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:
Jan. 08, 2013
Filed:
Oct. 14, 2009
Fred Thomas Willett, Burnt Hills, NY (US);
Howard Michael Brilliant, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Pepe Palafox, Schenectady, NY (US);
Fred Thomas Willett, Burnt Hills, NY (US);
Howard Michael Brilliant, Niskayuna, NY (US);
Pepe Palafox, Schenectady, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A rotor of a turbomachine includes a rotor drum located at a central axis and a plurality of buckets secured to the rotor drum. A rotor shell extends between axially adjacent buckets of the plurality of buckets and is secured to and supported by the plurality of buckets defining a cooling passage between the rotor drum and the rotor shell. A low pressure sink is located at an upstream end of the rotor receptive of a coolant flow through the cooling passage. A method of cooling a rotor of a steam turbine includes locating a rotor shell radially outboard of a rotor drum defining a cooling passage therebetween. A flow of steam is urged from a downstream portion of the steam turbine through the cooling passage toward a low pressure sink located at an upstream end of the steam turbine thereby cooling the rotor.