US968839A - Elastic-fluid turbine. - Google Patents

Description

R. N. BHRHART.

- BLASTIG FLUID TURBINB. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 9, 1905.

968,839.I Patented Aug.30,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. N. EHRHART. ELASTIG FLUID'TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 9, 1905.

968,839, Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

-encountered in marine UNITED sTATEs PATENT onirica RAYMOND N. EHRHART, or rrr'rsBUnG, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR To THE WEST- vINGfHOUsE .MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Aug. 30, 1910.

Application led March 9, 1905; Serial No. 249,276.

resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a' new and luseful Improvement in Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.v

This invention relates to elastic fluid turbines, and,l as an object, has the production of means for counterbalancing the end or longitudinal thrustV to which the rotating shafts or rotors thereof are subjected.

A further object has been the production of means for automatically balancingl the end thrust of turbine rotors, due to "any cause, whether from the unbalanced fluid pressure, as in a single flow turbine, or a propeller thrust and the fluid pressure as turbines, or the Weight of the rotor and fluid pressure as encountered in vertical turbines.

To obtain these and other objects, I have introduced in connection with elastic fluid turbines, what may be called a balancingchamber.

In the drawingsaccompanying this application and vforming a part thereof, Figure 1 is a longitudinal' section of an elastic fluid turbine fitted With such a balancing-chamber: Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of an elastic fluid turbine with a modification in arrangement and location of the said balancing-chamber.

Referring to Fig. 1, the motive fluid enters the exterior casing v3 of the turbine throughI the port4 4. From the annular chamber 5, connected with the port 4, it passes through the highpressure blading on the drum 6 to the annular'chamber 7, from the chamber 7 the fluid passes through the.

intermediate'pressure blading on the-drum 8 into the 'annular chamber v9, and from the chamber 9, through the 10W pressure blading on the drum 10, it is discharged into the exhaust end of the turbine, from whichit is exhausted into a condenser, or the atmosphere, through an exhaust port 411. A secondary port 12 in connection With the' chamber 7 is -arranged to admit fluid at initial pressure to the intermediate pressure drum 8.l This secondary inlet is'controlledv by'a governor and is operated'in case of overloading the turbine. Serrated collars 13 and 14, mounted on the shaft 2 at either side of the chamber 15, interleaving with oppositely formed collars mounted on the exterior'casing 3 of the turbine, present a lcircuitous path to the Working fluid, and the tendency of the fluid'to leak past these collars is materially decreased.

In the type ofturbine just described, the

entire surface of the rotor is subjected to fluid pressure of more or less intensity, and

- as one surface only of the 'drum is exposed to the fluid pressure, the rotary spindle will' tend to move in the direction of this pressure, that is, toward the exhaust end of the turbine. The pressure lofthe elastic fluid acting on drum 5 is balanced by an equal and oppositev pressure on the collar 13, but, as is readily'seen from the drawing, no such balancing action is obtained in the case of the drums 8 and 10. Therefore, as a means of `counyterbalancin'g this resultant pressure and any exterior pressures to whichV the rotor may be subjected, I have introduced Within the interior casing of the elastic fluid turbine a chamber 16 with a source of supply 17, through Which the motive fluid at initial pressure.is introduced, the size and location of the passage 17 permits only a restricted flow ofthe motive fluid, the reason for this is more fully described hereinafter.

Mounted on the shaft 2 and at either side of the chamber 16, are serrated collars 18 and 19 interleaving with oppositely formed collars 20 and 21 'mounted on the exterior casing of the turbine. The interleaving serrations of 'these' collars have been shown large for the purpose of description only as in reality they are of the same form" and shape as thosevvith which the collars 13 and 14 are supplied. The'hinterle'aving' collars 18 and 20 and'19and 21 'are so arranged that Aany longitudinal motion of the `shaft decreases the clearance between the adjacent faces of the grooves'and 'ridges to such an extent that they 'become practically fluid tight, While in their normal position they are arranged to' resent a moderately restricted passage for t e iluid.`

- Thevchamber 16 is so des1gned1thatjthe effective pressure along'the' spindle -due-to the initial fluid pressure in vsaid chamber, will be` in opposition to a longitudinall exterior thrust, or to the pressure of the working fluid on the drums 8 and 10. In the turbine illustrated the lateral and exposed surface of the collar 18 exceeds that of the collar 19, and the eective pressure in the chamber 16 will be exerted 1n the direction` of the steam end of the turbine and will tend to shift the spindle in that direction. When the longitudinal pressure of the working fluid on the drums 8 and 9, or longitudinal thrust from some exterior cause is suflicient to move the spindle laterally, the serrations Yof the collars 18 and 19 interleaving with the likeserrations on the oppositely formed collars 20 and 21 become effective, by their reduced clearance, in sealing the chamber 16. If initial pressure is now admitted at 17, the spindle will be forced toward theadmission endLof the turbine, but the clearance between the interleaving serrations will, atthe same time, be increasin and the confined fluid in the chamber 16 wil leak past the sealin collars. As the flow through 17 is restricted, a degree of leakage will be obtained at some position of the spindle suchthat the motive fluid in 12 can exert only sulicient pressure to overcome the longitudinal thrust on the spindle. In this way the pressure in the chamber 16 will adjust'itself to balance and overcome any end thrust to which the rotor is sub# jected without materially increasing the resistance to rotation.

By the arrangement and location of the passages for motive fluid, I have obtained means for'utilizing the necessary leakage of the fluid from the chamber 16 as a working agent on the rotor. Thev fluid leakage through the collars 18 and 20 from the high pressure chamber 16 'into,the intermediate pressure chamber 9 combines with the steam in the said passage and is utilized in working on the drum 10. vThe fluid leaking between the collars 19 and 21 also combines with the fluid exhausted from the intermediate drum 8 in working on the low pressure drum 10. By a further arrangement of pipes-and passages it is possible to utilize the steamleaking from any working chamber 'of the turbine in a working chamber of lower pressure. The leakage from the high pressure chamber 5 past the collars 13 into the chamber 15 is carried by the pipe 22 into the chamber 7 where it combines with the -fluid exhausted from the high pressure drum w6 and is utilized in working on the intermediate pressure dum 8. The leakage from the chamber 15 into the chamber 23 is carried by the pipe k241 into the chamber 9, and in conjunction, with the steam exhausted from the drum 8 it works on the low pressure drum 10. l I

Liquid packing means or other suitable glands are mounted in the chambers 25 and 26 at either end of the elastic fluid turbine and form a hermetically tight joint between the exterior casing 3 and the rotating shaft 2 of the turbine.

Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of an elastic fluid turbine fitted with a differently 1o-v The leakage from the chamber 16 into the chamber 15`is carried by the pipe 22 into either the chamber 7 or the chamber 9 by the use of a conveniently located three-way valve 27. The leakage from the chamber 15 into the chamber 23 is carried by the pi e 24 into the chamber 9. The secondary 1 et port 12 'can still be retained with this system of leakage pipes, as the low pressure fluid from the chamber 15 can be admitted to the chamber 9 by the use of the three-way valve 27 when the chamber 7 is under initial pressure. The chambers p25 and 26 contain liquid packing means `for sealing the joint between shaft 2 and the exterior casing 3 of the turbine. i

Still another modification of this balancing-chamber may be used in connection with a vertical elastic fluid turbine. If we consider the shaft 2 of the turbine in Fig. 2

supplied with astep bearing at the exhaust end of the exterior casin 3 and a flexible coupling at the other en of the shaft for connectmg an -electric generator or somel such machine thefigure may be utilized as an illustration of a vertical turbine. In such turbines the step bearing ofthe shaft 2 isdeSigned to support the entire weight lof the rotating element in addition to the downward pressure of the motive fluid on the drums 8 and 10. The chamber 16 and its inclosed disk can be so proportioned that it 'will balance the fluid pressure and the weight of the rotor, and the pressure of the shaft on the step bearing will be materially decreased. In fact such a'degree of balancing may be obtained that the spindle will rotate exerting practically no pressure on the step bearingl y If the turbine is so constructed that the fluid pressure on the drums 8 and 9 is in opposition to the pressure exerted by the weight of the rotort-he balancing action of the chamber 16 is just as effective. i

In marine turbines in which the propeller thrust either increases or decreases the 1ongitudinal thrust of the rotor, due to lateral fluid pressure, the balancing-chamber is effective, and the rotor can be so arranged and 'proportioned in connection with the ,y

balancing-chamber that the propeller thrust can be'balanced either while the turbine is running ahead or reversing.

The device above described is self-adjusting and will automatically fit itself to any change of load, vacuum or pressure,'and by means of the auxiliary'passages all of the motive fluid has arr opportunity to4 work efliciently within the turbine. Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim is:

1. In an elastic Huid turbine, means for exerting lateral pressure on the rotor of said turbine in opposition to any end thrust of the said rotor, agents dependent on said end thrust for regulating the amount of lateral or balancing pressure exerted and means for utilizing the excess of balancing fluid pressure as a Working agent insaid turbine.

2. In an elastic fluid turbine, means for applying fluid pressure in opposition to the end thrust of vthe turbine shaft, means for automatically regulating such pressure, in accordance with the degree of end thrust and means for utilizing the excess of pressure as a working agent in said turbine.

3. In an elastic fluid turbine, a pressure chamber, means within said chamber for exerting lateral pressure on the rotor of said turbine, instrumentalities auxiliary to said chamber and actuated by said rotor for varying said balancing pressure andA means for utilizin the excess of pressure as a driving agent 1n said turbine.

4. In an elastic fluid' turbine, a rotatable shaft, a fluid pressure chamber surrounding the shaft, a sourceof fluid supply communieating with the said chamber, a member car ried' by the shaft and subjected to the fluid pressure in the said chamber means whereby the fluid pressure in the chamber is varied in proporti'om-to the end thrust imparted to the shaft and means for utilizingthe excess of fluid iny said chamber as a driving agent for said turbine.

5. In an elastic fluid turbine, a rotatable shaft, a` fluid pressure chamber encircling the shaft, a member carried by the shaft and subjected to the fluid pressure in the said chamber, a source of fluid supply communieating with the chambermeans whereby the fluid pressure in the said chamber is automatically varied as the end thrust imparted to the shaft varies 'and means for utilizing the excess of fluid pressure in said chamber as 'motive lluid in said turbine.

6. In an elastic fluid turbine, a rotatable shaft, a chamber surrounding said shaft, 'a

Lsource of fluid supply communicating with said chamber, a member carried by said shaft and subjected on one side to' the fluid pressure-in said chamber and means whereby the amount of fluid supplied to -said chamber is varied in accordance with the end thrust imparted to-said shaft.

7. In an elastic lluidturbine, a rotatable shaft, a pressure chamber surrounding said shaft, a source of fluid supply communicating with said chamber, amember carried by said shaft and( subjected to luid'pressure in said chamber, an interleaving seal be tween said member and the walls of said chamber and means, dependent on the end thrust encountered by said shaft for rendering said interleaving seal eectiveand for egulating the fluid pressure in said cham.-

er.- l

8. In an elastic fluid turbine, a rotatable shaft, a casing surrounding said shaft, a chamber within said casing, members mounted on said shaft so as to form walls for saidchamber, a fluid supply to said chamber and means, dependent on the position of said members, for controlling'the Huid pressure within said chamber.

9. In combination with an elastic iiuid turbine, a fluid-actuated thrust relieving device, fluid admission means for said device y automaticallyv regulable in accordance with' the longitudinal position of the turbine rotor and means for passing the exhaust from said device to the turbine to be relieved.

10. In combination with an elastic fluid turbine, a fluid-actuated thrust relieving device, #means for supplying said device with working fluid, means for passing the exhaust from said device to the turbine to be re' lieved and means automatically regulable in accordance with the longitudinal position of the turbine rotor for controllingl said exhaust.` 11. In combination, an elasticfluid turbine, a thrust relieving 'device located in a casing separated from the working passages of said turbine, means, dependent on the' thrust encountered by the turbine, for controlling the delivery of motiveluid to said' device and means. for delivering the ex `haust from said device to a working portion of the turbine. l

12. In combination, an elastic fluid turbine, a {luid-actuated relieving device, means for controlling the delivery of fluid to said device in accordance with the thrust encountered and means for ydelivering the exhaustfluid from said device tothe turbine to be relieved.

13. In combination with an (elastic fluid turbine, through the/stages of which the working.. fluid flows in one axial direction only, a fluid-actuated thrust relieving device located adjacent the high pressure end of said turbine, means for delivering the exhaust from said device to the turbine to be relieved and means, dependent' on the of fluid to saidv device. y

14. In combination with an elastic fluid? turbine, through the stages of which the `Worl'ring fluid flows inI one axial direction:

f amount of thrust, for varying the admission' v amount of thrust,

only, a fluid-actuated thrust relieving de Working portion of the turbine.

16. In combination, an elastic fluid turbine, a thrustrelieving device, means for delivering working Huid to said device and means, dependent on the thrust encountered by the turbine, for proportioning the delivery of exhaust from said device to the turbine to be relieved.

17. In combination, an elastic fluid turbine, a thrust relieving device therefor,

means, Within the'turbme casing, for delivering working fluid to said device and means, dependent on the thrust encountered by said turbine, for delivering the exhaust from said device to a working portion of the turbine.

18. In combination, an elastic fluid tur-` bine, a thrust relieving device, means, located Within a chamber separated from the Working passages of the turbine, for delivering working fluid to said device and means,

dependentpn the thrust'encountered by said turbine, for deliverin the exhaust from said device to the turblne to be relieved.

19. In combination, an elastic fluid turbine having a motive fluid supply port,I a thrust relief device, means in communication with the turbine`casing but separated from the motiveiiuid supply port for delivering motive fluid to sald device and means dependent upon a thrust encountered by the turbine for controlling the size of the exhaust openingfrom said device.

20. In combination, an elastic fluid turbine, a Huid-actuated thrust relieving device, means whereby the exhaust fluid from said device is delivered to the turbine to be relieved 4and means for .controlling the amount of fluid so delivered in accordance With the amount of thrust encountered 4by said turbine. v

21. In combination, an elastic fluid turbine, a Huid-actuated thrust relievin device,

' regulable means for delivering motive fluid to said device and means, dependent on the amount of thrust encountered, for passingl the exhaust from said device to the turbine to be relieved.

22. In combination, an elastic fluid tur,- bine, a thrust relievin means independent of the supply port for the turbine and, dependent on the thrust endevice therefor, and

countered by said turbine, for lcontrollin the delivery of motive iuidto said dev1c .and the exhaust of motive fluid from said device said means being in communication lmeans separate from the thrust relieving de-` -vice dependent onv the thrust encountered by said turbine, for controlling the delivery of motive fluid to said device and means for l controlling the exhaust therefrom in accord ance with the thrust encountered said thrust relieving device and turbine being in con1- municatlon.

25. In combination, an elastic fluid tur-y bine, a thrust relieving device therefor, means, dependent on the thrust encountered by said turbine, for controlling` the delivery of motive fluid to said device, means for delivering the exhaust fluid from said device .to the turbine and means for controllin the exhaust delivery of said device in accor ance with the thrust encountered by the turbine. 26. In combination, an elastic fluid turbine, a thrust relieving device therefor,

' means, dependent on the thrust encountered by said turbine, for controlling the. delivery of motive fluid to said device, means for delivering the exhaust fluid from said device to a working passage of said turbine and means, dependent `on the amount ofA thrust encountered by the. turbine, for controlling the exhaust delivery f saidv device.

27. In an elastic fluid turbine, a thrust relieving device comprising a chamber vformed Within the turbine casing and surrounding the turbine shaft, a member carried'by theshaft and forming a ,wall of said chamber, means for permitting a flow of motive fluid through saidhamber and means, dependent on the thrust encountered by the turbine, for varying the flow of motive fluidthrough said chamber to thereby control the pressure within said chamber.

28.A In an elastic fluid turbine, a thrust'relieving device comprising a chamber surrounding thefturbineshaft, a memberI carried by said shaft and forming a Wall of said chamber, a fluid supply for said chamber, an interleaving seal between said member and the stationaryvvall of said chamber and means for varying the effectiveness of said seal for the purpose of regulating the pressure within sald chamber.

29. In an elastic iuid turbine, a thrust efectiveness of said 'sea-1 for the purpose of 10 lieving device comprising a chamber surregulating the pressure within said chamber. rounding the turbine shaft, a member car- In testlmony whereof, I have hereunto ried by the shaft and forming a Wall of subscribed my name this 27th day of Februsaid chamber, a Huid supply for said chamary, 1905.

ber, an interleavingseal between said mem- RAYMOND N. EIIRHART. ber andthe stationary Wall of said chamber Witnesses: and means, dependent on the thrust encoun- DAVID WILLIAMS,

tered by vsaid turbine, for varying the ef- E. W. MCCALIJSTER.

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