US1337096A - Elastic-fluid turbine - Google Patents

Description

C. S. RICE.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1919.

1,337,096. Patented Apr. 13, '1920.

9 His Attorney.

'entran stra'rns ernten.

CHESTER S. RICE, OF

SCI-IENECTADY, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNOR TC GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CQRPCRATION OF NEW' YORK.

ELAsrIcrLUIn runsrnn.

Application liled September 8, 1919.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CI-rns'rnn S. Rien, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic- F luid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

rIhe present invention relates to elastic fluid turbines and specifically to that type having a radial flow high pressure blade system, the parts of which revolve in oppo-v site direction and also an axial flow low pressure blade system, the latter receiving steam from. the former. In such a turbine the blades of the radial flow system are mounted on rotor elements and extend axially. The blades of the axial flow system are mounted on separate rotor elements, hereinafter1 referred to as wheels, which are attached to the inner elements and extend radially.

The wheels are heat-treated to render them very strong and tough and if, in operation, they are subjected to the action of high temperature steam, in such manner that'a substantial ii f .se in temperature results, their strI th will be materially decreased. It is also aporta-nt that the ei'itire wheels be maintained at substantially the same temperature to prevent stresses being set up due to undue heating. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure and arrangement in a turbine of the character referred to wherein provision is made for effecting llow of comparatively cool steam over the wheels so as to prevent undue heating of the same and maintain the entire wheels at a sub` stantially constant temperature.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing the ligure is a radial sectional view of a portion of an elastic fluid turbine embodying my invention. The drawing shows the left hand side of a turbine and a part of the right hand sideand it will be understood that the two sides are alike, the right hand side vbeing a duplicate of the left hand side.

Referring to the drawing, 5 and 5a indicate inner rotating elements carrying rings of interleaving blades 6 and 6 respectively,

` Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial 11o. 322,424.

through which elastic iluid flows radially outward thereby causing elements 5 and to rotate in opposite directions. Blades G and 6a are connected to elements 5 and 5d by suitable expansion rings 8 and 8a, this being now a known form of connection in this type of turbine. Inner rotating element 5 is carried by a stub shaft 9 which in turn is carried by a main shaft (not shown). Inner rotating element 5 is carried by a similar stub shaft (not shown). In the description following I will describe the left hand side-of the turbine only it being` understood, as stated above, that the right hand side is a duplicate thereof. Surrounding inner rotating element 5 is an intermediate rotatinc element 10 fastened to element 5 by an expansion ringll, and fastened to element 10 by an expansion ring 12 is an outer rotating element 13. LElements 10 and 13 carry axially extending blade rings 1+i and 15 with which interleave blade rings 14 and 151 of the right hand side of the machine. Connected to intermediate element 10 by an expansion rino' 16 is a wheel 17 which carries a ring of radially extending blades 18. Elements 5, 10 and 18 and wheel 17 with their attached rings of buckets form as a whole one rotor of the turbine. Fastened to the surrounding casing wall 19 is a holder 20 which carries a. ring of nozzles 21 for direct-ing elastic fluid to blade ring 18 and depending from nozzle ring 21 is an annular wall 22 which defines a passage for directing elastic fluid exhausting from the adial flow blade system to nozzles 9.1.

The adjacent stationary side wall of the turbine casing is indicated at Qlyand between it and stub shaft 9 is a suitable shaft lacking 25 to prevent leakage between the shaft and the casing. Projecting from side wallrd are two concentric annular walls 2G and 27 which define steam'chambers 28 and 29. Elastic fluid is admitted to chamber 2S through a supply conduit 30 'and from chamber 28 it passes through openings 31 to the radial llow blade system. Chamber 29 may be supplied with elastic fluid from chamber 28 through 'suitable valves (not shown) and from chamber 29 elastic `fluid is supplied through passages 32 and 33 to an intermediate point in the radial flow blade system. The admission of elastic fluid to an intermediate point in the turbine is for the purpose of getting increased power from edge or 1mg 4G.

the rotor and the adjacent casingrwall is arf ranged a packing and axial balancing means comprising an inner portion which is located in the bore of wheel 17 and an outer por-l tion which is located alongside Wheel 17. The inner portion comprises disks rand 36 connected to inner rotating element 5 and walls 2G and Q7 respectively by suitable ' expansion rings 37 and 38. Between disks 35 and 3G are interleaving vpacking rings 39 which are carried by such dis rIlle outer portion comprises disks d0 and 41 between which are interleaving packing rings 12. Disk d10 is carried from disk 35 by a long expansion ring 43, which also 'forms a guard ring to prevent elastic fluid which leaks through packing 39 from coming into direct contact with wheel 17. Disk 41 is carried by an expansion ring al connected to an annular projection 45 on wall 27. Carried by wheel 17 is a ring 4G which closely surrounds the periphery of disks all) and Ll1 there being an annular space 17 between them. The elastic lluid leaking through between disks 35 and '3G and disks l0 and al will have a comparatively high temperature and to better protect wheel 17 therefrom disk l0 and 'expansion ring 48 on their sides neXt wheel 17 are provided with shields 4S and 19. In expansion ring 16 which connects wheel 17 to rotating member 10 are 'a suitable number ot spaced openings 50, and as will be clear, these openings 'connect the space adjacent the inner side ot wheel17 to the exhaust portion of the turbine casing by *ay ot the annular space between the bore or wheel 17 and expansion ring L'13.the'sgacc between the outer side et wheel 17 and disk d'0 and the space Li7 between ring i6 and the periphcries of disks el() and Ll1.

The operation ola turbine as shown is well understood, elastic fluid vllowing irst through the radial flow portion of the machine and then dividing and liowing through the two axial liow portions each of which comprises a ring of 'nozzles 21 and a wheel 17.

When the turbine Vis operating elastic fluid leaks through the packing means be-l tween disks 35 and 86 and disks 4l() and 4:1

[and issues in an annular stream at the peripheryi'oi1 the disks through thcspace between the periphery of vdisk `1-1 and the outer The spaceis suitably shaped so as to create a suction on annular s )ace 47 the action bein' similar to that oi' an ejector. As a result, the issuing of elastic ljluid from the space bet veen the periphery of disk Z.l1 and the outer edge o't' ring 4G creates a suction which draws elastic ll'uid thencethrough the space between the bore or wheel 17 and expansion ring a3, thence up along the outer surface oi wheel-17 as Yrar as ring 6 and out through 'space -flfi' te fluid, the motive fluid after it has passed through nozzles 21 and has, therefore, Vbeen expanded down to the lowest pressure and temperature which it reaches before passing to the exl'i'au'st shell et the turbine. I thus provide amos't ellicient and economical cool? ing means for the impulse ivhe'cl, and one which maintains the 'entire wheel at substantially the saine temperature since the cooling -li'uid is el." the 'same temperature as that 'passing Vthi'ougdi the buckets ot the wheel. In other words, the bore of the wheel is subjected to fluid of substantially the same temperature as that to which the rim of the wheel is subjected.

In accordance with the provisions oi the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operationl of my invention7 together with the apparatus which I now consider to rep-'resent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire t'o have it understood that the app'z'ira't'us shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States, is

1. In an elastic fluid turbine having a rotor comprising a member having axially extending bucket rings thereon and wheel carried by said member and having' radially etending buckets thereon, means defining a p-a'tli'f'or conducting'elastic tluid from adjacent the ont ance side ot .'aid radially effe tending buckets inwardly aleng the inner surface 'of the wheel and thence througn the bore thereof. v

2. In an elastic fluid turbine having a r'ot'o'r comprising two members 'connected to eachother and carrying bucket elements, one of said members being located to 'one side oi the other and having an enlarged bore, means Idelining a path iior conducting elastic iluidior cooling inwardly 'along the inner sur'i'a'ce c1" said one member and thence through the bore thereof. Y Y

B. In an elastic iiuid turbine having a roter comprising two members connected to ea'ch other 'and carrying bucket elements, one o1' sai-d 'members being located vto one 'side Ol the other and having an enlarged bore, and balancing disk means located in said boe,ineans defining 'a path ii'or conducting elastic fluid inwardly aloi'ig the inner surtaceV ot 'said `one member and thence through the bore thereof, the elastic yfluid being drawn along such path by the ejector action ico IOS

of elastic fluid leaking from said balancing disk means.

4. In an elastic fluid turbine having a rotor comprising an inner radial flow portion and an outer axial flow portion, and balancing disks, means actuated by the issuing of elastic fluid from said balancing disks for causing cooling medium to flew over the inner surface of' the outer axial Alioiv portion of the rotor.

5. In an elastic fluid turbine, the coinbination of oppositely rotating elements having interleaving blades, a bladed Wheel having an enlarged bore connected to each element, a pair of balancing` disks for each element, and means defining a passage along a surface of' each Wheel and thence through its bore, through which passage fluid for cooling the wheel is drawn by the elastic fluid leaking from said balancing disks.

6. In an elastic iuid turbine, the combination of' oppositely rotating elements having interleaving blades, a bladed Wheel having an enlarged bore connected to each element, a pair of balancing disks for each element located in the bore of its Wheel, and means defining a passage along the inner surface of each Wheel and thence through its bore, through which passage fluid for cooling the Wheel is drawn by the elastic fluid leaking from said balancing disks.

7. In an elastic fluid turbine, the coinbination of' oppositely rotating elements having interleaving blades, a bladed Wheel iaving an enlarged bore connected to each element, balancing disk means each comprising an inner portion located in said bore and an outer portion located at a side of said Wheel, and means defining a passage along the inner surface of' the Wheel, thence through its bore and thence along the outer surface of the Wheel between it and the outer portion of said balancing disk means through which elastic fluid flows to cool the Wheel.

8. In an elastic fiuid turbine, the combination of oppositely rotating elements having interleaving blades, a bladed wheel having an enlarged bore connected to each element, balancing disk means each comprising an inner portion located in said bore and an outer portion located at a side of said Wheel, means defining a passage along the inner surface of the wheel, thence through its bore and thence along the outer surface of the wheel between it and the outer portion of said balancing disk means through which elastic fiuid flows to cool the Wheel, the elastic fiuid being propelled through said passage by the action of elastic fluid leaking from said balancing disk means.

9. In an elastic iiuid turbine having a rotor element and a packing means, the combination of means defining a passage along a side Wall of said rotor element, and means actuated by elastic fluid issuing from said packing means for causing cooling mediuin to circulate through said passage to cool the rotor.

l0. In an elastic fluid turbine comprising a rotor element having a bore and a packing means, the combination of means defining a passage along a side Wall of said rotor element, and means actuated by elastic fiuid issuing from said packing means for causing cooling medium to circulate through said passage and the bore of the rotor element.

1l. The combination with an elastic fiuid turbine having a rotor provided with a ring of blades, of means forming an ejector for causing elastic fluid to flow from adjacent the admission side of said blades over the rotor to cool it.

l2. The combination With an elastic fluid turbine having a rotor provided with a ring of blades, said rotor having a bore, of means for causing elastic fluid to flow from adjacent the admission side of said blades over the surface of said roter and thence through said bore to cool the rotor.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of September, 1919.

CHESTER S. RICE.

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