The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 07, 2003
Filed:
May. 14, 2002
Daniel M. Brown, Altamont, NY (US);
George Kirby, Newburyport, MA (US);
Richard Mattice, Broadalbin, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A flow conditioner for a steam turbine inlet includes an annular ring adapted to seat in a flange portion of an inlet in a turbine casing and a pair of wing portions extending from the annular ring in a flow direction, away from the annular ring. A related method of smoothing flow through an inlet of a steam turbine inlet casing wherein the inlet includes a circular flange and a non-circular transition portion extending between the annular flange and a main body portion of the steam turbine casing includes the steps of a) identifying surface discontinuities that disrupt flow of working fluid through the steam inlet; b) providing a flow conditioner that is shaped to conceal one or more of the surface discontinuities; and c) inserting the flow conditioner into the inlet.