Arrangement for the automatic running gap control on a two or multi-stage turbine

• US 7,524,164 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Wunderlich, Thomas, Broadhead, Peter, Schiebold, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Look; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIEHE, NATHANIEL EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US11/088,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20050254939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 415/127, 415/136, 415/137, 415/139
• US Class Current: 415/136
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/18 using stator or rotor components with predetermined thermal response, e.g. selective insulation, thermal inertia, differential expansion
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/24 by selectively cooling-heating stator or rotor components
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/26 Double casings; Measures against temperature strain in casings
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/11 Shroud seal segments

Abstract

On a two or multi-stage turbine, expansion rings are provided in all stages at the sides of the rotors for passive, continuous running gap control whose thermal expansion and contraction behavior corresponds to that of the rotors and which are connected to radially moveable upstream and downstream stator vanes (5, 7). The downstream stator vanes are assembled to the upstream stator vanes via a bridge (16; 17, 18) which is axially and circumferentially fixed and located flexibly in the radial direction on the outer casing (10) of the turbine. The stator vanes (6) arranged between the rotor disks are integrally connected to the bridge or, as separate components, held axially and circumferentially on the bridge to take up rolling and tilting moments.

Claims

1. An arrangement for automatic running gap control on a turbine having at least two stages, comprising

first and second rotors within an outer casing,

shroud segments moveably arranged around the rotors,

stator vanes positioned upstream, between and downstream of these rotors,

a bridge connecting the upstream and downstream stator vanes at outer platforms thereof, the bridge being axially and circumferentially fixed and radially located on the outer casing, the intermediate stator vanes and shroud segments being attached to the bridge;

wherein the bridge includes a plurality of circumferentially arranged bridge elements and the bridge elements are each located on the outer casing by radially flexible links which form a segmented inner casing, with a separate supporting element, which is radially, axially and circumferentially fixed on each bridge element, being integrally connected to the respective intermediate stator vane and the second shroud segment.

2. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the bridge includes a first half bridge and a second half bridge which is axially, radially and circumferentially held on the first half bridge, with the intermediate second stator vanes being integrally connected to the second half bridge.

3. An arrangement in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first half bridge comprises a multitude of bending-resistant, circumferentially arranged supporting elements, with a circumferential gap provided between each of them, and a stiff attaching ring attached to the outer casing of the turbine to which the supporting elements are connected via radially flexible links, with a radial gap provided between the free ends of the ring and the supporting elements.

4. An arrangement in accordance with claim 3, comprising a spilt ring fixing ring for axial fixation between the supporting elements and the half-bridge elements.

5. An arrangement in accordance wit claim 3, wherein the supporting elements and the half-bridge elements are stiffened by reinforcing elements.

6. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein each bridge element is a full-bridge element which locates, at free ends thereof, in the outer platforms of the upstream and the downstream stator vanes.

7. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the intermediate stator vanes are integrally connected to the full-bridge elements.

8. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the intermediate stator vanes are separate connected to the full-bridge elements.

9. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the radially flexible links are held at the outer casing by a groove provided at their end and a fixing ring, and the full-bridge elements are circumferentially held on the outer casing.

10. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the radially flexible links are firmly connected to a stiff attaching ring attached to the outer casing.

11. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the supporting element for the intermediate stator vane and the shroud segment includes a flexible connecting area.

12. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, comprising seals positioned between the outer platform of the downstream stator vanes and the outer casing.

13. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, comprising seals positioned between the full-bridge element and the outer casing.

14. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, comprising a split ring fixing ring for axial fixation between the full-bridge elements and the separate intermediate stator vanes.

15. An arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein the full-bridge elements are stiffened by reinforcing elements.

16. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radially flexible links are held at the outer casing by a groove provided at their free end and a fixing ring, and the bridge elements are circumferentially held on the outer casing.

17. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radially flexible links are firmly connected to a stiff attaching ring attached to the outer casing.

18. An arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the supporting element for the intermediate stator vane and the shroud segment includes a flexible connecting area.