Gas turbine combustor transition

• US 5,906,093 A
• Filed: 02/21/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
• Inventors: Whidden, Graydon Lane, Coslow, Billy Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): FREAY, CHARLES GRANT
• Application Number:
  US08/803,614
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 60/39.02, 60/752, 60/39.83, 60/39.37, 60/730, 60/760, 60/39.511
• US Class Current: 60/777
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/023 Transition ducts between combustor cans and first stage of the turbine in gas-turbine engines; their cooling or sealings
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/005 Combined with pressure or heat exchangers

Abstract

A method of converting a steam cooled transition to an air cooled transition in a gas turbine having a compressor in fluid communication with a combustor, a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the transition disposed in a combustor shell and having a cooling circuit connecting a steam outlet and a steam inlet and wherein hot gas flows from the combustor through the transition and to the turbine section, includes forming an air outlet in the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and providing for an air inlet in the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit.

Claims

1. A method of converting a steam cooled transition to an air cooled transition in a gas turbine comprising a compressor in fluid communication with a combustor, and a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the transition disposed in a shell between the combustor and the gas turbine for communicating hot gases from the combustor through the transition to the turbine section, and the transition comprising a cooling circuit connecting a steam outlet and a steam inlet spaced apart along and in fluid communication with the cooling circuit, comprising the steps of:

forming an air inlet in the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit, at a location on the transition between the steam outlet and the steam inlet; and

opening the steam outlet and steam inlet in the transition, to the shell so that the shell is in fluid communication with the cooling circuit forming an air outlet at the steam outlet and the steam inlet locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steam inlet comprises a steam supply manifold disposed on a peripheral portion of the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and the method further comprises the step of removing the steam supply manifold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steam outlet comprises a steam collection manifold disposed on a peripheral portion of the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and the method further comprises the step of removing the steam collection manifold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing an air inlet comprises creating a plurality of openings disposed circumferentially around a peripheral portion of the transition.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of placing an air supply manifold around the peripheral portion of the transition and in flow communication with the openings.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of placing a conduit in fluid communication with a port disposed on a peripheral portion of the air supply manifold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming an air outlet further comprises opening or removing a steam supply manifold and a steam collection manifold from the transition, and exposing apertures in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and the shell.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of forming an additional air outlet and providing an additional air inlet, the air inlet being arranged between two of the air outlets along a longitudinal axis of the transition with one air inlet separated from the other air inlet along the longitudinal axis with an air outlet therebetween.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the steam inlet further comprises a steam supply manifold arranged on a peripheral portion of the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and a conduit running from a port disposed on an exterior of the steam supply manifold to a steam supply and the method further comprises the step of disconnecting the port from the conduit.

10. A gas turbine comprising:

a compressor;

a combustor in fluid communication with the compressor;

a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor; and

an air cooled elongated transition, converted from a steam cooled transition, disposed in a shell and in fluid communication with the combustor and the turbine section comprising;

a cooling circuit extending circumferentially around interior walls of the transition and having a plurality of flow channels which extend along the longitudinal direction of the transition;

air outlets formed from (i) a plurality of steam inlets, generally positioned proximate the ends of the transition that interface with the combustor and the turbine, and (ii) a former steam outlet generally, centrally disposed between the steam inlets, said steam inlets and outlet formerly part of the steam cooled transition;

a plurality of air inlets positioned generally, centrally between the air outlets and disposed through the transition wall, communicating with the flow channels of the cooling circuit, the air inlets, flow channels and air outlets defining an air flow path that is substantially shorter than a steam flow path that the transition was originally designed for; and

means for directing cooling air into the air inlets.

11. The turbine of claim 10, wherein the air outlets exhaust the cooling air into the shell.

12. The turbine of claim 10, wherein the air inlets extend circumferentially around the periphery of the transition at each of the air inlet longitudinal locations along the transition and are enclosed within a respective manifold at each of the longitudinal locations, that is connected to the means for directing cooling air into the air inlets.

13. A method of converting a steam cooled transition to an air cooled transition in a gas turbine comprising a compressor in fluid communication with a combustor, and a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor, the transition disposed in a combustor shell between the combustor and the turbine, and comprising a cooling circuit connecting a steam outlet and a steam inlet, wherein hot gas flows from the combustor through the transition to the turbine section, comprising the steps of:

forming an air outlet in the transition to the shell, in fluid communication with the cooling circuit; and

providing an air inlet in the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit, wherein the cooling path between the air inlet and the air outlet is substantially shorter in distance than the cooling path between the original steam inlet and steam outlet.

14. An Air cooled elongated transition, converted from a steam cooled transition, comprising;

a cooling circuit extending circumferentially around interior walls of the transition and having a plurality of flow channels which extend along the longitudinal direction of the transition;

air outlets formed from (i) a plurality of steam inlets, generally positioned proximate the ends of the transition that interface with the combustor and the turbine, and (ii) a former steam outlet generally, centrally disposed between the steam inlets, said steam inlets and outlet formerly part of the steam cooled transition;

a plurality of air inlets positioned generally, centrally between the air outlets and disposed through the transition wall, communicating with the flow channels of the cooling circuit, the air inlets, flow channels and air outlets defining an air flow path that is substantially shorter than a steam flow path that the transition was originally designed for; and

means for directing cooling air into the air inlets.

15. The transition of claim 14, wherein the air outlets exhaust the cooling air into a combustion turbine shell surrounding the transition.

16. The transition of claim 14, wherein the air inlets extend circumferentially around the periphery of the transition at each of the air inlet longitudinal locations along the transition and are enclosed within a respective manifold at each of the longitudinal locations, that is connected to the means for directing cooling air into the air inlets.

17. A gas turbine comprising:

a compressor;

a combustor shell in fluid communication with the compressor;

a combustor in fluid communication with the shell;

a turbine section in fluid communication with the combustor;

an air cooled transition in fluid communication with the combustor and the turbine section;

a cooling circuit disposed in an interior section of the transition; and

a pump disposed between the shell and the cooling circuit to provide a force for coolant to flow from the shell to the pump through the cooling circuit and to the shell.

18. The gas turbine of claim 17, wherein the transition further comprises an air supply manifold disposed on a peripheral portion of the transition and enclosing a plurality of openings in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and the pump.

19. The gas turbine of claim 17, wherein the transition further comprises a plurality of air outlets disposed on a peripheral portion of the transition in fluid communication with the cooling circuit and the combustor shell.

20. The gas turbine of claim 17, wherein the cooling circuit comprises cooling channels disposed between a plurality of air inlets disposed on a first peripheral portion of the transition and a plurality of air outlets disposed on a second peripheral portion of the transition.