US1706372A - Hydraulic machine - Google Patents

Description

March 19. 1929' v. E. ANDERSON 1,706,372

HYDRAULIC MACHINE Filed June 28, 1925 f l r i. :1.

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Patented kMar. 19, l19129.

n .lTIEDJ STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR n. ANDERSON, orwirzs'r` ALLIs,fwIsCoNsIN,v lAssIerNoRfro ALLIsCRALMnRs MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or MILWAUKEE, wIsCoNsIN, Av coRPoRATIeN o1` DELAWARE.

Application ledJune 28,

This `invention relates in general tojimprovements in the construction and operation of hydraulic machines, and relates more specifically to improved mechanism Jfor operating the inlet guidevanes of hydraulic turbines or the like. s

An object of the-:invention is toprovide new and usefulv improvements in vhydraulic machines whereby the construction thereof is simplified and the operating etliciency thereof is enhanced.- i

` It is common'practice in the construction of hydraulic turbinesv of the reaction type, to operate an annular series of pivotally supported inlet guide vanes, by Ineansof one or more fluid pressure actuated servo-motors arranged to simultaneously adjust all of the vanes. These servo-motors, in accordance with the priorpractice, have been mounted upon the pit rings of the units thereby necessitating the `provision of relatively heavy pit ring castings. AVliththe prior arrangements of servo-motors, it was notonly necessary-to provide relatively heavy pit'rings in order to 'withstand the pressure and to provide substantial supports for the servo-motors,l

but itV was also necessary insome instances to make the pit of relatively large diameter, in order to accommodate the mounting of the `servo-motors. 'The disposition of the servo-motors upon the pit ring walls,' also provided undesirable obstructions which hindered access to thegate riggings.v

' The present invention comprises means whereby these objectionableV features of the prior servo-motor mountings,"' are entirely eliminated.` 'In 1 accordance `with the im# provement kthe servomotors are mounted'directlyrupon the turbine `casing"within the annulus of the inlet guide vanes. Such disposition oftheservoanotors not onlyl enables the use of a relativelylight pit ring liner, but permits reduction' of the pit diameter to a'ininimum whilestill permitting free access,

to all portions of the'gateriggings. There'-vv action resulting from operation of thepinlet guide vanes is taken up directly inthe turbine structure and need not beft'ransmitted through adjacent structure 'such as pit ring Cil liners. These and other advantages of the present iinprovementwill appear from the kfollowing description.' v

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention may be had by referringto the drawing accompanying and forming a part HYDRAULIC' MACHINE.V

1926. sei-iai No. 118,936. .y

'-type, having the inlet guide vane actuating servo-motors mountedupon the top casing or cover of the unit.

Fig. Qis lan enlarged fragmentary part sectional top view of thev improved gate lrig- -gin n y Y The hydraulicturbine unit specilically illustrated in the drawing, comprises in general a high-speed axial flow rotorQ secured to the lower end of a-vertical main shaft 25, and housed within a casing comprising an upper casing or. cover plate 7 and va'lowerk casing section 9. The inlet side of the rotor 2 is in open communication with a vane free transition space 5 which communicates' withA a water supply conduit 3 past they 'annular series of adjustable inlet guide vanes 6, and through a speed ring ,26. The cover plate v7 providesa support -for a guide wall8 eX- tending 'downwardlyr into the transition space 5 and'p'rovidinga housing for a guide bearing 27 associated with the shaft 25. The discharge end of the rotor 2 isfin open vcornmunication` with a draft tube'll, this draft tube being formed in the foundation 1() which also'provides a support for the cas- Vingelements and'- for the vspeed `ring '26.

pair of servo-motors each'comprising a cyl-V inder 17 and a'piston 16 reciprocable therein, are rigidly attached to a supporting bracket 18y which is irmly secured to the' cover' plate 7 'by fastening Vmeans 19. The piston'16 of each of the servo-motors has a pistonv rod 15 secured to the adjacent lug 23er the ring14; by means of'a pin 24. The forward travel oteach piston 16 is'limited Aby adjustable stopsQO, while the rearward travel thereof is likewise limited by an adj ust-able stop 22.

Fluid under pressure may be admitted to anddiseharged from the chambers within the cylinders 17 at the opposite ends of the pistons 16, through suitable fluid admission and exhaust pipes 21.

Duringnormal operation of the unit, the turbine regulator functions to admit fluid to the servo-motors in a Well known manner and to thereby adjust the inlet guide vanes 6 to admit Water from the supply conduit 3 through the transition space 5 to the ro-tor 2. The water after leaving the rotor 2, is delivered to the draft tube t and from thence to the tail-race in an obvious manner. The movement of the guide vanes 6 is limited by the adj ust-ment ot the stops 20, 22 and the reaction resulting from shifting oi' the guide vanes 6 is transmitted to the cover plate 7 through the bracket 18.

By disposing the servo-motors closely adjacent to the main shaft 25 and Within the annulus of the series oit vanes 6, the diameter of the pit may obviously be reduced to a minimum and the guide vane adjusting arms 12and links 13 are freely accessible Without obstruction by the servo-motor structure. rllhe pit may obviously have a relatively thin lining in view of the factthat the servo-motors are not associated there- With in any manner. The bracket 18 may also be omitted from the structure and formed integrall with the servo-motor cylinders 17, or the cylinders may be attached directly to the cover plate 7, Without departing from the present invention.

Since the servo-motor cylinders 17 are ordinarily supplied With Huid under pressure derived from a common source, and are interconnected by means of piping, the loc( tion of these cylinders at one side of a plane containing the rotor axis, simplies the arrangement of the Huid' conducting pipe and avoids undesirable obstruction of the pit on the opposite side of said plane. By. virtue o the fact that the servo-motors deliver actuating motion substantially in a tangential direction vvith respect ,tov the arcs of movement of the pins 24, undesirable binding of the parts and consequent loss ofpovver, are eliminated.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and operation herein shown and described, for various modifications Within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled' in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent: v Y

1. In combina-tion, a casing comprising a cover plate, a rotor Within said casing, an annular series of guide vanes within said easing rand surrounding the axis of said rotor, a'shifting ring for simultaneously adjusting said vanes, said ring having actuating pins associated therewith on opposite sides of the rotor axis, and a pair of servomotors supported upon said cover plate and operatively associated With said pins, said servo-motors being disposed substantially at one side of a plane containing the rotor axis and delivering actuating motion substantially tangentially relative tothe axis of movement or' said pins. Y

2. In combination, a ,casing comprising a cover plate, ,a rotor Within said casing, an annularseries of guide vanes Within said casing and. surrounding the axis of said axis and delivering actuating motion substantially tangentially relative to the axis of movement of said ring.

3. In combination, ay casing comprising a cover plate, a rotor Within said casing, an annular series of guide vanes Within said casing and surrounding ythe axis of said rotor, a shifting ring for simultaneously adjusting said vanes, said ring having diametrically opposite actuating pins located Within the ring, and a pair of double acting servo-motors supported upon said cover plate and operatively associated with said pins, said servo-motors being disposed enitirely at one side of a plane containing the rotor V`axis and delivering actuating motion tangentially of said pins; f

4C., In combination, a casing comprising a cover plate, a rotor Within said casing, an annular series of guide vanes Within said casing' ,andv-surfroimding the axis of. said rotor, a shifting ring for simultaneouslyadjust-ing said vanes, said ring having diametrically opposite actuating pins located within the ring, a bracket supported by said Vcover plate within said ring, and a pair of double acting servo-motors carried by said bracket and operatively-associated with said ring, saidservo-motors being disposed entirely at one side of a plane ,containing the rotor axis and delivering actuating motion tangentially relative to the arcs of movement of said pins. Y

In testimony Whereof,the signature .of the inventor is affixed hereto.

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relativeto the arcs of movement

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