US1716132A

US1716132A - Turbine-generator support

Info

Publication number: US1716132A
Application number: US145262A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hodgkinson Francis
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1926-10-30
Filing date: 1926-10-30
Publication date: 1929-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1946-06-04

Description

' June 4, 1929., F. HODGKINSON 1,716,132

TURBINE GENERATOR SUPPORT Filed Oct. 30, 1926 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. Hodgkinidn WITNESSES: INVENTOR k XI BY @flK/Ewg ATTORNEY June 4, 1929. o mso 1,716,132

TURBINE GENERATOR SUPPORT Filed Oct. 50, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6.

. F. Hoclgk'u'lson. WITNESSES: INVENTOR BY $65M ATTORNEY Jung 4, 1929. F. HODGKINSON 1,716,132

TURBINE GENERATOR SUPPORT Filed Oct. 30, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 F-Hod. Kinson WITNESSES: lNV NTOR I I Mam ATTORNEY FigJO; I

Patented June 4, 1929.

QUNITEDI STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS HODGKINSON, OF SWARTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO' WESTING1 HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

TURBINE-GENERATOR SUPPORT.

Application filed October 30, 1926. Serial No. 145,262.

due to unequal expansion caused by tempera ture changes are minimized.

In power plants of the character deslgnated, the ditficulties due to unequal expansion of the parts are greatly increased as a result of the higher temperatures and consequently greater temperature changes. Such unequal expansion causes misalignment of the shafts of the prime mover and of the driven machine. Distortion and unbalance of the turbine may also result from unequal expansion of the parts of the turbine casing and support.

These and other. difliculties are overcome by my invention wherein I utilize the exhaust conduit to support the turbine and driven machine. All parts of the support are thus maintained atthe same temperature and expand uniformly. I

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment in which the exhaust conduits support both the turbine and the generator;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the exhaust conduit support;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the exhaust conduit support;

Fig. 4 is an end view showing the generator end of the power plant unit; I

. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form in which the exhaust conduit supports the generator bearings, thegenerator stator being supported directly upon the foundation;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus" shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the form shown in Fig. 5 and showing also the support for the generator stator; 1

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a further modi- Fig. 10 is an end View of the form shown in Fig. 8, the bearing housing being shown in section; and

11 is a detail view of a seating for the exhaust conduit as seen from .line XI-XI ofFi 3.

, Rei'erring to the drawing more in detail, 10 indicates a high pressure turbine which receives steam or other motive fluid at a high pressure, such as 1000 or 1200 pounds per square inch, and exhausts the steam at a pressure suitable for use in another turbine, as, for example, 400 pounds per square inch, or for any other'purpose. The high pressure turbine has an inlet 10 and an exhaust outlet 11 communicating With aT-fitting 12 forming part of the supporting conduit. This T- fittin divides the exhaust line into two

branc cs

13 and 14. The branch 13 is extended upwardly and downwardly at 15 to support t The branch 14 is further divided b a T-fitextend upwardly and downwardly, as indie high pressure end of the turbine.

cated at 16 and 17 respectively, to form supports for the generator. The

branches

16 and 17 are then carried in the opposite direction and joined to branch 13 by a cross fitting 18 from where all the exhaust steam is carried to a lower pressure turbine or other machine.

The branch 14 is anchored to the foundation 19 as shown at 20, forming a fixed support. Branch 13 is supported by a foot 21- sliding on seating 21 and the

branches

16 and 17 are supported by feet 22' and 23' sliding on

seatings

22 and 23. The seatings, as

shown in detail in Fig. 11, have guides 60 on opposite sides, thereby preventing lateral movement but permitting longitudinal sliding movement. The guides 60 have flanges 61 extending inwardly over the feet to prevent lifting thereof. I I v The elevated portion 15 of the branch 13 has a seating 24 provided with lateralguidesfor supporting foot 24 of the high pressure end of the turbine, permitting longitudinal movement but preventing lateral movement.

The

branches

16 and 17 are provided at their uppermost pdrtions with

enlargements

25 and 26, forming seats for the generator 27, which has laterally projecting arms 28 seating upo the enlargements 25 and26.

The operation of this form of my invention is as follows: 1

Upon beginning operation of the turbogenerator unit, the high pressure steam flowing through the turbine and exhaust conduit will cause expansion thereof. The exhaust conduits will then expand longitudinally and this movement is permitted by the

seatings

21, 22 and 23, all such movement being away from the anchored support 20. As the turblne is subjected to a higher temperature than the exhaust conduit it will expand at a greater rate and relative movement caused by this expansion is permitted by the foot 24 sliding on seating 24. All parts of the exhaust conduit will be subjected to substantially the same temperature and will therefore expand uniformly, both horizontally and vertically.

Thus the vertical expansion of the supporting

parts

11, 12, 15, 16 and 17 will be uniform and the shafts of the turbine and gen- I erator will be raised uniformly and in alignment.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5, 6 and f the bearings and rotor uniformly with the turbine. In this modification, the turbine 10 is similarly provided with an exhaust outlet-11 communicating with a T-fitting 12, which, in this case, is anchored to the foundati'0n at 28. The T-fitting 12 divides the steam into two

branches

13 and 14, the branch 13 having the elevated portion 15 as in the first form. The branch 14, however, has two raised

portions

29 and 30 which carry the bearings 31 and 32'of the generator. The

branch 14 is provided with feet 52. and 53, sliding on

seatings

52 and 53, and a T-fitting 33 at the end thereof is provlded with a foot 54 sliding on seating 54. The exhaust steam from-branch 14 is divided by'theT-fitting 33 and passed to two

branches

34 and 35 which ,'join the branch 13 at a cross-fitting 36, from whence the steam is carried to a lower pressure turbine. The a generator stator 37 is rigidly supported u on the foundation 19 by two

supports

38 and 39 which may straddle the

branches

34 and 35 as shown in Fig. 7

g In this form of the invention, upon beginning operation, the exhaust conduit will expand uniformly, and will uniformly raise the turbine casing and the generator bearings,

thereby raising the shafts uniformly and malntalmng their alignment. It is not necessary to maintain exactalignment between the bearings and the stator of the generator as the clearance between the rotor and the stator is suflicient to allow for relative movement caused by expansion of the bearing support.

The third form ofrthe invention is shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. In this form,- the turbine 10 is supported as before at its exhaust ,end by the T-fitting 12 anchored at 28 and at its high pressure end by the raised portion 15 of the branch 13. The branch 14 is further divided into two branches 41 :and.42. These branches 41 and*42 have raised portions 55 and '56 supporting the

bearings

46 and 47.

The exhaust steam is then. carried to the crossfitting 43 by

conduits

44 and 45 which may be located beneath the surface of the foundation 19. Each of the

bearings

46 and 47 has laterally projecting arms 48 and 49' which fit upon the

branches

41 and 42, respectively.

In orderyto avoid excessive heating of the bearings by the exhaust conduit, the housings may be provided with water cooling chambers 50 having inlets 57 and outlets 58. A lubricating oil chamber 51 may be located between tlfe Water cooling chambers 50.

The operation of this form of the invention is similar to that of the previous form, as will be apparent.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have provided a support which is rigidly anchored to the foundation, yet free to expand axially, but with restrained lateral movement so that the -alignment or operation of the machine will be unaffected by variations of temperature in the exhaust piping or strains and stresses upon the same induced by temperature changes or other causes in external portions of said exhaustpiping.

While I have shown my invention in but three forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it isnot so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed b the prior art or as arespecifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1 1. In a power plant, the elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, an exhaust conduit fortheturbine, and cooperating supporting means between the exhaust conduit and both the turbine and the driven machine.

2. In a ower plant, the combination of an elastic uid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, an exhaust conduit for the turbine, and means for supporting both the turcombination of an bine and the driven machine from the exhaust conduit. l

3. In a power plant, the combination of .the exhaust conduit and both the turbine and the driven machine, a foundation, means for fixedly securing the exhaust conduit to the foundation at one point, and means permitting relative longitudinal movement between the exhust conduit and the foundation upon expansion of the conduit away from said point.

4. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, an exhaust conduit for the turbine, cooperating supporting means between the exhaust conduit and both the turbine and the driven machine, means for fixedly securing the turbine to the exhaust conduit at one point, means permitting relative longitudinal movement only between the turbine and the exhaust conduit away fromand toward said fixed point, a foundation, means for fixedly securing the exhaust conduit to the foundation at one point, and means permitting longitudinal expansion only away from said point. p

5. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, an exhaust conduit for the turbine, means for supporting both the turbine and the driven machine from the exhaust conduit, a foundation, means for fixedly securing the exhaust conduit to the foundation at one point, and means permitting relative longitudinal movement between the exhaust conduit and the foundation upon expansion of the conduit away from said point.

6. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, an exhaust conduit for the turbine, means for supporting both the turbine and the driven machine from the'exhaust conduit, means for fixedly securing the turbine to the exhaust conduit at one point, means permitting relative longitudinal movement only between the turbine and the exhaust conduit away from said fixed point, a foundation, means for fixedly securing the exhaust conduit to the foundation at one point, and means permitting longitudinal expansion only away from saidpoint.

7 In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, said turbine and said driven machine having their rotational axes in the same horizontal plane, an exhaust pipe for i the turbine extending longitudinally of the turbine and the generator, a foundation, means for supporting the exhaust pipe from the foundation, and means for supporting both the turbine and'the driven machine from the exhaust pipe.

8. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, said turbine and said driven machine having their rotational axes in thesame horizontal plane, an exhaust pipe for the turbine extending longitudinally of the turbine and the driven machine, a foundation, means for fixedly securing the exhaust pipe to the foundation at one point, cooperating guide members arranged between the exhaust pipe and the foundation at other points permitting relative longitudinal movement only between the exhaust' pipe and the foundation away from said fixed points upon expansion of the exhaust pipe, and lneans for supporting both the turbine'and the driven machine from the exhaustpipe 9. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by the turbine, said turbine and said. driven mapipe, other supporting means cooperating between the turbine and the exhaust pipe and permitting relative longitudinal movement only therebetween upon expansion of either, and means for supportin the driven machine from the exhaust pipe, whereby the rotational axes 'of the turbine and the drivenmachine are maintained in the same horizontal plane. Y

10. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine .driven by the turbine, said turbine and said driven machine having their rotational axes in the same horizontal plane, an exhaust pipe for the turbine extending longitudinally of the turbine and the driven machine, a foundation, means for fixedly securing the exhaust pipe to the foundation at one point, cooperating guide members arranged between the exhaust pipe and the foundation at other points permitting longitudinal movement only between the exhaust pipe and the foundation away from and toward said fixed point, means for fixedly supporting the driven machine on the'exhaust pipe at at least one point, means for fixedly supporting the turbine on the exhaust pipe at one point, and cooperating guide members arranged between the turbine and the exhaust pipe at another point permitting relative longitudinal movement only therebetween. v

11. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine driven by theturbine, an exhaust pipe for the/turbine extending longitudinally underneath the'turbine and fixedly secured to the turbine at its exhaust end, supporting the turbine and a pair of branches provided on the exhaust pipe and supporting the driven machine.

12. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine, a machine having a bearing supporting a shaft driven by the turbine, an exhaust conduit for the turbine,

and means for supporting the turbine and the hearing from the exhaust conduit.

13. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid'turbine, a driven machine having a bearingsupporting a shaft driven by the turbine, an exhaust conduit for the turbine, said exhaust conduit having portions extending pwardly and the bearings. I

14:. In a power plant, the combination of an elastic fluid turbine having a rotating shaft, a driven machine having a bearing supporting a rotating shaft in the same horizontal plane as the first-mentioned shaft, a support having upwardly extending portions to support the shafts, and means for sub- FRANCIS HQDGKINSON.

to support the turbine I 25 jecting said upwardl extending portions to e exhaust motive fluid