Turbine casing

• US 6,478,534 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Zander, Uwe, Gobrecht, Edwin, Bangert, Boris, Henkel, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Dwayne J.
• Application Number:
  US09/789,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 415/108, 415/175-178, 415/116, 415/1
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/12 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/26 Double casings; Measures against temperature strain in casings
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/205 Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after cooling one or more components is the cooling fluid recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/232 characterized by the cooling medium

Abstract

A turbine casing has an inner casing and an outer casing which surrounds the inner casing to form an intermediate space. In order to avoid a casing distortion, a forced flow of a medium located within the intermediate space is provided. A method is also described which relates to avoiding a temperature based casing distortion during the shut-down of a turbine.

Claims

1. A turbine casing, comprising:

an inner casing;

an outer casing surrounding said inner casing and defining an intermediate space therebetween, said outer casing having a first opening and a second opening formed therein; and

a circulating fan system connecting said first opening to said second opening so that a forced flow of a medium located within said intermediate space can be generated, said first opening, said second opening, said intermediate space, and said circulating fan system defining a closed circuit.

2. The turbine casing according to claim 1, wherein said first opening and said second opening are disposed diametrically opposite on said outer casing.

3. The turbine casing according to claim 1, wherein said outer casing and said inner casing are formed to house a steam turbine.

4. The turbine casing according to claim 1, wherein said first opening is formed in an upper half of said outer casing and said second opening is formed in a lower half of said outer casing.

5. The turbine casing according to claim 4, wherein said outer casing is formed in two parts including an upper part defining said upper half and a lower part defining said lower half, and including a split joint connecting said upper part to said lower part.

6. A method for avoiding a casing distortion of a turbine casing when a turbine is shut down, which comprises the steps of:

generating a forced flow of a medium in an intermediate space formed between an inner casing and an outer casing surrounding the inner casing, the intermediate space being part of a closed circuit and the forced flow evening out a temperature distribution in the turbine casing.