General Electric Company

Peter Schofield

Lawrence Donald Willey

William James Sumner

Alan Donn Maddaus

Mary Clarkeson Phillips

Chris Robin Bron

David Edwin Kautzmann

John David Alaksiewicz

Brian William Marriner

A method and system of evaluating a turbine component comprises obtaining data relating to respective surface conditions at a plurality of different surface locations of the turbine component and calculating the total profile efficiency loss for the turbine component based on the data. Calculating the total profile efficiency of the turbine component may include calculating the local profile efficiency loss percentage for each of the surface conditions at the different surface locations (and/or sub-areas of the different surface locations) and calculating an average of the local profile efficiency loss percentages, each of the local efficiency loss percentages being weighted by respective predetermined weight factors. The turbine component may be a nozzle or a bucket and each of the turbine component's surface locations may be an admission suction surface, an admission pressure surface, a discharge suction surface or a discharge pressure surface.

System and method for evaluating efficiency losses for turbine components

In a reverse design for partitions of a steam turbine having decreased throat dimension therebetween with increased radial height, the trailing edges are set back from approximately mid-span to a tip of the partition to increase the throat dimension with radial height relative to the prior reverse design configuration. Secondary vortices adjacent the radial inner and outer end walls are maintained separated from on another by the design, thereby minimizing or eliminating aerodynamic losses from interactive secondary flow effects while improving flow distribution at the bucket entrance and stage exit. In a further embodiment, a free vortex design having increasing throat dimension from the hub to the tip may be modified to further increase the throat dimension from the hub to approximately the mid-span by providing setbacks along the trailing edge of the partition between the hub and mid-span. The setbacks can be provided as original equipment or retrofitted in the field by cutting and removing trailing edge portions.

Steam turbine nozzle trailing edge modification for improved stage

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Schenectady, NY, United States of America

Peter Schofield