GB871963A - Improvements in gas turbine marine propulsion plant - Google Patents

Abstract

871,963. Nuclear power plant. SOC. RATEAU, and ANXIONNAS, R. Jan. 17, 1958 [Jan. 17, 1957], No. 1745/58. Class 39(4). [Also in Group XXVI] In a marine propulsion plant comprising a main gas turbine plant for ahead travel and an auxiliary steam turbine for braking and astern travel which derives its energy from a steam accumulator, the gas turbine cycle includes a high pressure compressorturbine and a low pressure turbine which provides the ahead drive and the steam generator consists only of a pressurised hot water accumulator heated by gas obtained from the gas turbine plant in operation. Air compressed in a compressor 1a, 1b and cooled in intercooler 21, Fig. 3, is first heated in a heat exchanger 2a, 2b and then in a heat exchanger 28 before passing to the turbine 4 driving the compressor 1a, 1b. The turbine 4 discharges through an ahead turbine 5 and the heat exchanger 2a, 2b to the intake of the compressor 1a, 1b. A water heater 8 is arranged between the two parts of the heat exchanger 2a, 2b. The heat exchanger 28 is heated by a nuclear reactor 24. A valve 10 and by-pass 11 with control valve 11a and cooler 23 are provided to isolate the ahead turbine 5. The accumulator 13 supplies steam to the astern turbine 14 which discharges to a condenser 15. When the turbine 14 is running the turbine 5 is isolated. There may be more than one turbine 4 with reheating between the stages. Hot water may be taken from the accumulator for outside needs. To enable the nuclear reactor to act independently of the plant, a valve controlled by-pass 22 is arranged around the initial stages of the turbine 4 to -control the speed of the compressors so that the gas conditions before and after the turbine 4 remain constant. The working fluid is heated by the coolant of the nuclear reactor which is circulated by a pump 25. Valves 26, 27 cause the coolant to flow through the heat exchanger 28 or a cooler 29. To pressurise and scavenge the gas turbine circuit, a compressor 33 driven by a turbine 34 and motor 35 is provided. The heat for the steam accumulator can be derived partly from the nuclear reactor or from any other heat source. The reactor can be of any kind. Its coolant can be a gas or a liquid such as molten metal or even a fluid containing the fuel as is relatively homogeneous reactors containing a super-critical volume reacting chamber. The gas turbine working fluid can be used as the coolant. The astern turbine is preferably of the type shown in Fig. 4 and consists of two elements 39, 40. The element 39 is designed for efficient astern operation and the element 40 is designed to provide a braking torque. The valves 45, 46 are controlled by the ship's speed and change-direction operation limited to operation of the valve 16. The valve 16 can be operated simultaneously with or subsequently to the valves 10, 11a. Some of the steam from the accumulator 13 may be led to an ahead turbine.