Axial flow gas turbine

• US 8,932,007 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Khanin, Alexander Anatolievich, Kostege, Valery, Sumin, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lambert, Wayne A
• Application Number:
  US13/306,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20120134778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 415/115, 415/116, 416/93.R, 416/95, 416/96.R
• US Class Current: 415/116
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/12 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/081 Cooling fluid being directed on the side of the rotor disc or at the roots of the blades F01D5/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/084 the fluid circulating at the periphery of a multistage rotor, e.g. of drum type

Abstract

An axial flow gas turbine (20) includes a rotor (13) and a stator, and a hot gas path through which hot gas passes. The rotor (13) includes a rotor shaft (15) with axial slots for receiving a plurality of blades (B1-B3) arranged in a series of blade rows, with rotor heat shields (R1, R2) interposed between adjacent blade rows. The rotor shaft (15) is configured to axially conduct a main flow of cooling air along the rotor heat shields (R1, R2) and the lower parts of the blades (B1-B3), and the rotor shaft (15) supplies the interior of the blades (B1-B3) with cooling air (18). Stable and predictable cooling air parameters at any blade row inlet are secured by providing air-tight cooling channels (21), which extend axially through the rotor shaft (15) separate from the main flow of cooling air (17), and supply the blades (B1-B3) with cooling air (18).

Claims

1. An axial flow gas turbine comprising:

a rotor and a stator, the stator forming a casing surrounding the rotor and forming a hot gas path through which hot gas formed in a combustion chamber can pass;

wherein the rotor comprises a plurality of blades and a rotor shaft with axial slots configured and arranged to receive said plurality of blades arranged in a series of blade rows, and rotor heat shields interposed between adjacent blade rows, thereby forming an inner outline of the hot gas path, wherein each blade row comprises the same number of blades in the same angular arrangement;

wherein the rotor shaft is configured to conduct a main flow of cooling air in an axial direction along the rotor heat shields and along lower parts of the blades;

wherein the rotor shaft is configured to supply the blades with cooling air entering the interior of the blades; and

air-tight cooling channels extending axially through the rotor shaft separate from the main flow of cooling air, the air-tight cooling channels being configured to supply the blades with cooling air, at least one air-tight cooling channel being provided for each angular blade position of the blade rows, which at least one air-tight cooling channel extends through the respective blades of all blade rows which are arranged at said same angular position; and

wherein said at least one air-tight cooling channel comprises coaxial cylindrical openings axially passing through the rotor heat shields and lower parts of the blades, and sleeves which connect the openings of adjacent blades and rotor heat shields in an air-tight fashion, wherein the sleeves comprise a plurality of circumferentially distributed axial ribs.

2. An axial flow gas turbine according to claim 1, wherein the axial ribs are positioned at an inner side of the sleeves.

3. An axial flow gas turbine according to claim 1, wherein:

the axial ribs are positioned at an outer side of the sleeves; and

a radial height of the axial ribs is smaller than a radial height of the spherical sections.

4. An axial flow gas turbine according to claim 1, wherein the axial slots comprise fir-tree slots.

5. An axial flow gas turbine according to claim 1, wherein the stator comprises a vane carrier in which said stator heat shields and stator vanes are installed, with the stator heat shields lying opposite to the blades and the vanes lying opposite to the rotor heat shields.

6. An axial flow gas turbine according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one plug closing the at least one air-tight cooling channel at an end of the at least one air-tight cooling channel.

7. An axial flow gas turbine according to claim 1, wherein the sleeves are configured to allow a relative displacement of the parts being connected without losing air-tightness of the connection of the openings of adjacent blades and rotor heat shields.

8. An axial flow gas turbine according to claim 7, wherein the sleeves have ends and an outer spherical section at each end, the spherical section allowing swiveling of the sleeves within a cylindrical opening and forming a ball joint therewith.