is integrally formed on the blade ring. The steam turbine also has a new inner flow guide that matches a new last row of rotating blades. The new inner flow guide is attached to the existing inner flow guide by welds.

Steam turbine

An exhaust system for an axial flow turbomachine having a diffuser comprised of inner and outer flow guides that direct the flow of working fluid from a turbine cylinder to an exhaust housing having a bottom opening, thereby turning the flow 90.degree. from the axial to radial direction. The flow exiting at the top of the diffuser is directed by a flow-guiding surface of the exhaust housing to turn 180.degree. from the vertically upward direction to the downward direction. The axial length of the outer flow varies around the circumference thereof as a function of the distance from the flow-guiding surface of the exhaust housing to the inlet of the outer flow guide so that the axial length of the outer flow guide is less than 30% of the height of the last row blade airfoil throughout any portions of the outer flow guide in which the distance from the flow-guiding surface to the outer flow guide inlet is less than the height of the airfoil.

Exhaust system for a turbomachine

Method of modifying a steam turbine

An exhaust system for an axial flow turbomachine is provided having a diffuser that directs the flow of working fluid from a turbine exit to an exhaust housing having a bottom opening, thereby turning the flow 90.degree. from the axial to radial direction. In the exhaust housing, the flow exiting at the top of the diffuser turns 180.degree. from the vertically upward direction to the downward direction. The strength of the vortex formed in the exhaust housing as a result of this turning is minimized by orienting the outlet of an outer exhaust flow guide portion of the diffuser so that it lies in a plane that makes an angle with a plane perpendicular to the turbine axis. As a result, the minimum axial length of the outer flow guide occurs at a location remote from the exhaust housing outlet and the maximum axial length occurs at a location proximate the opening, thereby crowding the vortex against a radially extending baffle in the exhaust housing.

A method of installing a seal having a sealing surface in a defined operating position in a rotating machine composed of a stationary part which carries the seal and a rotary part mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation and having a cylindrical surface located to rotate adjacent, and in close proximity, to the sealing surface, which method includes: installing the seal on the stationary part in a position corresponding to the defined operating position so that the seal is immovable relative to the stationary part; machining the sealing surface to a desired final dimension by mounting a machine tool to rotate about the axis of rotation and rotating the tool about that axis; withdrawing the tool; and modifying the installation of the seal so that the seal is supported in the defined operating position so as to be resiliently movable relative to the stationary part.

Method for installing annular seals

A honeycomb labyrinth seal includes a downstream-most row of honeycomb cells which extends beyond the exit edge of a base portion, so that a portion of each cell of the downstream-most row of honeycomb cells overhangs the base portion by an amount approximately equal to one half the width of the drainage passages formed in the base portion.

Labyrinth seal for steam turbines

A pressure sensing probe 10 includes an elliposoidally shaped symmetric probe body 12 with fluid orifices 14 and 16 facing into and away from the flow. The orifices 14 and 16 facing in opposite directions allows direction of flow to be detected along with pressure magnitude. The symmetric body shape allows the probe 10 to operate satisfactorily with some misalignment with respect to the flow direction 32 but perpendicularity between orifices 14 and 16 and the flow direction 32 is preferred. The body 12 is ellipsoidally shaped to maximize the difference in pressure between the two orifices 14 and 16 and is held away from pipe wall turbulence by a symmetric stem 18. The ellipsoidal shape of the body 12 and stem 18 are also designed to minimize turbulence in the fluid created by the probe 10. The length to diameter ratio of the ellipsoidal shape of the probe body 12 changes depending upon fluid density and flow speed and the desires to maximize the pressure signal while minimizing flow disturbance. As the length to diameter ratio is minimized the differential pressure sensed is maximized and as the ratio is maximized flow disturbance is minimized. The orifices 14 and 16 communicate with a conventional differential pressure sensing device 24 outside the pipe through tubes 20 and 22 passing through the body 12 and stem 18. An alternate probe 40 with a greater range of flow direction insensitivity has funnels 50 and 52 which direct flow past orifices 44 and 46 in an internal flow channel 48. A further alternate probe has a solid body 90 suspended from the pressure sensing tubes 98 and 100 with perforations 102 in the tubes 98 and 100 at the juncture of the tubes 98 and 100 and the body 90.

Bi-directional pressure sensing probe

A circular grooved honeycomb labyrinth seal having a plurality of arcuate base portions, a plurality of honeycomb-shaped cell portions extending radially inwardly from the base portion with a plurality of passages disposed adjacent the base portion, the passages being in fluid communication with each cell and with the upstream side and the downstream side of the honeycomb labyrinth seal.

Grooved honeycomb labyrinth seal for steam turbines

A support configuration between a turbine and associated condenser for compensating unbalanced pressure forces on the turbine with unbalanced pressure forces exerted on the condenser. A portion of the condenser floor is elevated above the remaining part of the condenser floor, is flexibly connected therewith, and constitutes a vacuum balance plate which is structurally connected to the turbine. Due to its flexible connection with the condenser, the vacuum balance plate is permitted limited displacement relative to the remaining portion of the condenser floor and can thus transmit unbalanced pressure forces exerted thereon through the structural members to the turbine so as to minimize the condenser vacuum load on the turbine's foundation. The vacuum balance plate's elevation is greater than the condenser's adjacent hot well floor and is preferably greater than the condenser's maximum condensate height. The balance plate is preferably convex to promote condensate drainage therefrom into the condenser's adjacent hot well. The balance of the condenser is flexibly connected to the turbine so as to permit relative movement therebetween. The optimum area for the vacuum balance plate is equal to the area of the turbine's exhaust port through which motive fluid is expelled into the condenser. By transmitting unbalanced pressure forces exerted on the condenser's vacuum balance plate to the turbine, the oppositely directed unbalanced pressure forces exerted on the turbine are substantially compensated resulting in minimized condenser vacuum load on the turbine's foundation.

Growing community of inventors

Winter Springs, FL, United States of America

Lewis Gray