Variable phase turbine apparatus

• US 20100111669A1
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energent Incorporated (Rodan Energy Solutions Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cryoquip Inc.
• Inventors: Hays, Lance G., Welch, Phillip R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/48
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/00 Gas-turbine plants characterised by the use of hot gases or unheated pressurised gases, as the working fluid by the use of combustion products F02C3/00, F02C5/00

Abstract

Variable phase turbine apparatus comprising, in combination a rotatably driven load structure, defining an axis, confinement means forming a fluid flow passage extending generally axially and adjacent said load structure, a turbine operatively connected to said load structure, to transmit rotary drive thereto, two-phase flow nozzle means receiving pressurized flow via said passage, and directing flow of fluid from said passage, expanded in the nozzle means, at the turbine to rotate the turbine, the nozzle means configured to expand flow consisting of two or more of the following phases:

• • v) gas
  • vi) liquid
  • vii) gas and liquid mixture
  • viii) supercritical gas and liquid mixture, and with efficient conversion of enthalpy.

Claims

1. A variable phase turbine comprising:

i) nozzle means operable to discharge a fluid medium of liquid, supercritical fluid or a mixture of liquid and gas with conversion of medium enthalpy to kinetic energy in a directed stream of a mixture of gas and liquid, supercritical fluid or pure gas, said directed stream characterized by the chemical composition of the fluid medium and the thermodynamic conditions of the enthalpy conversion process, said nozzle means directing the flow at blade means for displacing said blade means,

ii) the blade means configured to maximize the conversion of the kinetic energy of said directed stream into torque acting upon rotor means carrying said blades

iii) said rotor means to which said blades are attached transmitting torque to a shaft to which the rotor and a load are attached,

iv) casing means configured to confine and direct the medium and which contains bearings and seals to enable the shaft to transmit the torque, and

v) shroud means configured and located to prevent liquid which has transferred kinetic energy to the blades from contacting the casing and from being re-directed to contact the moving blades, causing losses in torque.

2. The turbine of claim 1 having pintle means to vary the flow area of the nozzle means by axial translation of said pintle means.

3. The turbine of claim 1 characterized and configured with optimization in conformance with a computer program characterizing the nozzle pressure profile to produce the maximum conversion by the nozzle means of enthalpy for a medium of liquid or supercritical fluid to kinetic energy in a directed stream of a mixture of gas and liquid, supercritical fluid or pure gas.

4. The turbine of claim 1 characterized and configured with optimization in conformance with a computer program characterizing the nozzle pressure profile to produce minimum liquid droplet size in the nozzle means while optimizing kinetic energy for a mixture of gas and liquid.

5. The turbine of claim 1 having a discontinuity in the profile of the wall of the nozzle means, said discontinuity causing any liquid on the wall to be directed into the flowing stream.

6. The turbine of claim 1 having two or more nozzle means with centerlines at different radii.

7. The turbine of claim 1 with nozzle means having plate dividers separated by contoured surfaces enabling linear streamlines and full circumferential admission.

8. The turbine of claim 1 characterized and configured with optimization in conformance with a computer program characterized the blading means to produce the maximum conversion of the kinetic energy to torque by a directed stream of a mixture of gas and liquid, supercritical fluid or pure gas.

9. The turbine of claim 1 having blades having an angular displacement of each blade leading edge from the perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle means of between 1 degree to 15 degrees counter to the rotational direction.

10. The turbine of claim 1 wherein for a directed stream of a mixture of liquid and gas, the blading means has an initial section with a gradual angle optimized to minimize the sum of momentum losses and friction losses when the stream impacts the blade surface.

11. The turbine of claim 1 wherein the case of a directed stream of a mixture of liquid and gas, the blading means is configured to increase the hydraulic diameter of liquid flowing on the surface, thereby reducing friction losses.

12. The turbine of claim 1 wherein for the case of a directed stream of a mixture of gas and liquid, the blade means is configured to configure a trajectory of liquid leaving the surface of the blades thereby to produce a tangential component of the velocity relative to the shaft centerline, causing the liquid to be separated from the gas phase and to enter a passage provided in the casing to capture the liquid.

13. The turbine of claim 1 wherein the case of a directed stream of a mixture of gas and liquid, body structure is provided downstream of the rotor to prevent recirculation of the flow, preventing liquid from striking the blades.

14. The turbine of claim 1 in combination with

a) a shaft connected to the turbine rotor,

b) a shaft seal, and

c) a generator connected to the shaft having bearings to support the shaft.

15. The turbine of claim 1 in combination with

a) a shaft connected to the turbine rotor,

b) a generator connected to the shaft that is cooled by the medium, and

c) bearings supporting the shaft that are lubricated by the medium,

16. The turbine of claim 1 in combination with

a) a shaft connected to the turbine rotor,

b) a generator connected to the shaft that is cooled by the medium,

c) bearings supporting the shaft that are lubricated by the medium, and

d) a self adjusting balance mechanism to reduce and control the axial force resulting from pressure differences across the rotor and the weight of the generator rotor and shaft.

17. The turbine of claim 1 in combination with

a) a shaft connected to the turbine rotor,

b) bearings supporting the shaft,

c) a compressor(s) connected to the shaft.

18. The turbine of claim 1 in combination with

a) a shaft connected to the turbine rotor,

b) bearings supporting the shaft, and

d) a pump(s) connected to the shaft.

19. The combination of claim 1 and

a) a vertical shaft,

b) an annular plenum that supplies the medium to the nozzle means,

c) a passage for flow of the medium surrounding the generator,

d) a port and insulated means to feed electrical wires from the generator through the wall surrounding the generator,

e) a means of separating the casing into components to enable access to the assembly comprised of the turbine, shaft and generator, and related parts, and

f) support of the turbine, shaft and generator assembly including a bottom plate, having pins to prevent rotation during operation, enabling the assembly to be lifted for maintenance without undoing any mechanical fasteners.

20. The turbine of claim 1 where the medium is one of the following

x₁) 1,1,12-Tetrafluoroethane, i.e., R134a

x₂) ii Difluoro-1,1-ethane, i.e., R152a

x₃) 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane, i.e., R227ea

x₄) 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane, i.e., R236ea

x₅) 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane, i.e., R245fa

x₆) 1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane, i.e., R245ca

x₇) 1,1-dichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane, i.e.,

x₈) CO2

x₉) CH4

x₁₀) propane

x₁₁) ethylene

x₁₂) propelene

x₁₃) water

x₁₄) nitrogen

x₁₅) mixtures where the above fluids comprise 50% or more of the mixture.

22. The combination of claim 1 wherein said axis extends upright, and said nozzle means and turbine are located below the load level, fluid flowing downwardly in said passage to said nozzle means.

23. The combination of claim 22 including structure extending below said nozzle means and turbine to direct discharged fluid downwardly away from said confinement means, said load structure comprising an electrical generator having a rotor driven by said turbine.

24. The combination of claim 23 including means located above said load structure and responsive to pressure of fluid flowing to said passage for exerting lifting force on the generator, during rotation of said rotor.

25. The combination of claim 24 including a tubular shaft extending axially and supporting the rotor for rotation, via shaft bearings, there being ducting for directing fluid flow from a path associated with said passage to the interior of said tubular shaft, via said bearings, for discharge below the turbine.

33. The method of operating the turbine apparatus of claim 1 which includes

f) directing the flow through said nozzle means,

g) adjusting said nozzle means to compensate for conversion of the flow from a first of said phases to a second of said phases, whereby sizes of flow particles leaving the nozzle means are minimized in said first and second phases.

34. The method of claim 33 including controlling said adjusting by provision of and operation of a programmed computer.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said controlling of said adjusting includes providing a tapered pintle or pintles in a tapered bore or bores of said nozzle means, to extend lengthwise therein, and controllably and adjustably displacing said pintle or pintles lengthwise in said bore or bores to minimize said particle sizes.

37. The turbine of claim 1 wherein the nozzle means is characterized and configured by slip maximized at the inlet region or regions of the nozzle means.

21. Variable phase turbine apparatus comprising, in combination

a) a rotatably driven load structure, defining an axis,

b) confinement means forming a fluid flow passage extending generally axially and adjacent to said load structure,

c) a turbine operatively connected to said load structure, to transmit rotary drive thereto,

d) two-phase flow nozzle means receiving pressurized flow via said passage, and directing flow of fluid from said passage, expanded in the nozzle means, at the turbine to rotate the turbine,

e) the nozzle means configured to expand flow consisting of two or more of the following phases:

i) gas

ii) liquid

iii) gas and liquid mixture

iv) supercritical gas and liquid mixture, and with efficient conversion of enthalpy.

26. The combination of claim 21 wherein said nozzle means includes a pintle controllably axially movable within a tapered nozzle bore and relative to a nozzle thereto, to selected position for controlling the particle size of fluid passing through the nozzle means, and to control slip at inlet regions of the nozzle means.

27. The combination of claim 26 wherein said nozzle means includes multiple nozzles circularly spaced about said axis, and angled downwardly toward turbine blades, the nozzle having inlets below said passage.

28. The combination of claim 26 including actuator means to control pintle positioning within the nozzle bore, and means including a computer programmed cooling to control said actuator means so as to maximize said slip, for a selected fluid phase flow.

29. The combination of claim 27 wherein said multiple nozzles are arranged in two concentric rings for enhancing nozzle fluid discharge drive moment exerted on turbine blading.

30. The combination of claim 29 wherein said two concentric rings are located below said load.

31. The combination of claim 21 wherein said nozzle means is or are a two-phase nozzle, or nozzles.

32. The combination of claim 21 wherein the load is a compressor.

36. The method of controlling the operation of a turbine having a nozzle or nozzle to which pressurized fluid is supplied, that includes the step:

adjusting nozzle flow through configuration, as a function of input fluid phase composition, to minimize particle size while optimizing kinetic energy of nozzle discharge incident on turbine blades.