Drainage system for gas turbine supporting bearings

• US 6,893,208 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Holding SPA (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Nuovo Pignone Holding SPA (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Frosini, Franco, Signori, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McAleenan, James M.
• Application Number:
  US10/312,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20040037696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 415110-113, 415168-170 R, 415/180, 184/6, 184/11, 184/104.B, 184/1.2, 184/6.23, 184/6.11, 184/1.5, 60/390.8
• US Class Current: 415/112
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/06 Arrangements of bearings bearings F16C; Lubricating of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/10 Construction relative to lubrication lubrication in general F16N
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/1045 Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing

Abstract

A drainage system for gas turbine supporting cushions or bearings, in particular for the second supporting bearing, consisting of a central shaft (20), surrounded by a series of supporting studs (21), which result, in their turn, with connection to a container housing (22) for studs (21), a sleeve (23) for containing the second supporting bearing of the turbine and a series of pipes (24, 25), respectively for the entry and drainage of the lubrication and cooling oil; the system consists of, in addition, a series of lateral seals (26), provided in positions facing the second supporting bearing, which create a pressure difference which permits the oil to pass under pressure within the drainpipes (25) at a well sustained speed.

Claims

1. A discharge system for a gas generator including an axial air compressor driven by a gas turbine with a plurality of blades, said compressor and said turbine blades being installed on a common shaft supported by journal bearings including a first bearing located at an inlet to the compressor and a second bearing located between said axial compressor and said turbine, at least one of said bearings being received within a sleeve, said shaft being surrounded by a plurality of supporting means fixed to a housing defining, in part, lateral sump chambers about the bearings, piping for delivery and discharging lubricating and cooling fluid relative to bearing surfaces of said one bearing, said sump chambers receiving a first amount of said lubricating fluid by gravity for flow through said discharge piping, means defining a space about the bearing sleeve having a said second amount of fluid subjected to a differential pressure relative to the pressure of the first fluid existing in said sump chambers, and a plurality of floating seals at the ends of said one bearing creating said differential pressure.

2. A discharge system as claimed in claim 1, including openings in said sleeve for connecting said lateral sump chambers and to said discharge piping.

3. A discharge system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said floating seals comprise two floating rings.

4. A discharge system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge piping is positioned below the bearing and adjacent the center of said sleeve.