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:
Nov. 15, 2005
Filed:
Mar. 31, 2003
John C. Groenendaal, Winter Springs, FL (US);
Wilmott G. Brown, Winter Park, FL (US);
John C. Groenendaal, Winter Springs, FL (US);
Wilmott G. Brown, Winter Park, FL (US);
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation, Orlando, FL (US);
Abstract
A drop-in nozzle block () formed in two 180° segments () that can be simply lowered into position within the nozzle chamber casing of a steam turbine (). An entire 180° segment can be lowered into position because an inner arcuate portion () of the nozzle block fits over and captures mating portions of the casing rather than having the casing capture the nozzle block as in the prior art. Elimination of a hook portion of the casing eliminates the necessity for the prior art procedure of rotating 90° segments into position through an arcuate-shaped slot. The drop-in installation allows closer tolerances to be maintained between the nozzle block and the casing, thereby eliminating the need for the expansion pins used in the prior art. The use of two 180° segments rather than the prior art 90° segments also eliminates the need for a dogleg joint between segments for turbines having eight steam inlet segments. An inner seal surface () is formed on an L-shaped hook portion () that opens radially outwardly to capture a radially inwardly projecting flange portion () of the turbine nozzle chamber casing (). The hook portion of the nozzle block assembly may be formed to be integral with an inner arcuate portion () of the nozzle block or it may be formed separately as part of a bolted clamp ring () or a shrink-fit retaining ring (). Inner and outer arcuate seal surfaces () of the nozzle block may be axially displaced relative to each other.