US1740066A - Hydraulic machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 17, 1929.

E. H. BROWN HYDRAULIC MACHINE 'Filed April 8. 1922 Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN I-I. BROWN,

OF WAUWA'IOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR 'IO ALLIS-CHALMERS DELAWARE HYDRAULIC MACHINE Application filed April, 1922. Serial No. 550,623.

This invention relates in general to improvements in the construction and operation of hydraulic machines, and relates more speciiically to improvements which are espe- 5 cially applicable to hydraulic turbine installations.

A general object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic machine which is simple in construction and efficient in operation.

Some of the more specific objects of the invention are as follows To provide an exceedingly compact setting for hydraulic machines, which is especially applicable to hydraulic turbines of the type which are operable under relatively low heads to produce high specific or characteristic speeds.

To provide a vertical hydraulic installation in which the weight of the rotating parts is partially or entirely counter balanced by the upward pressure induced by the liquid flowing through the machine.

To provide an efficient hydraulic turbine in which the cost of installation is reduced to a minimum by eliminating structure which necessitates expensive subconstruction and excavation. I y

To provide means for eliminating danger of interruption in the continuityof the propelling stream in hydraulic turbines-of the axial flow type operable under relatively low heads,

To provide a relatively long, efficient and inexpensive draft device or tube for hydraulic turbines.

To provide other improvements in the construction, arrangement,and'operation of hydraulic units, which are generally applicable to hydraulic pumps and turbines.

`While the present invention is especially applicable to hydraulic turbines or machines of the axial flow type, the specifice structure of the axial flow rotor herein illustrated, forms no part of the present invention except in combination with other turbine structure which is cooperable with the rotor.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the operation of a machine constructed in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a top view of the hydraulic end of a hydro-electric installation comprising three independent turbine driven generator units.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section through one of the hydro-electric units, the section being taken along the line II--II of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows.

`The hydraulic energy converting installation specifically illustrated in the drawing comprises in general a liquid supply flume or upper basin 6, a tail-race or lower basin l5, a plurality of conduits connecting the basins 6, 15, an axial liow high speed turbine rotor 2 located within each of the connecting conduits, a vertical main shaft 3 secured to each ofthe rotors 2 and extending upwardly into a power house, and an electric generator a direct-connected to the upper extremity of each of the vertical main shafts 3 and having a direct support 5 above the turbine rotors. "While all of the hydro-electric units receive liquid from a common source of supply and deliver liquid to a common tail-race, it will be understood that these units are independently operable and that a plurality of units has been shown merely for the purpose-of disclosing the compactness of the setting afforded by the present invention. It will also be understood that the terms upper and lower as applied to the basins 6, 15, refer only to the relative elevations of the liquid levels in these basins.

Each of the conduits connecting the upper flume or basin 6 with the tail-race or lower basin 15, comprises a vertical portion within which is located the turbine rotor 2, and which communicatesv with the supply basin 6 through a downwardly and outwardly directed annular conduit portion 9 formed by an outer or lower casing 7 and a central core. An annular series of adjustable guide vanes 8, surrounds the inlet conduit 9, these guide vanes serving to vary the degree of whirl of the fluid admitted from the basin 6, and also serving to throttle the entering fluid. The upper or discharge side of the turbine rotor 2 communicates with a symmetrical annular outwardly flaring conduit 10 which in turn communicates with a spiral chamber 12 located within an Lipper casing and the discharge of which communicates with an open flow decelerating fiume 1.4i through a conduit portion 13. The conduit portions 10 and 12 may be formed to either partially or to completely decelerate the fluid passing` therethrough, or they may be formed asv constant velocity passages for merely conducting the fluid to the open decelerating flume 111' wherein either a complete or a partial deceleration of the flow may be effected.

A bearing 18 located within the annular conduit 10 prevents vibration of the shaft 3 adjacent to the rotor 2. Struts or elements 11 which may be formed as guide vanes in order to avoid undesirable disturbances of 'the flow through the conduit 10, connect the lower and upper turbine casing-s and are also connected through pads 16 with the lower ends of suspension members or struts 17 extending upwardly to the generator 1. .This supporting structure is subject to considerable variation in form, without affecting the features of the present invention.

During normal operation of the units, the guide vanes 8 are adjusted to produce the desired direction and quantity of flow of water through the rotor 2, in numerous ways which are well known in the art. The water is delivered from the guide vanes 8 with a whirl in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the rotor 2 and has its direction of flow changed from inward to axial at the inlet side of the rotor 2 by the conoidal core in the conduit 9. The water passes through the rotor 2 as an axially advancing whirling stream and is delivered with considerable residual whirl energy, into the annular conduit 10. In passing through the conduit 10 the centrifugal force induced by the mass of whirling water aids in urging the fluid upwardly and outwardly through the conduit 1.0 from which it is delivered into the spiral chamber 12 located above the level in the tailrace or basin 15. From the spiral chamber 12 the fluid flows by gravity through the inclined conduit 13 and through the open flume 14; to the tail-race 15.

Depending upon the selected formation of the conduits 10, 12, 13, deceleration of the water may be effected at various places along the discharge conduit, and to variousextents, the final deceleration of the flow being preferably effected in the open flume 141 prior to final discharge of the water into the tailrace 15. rlhe conduit 10 may obviously be formed to either substantially completely decelerate the flow of the discharged water, or to only partially decelerate the flow, or it may be formed so that no deceleration whatever takes place therein. The spiral conduit 12 may likewise be formed to produce either complete, partial, or no deceleration of the flow. The open flume 14 may likewise be formed to produce a complete, partial, or no deceleration of the flow, but this flume 14 is preferably formed to produce at least some deceleration. It will be obvious that a great many combinations of decelerating passages` are offered byvthisv construction and that an exceedingly long and efficient draft tube wherein necessity of excavation and subconstruction are entirely avoided, may be provided.

It will also be obvious that by permitting the liquid to enter the rotor 2 from below, the weight of the rotating parts may be partially or even entirely counter balanced by the upward pressure created by the flow of operating fluid. The invention is especially applicable to hydraulic turbines of the axial flow type which are operable under relatively low heads to produce high specific or characteristic speeds, such turbines demanding relatively large quantities of operating fluid which are assured by placing the turbine inlet below the tail water level. The location of the turbine inlet below the rotor 2 also eliminates danger of interruption in the continuity of the propelling stream, regardless of variations in the head level. While the invention has been illust-rated as applied to hydraulic turbine installations alone, it will be obvious that at least some of the features are more generally applicable to other hydraulic machines such as pumps.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and of operation herein.

shown and described, for various modifi-cai tions within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a hydraulic machine, a casing forining a vertical conduit through which liquid flows upwardly, a rotor located within said conduit, an energy absorber driven by said rotor and supported above said casing, structural members directly connecting the support of said absorber with said casing, and guide vanes disposed below said casing for controlling the flow of liquid through said rotor.

2. In a hydraulic machine, means forming a vertical conduit through which liquid flows upwardly, a casing forming a spiral collecting chamber communicating with the upper end of said vertical conduit, a rotor located p tion of said casing, and an annularv series of lli) guide vanes disposed beneath said casing for controlling the flow of liquid through said conduit.

3. In a hydraulic machine, a lower casing forming a vertical conduit through which liquid flows upwardly, an upper casing forming a spiral collecting chamber communicating with the upper end of said lower casing, a rotor located within said vertical conduit, an energy absorber driven by said rotor and having a direct support above said upper casing, structural suspension members directly connecting said support with the upper portion of said upper casing, and an annular series of guide vanes disposed beneath said lower lcasing for controlling the flow of liquid through said conduit.

4. In a hydraulic machine, a lower casing forming a vertical conduit through which liquid flows upwardly, an upper casing Jforming a spiral collecting chamber communieating with the upper end of said lower casing and having upper pads, a series of vane elements connecting said lower casing with said pads, a rotor located within said vertical conduit, an energy absorber driven by said rotor and having a direct support above said lowery casing, structural suspension members directly connecting said support with said pads, and an annular series of guide vanes movably disposed beneath said lower casing `for controlling the flow of liquid through said conduit.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aiiiXed hereto.

EDWIN H. BROWN.

Images