GAS TURBINE GENERATORS

• US 20190360352A1
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Published: 11/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Cosworth Limited
• Original Assignee: Delta Motorsport Limited
• Inventors: Carpenter, Nicholas, Herring, Scott, Wilksch, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 11,125,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/05 the compressor and the turbine being of the radial flow type
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/12 Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/08 Heating air supply before combustion, e.g. by exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C

Abstract

A radial flow gas turbine generator (10) where the gas turbine generator (10) includes a shaft (30) having a rotor (20) of the generator (10), a compressor wheel (16) and a turbine wheel (18) fixed thereto. The shaft (30) is supported for rotation by a single bearing arrangement (38 provided at an axial position on the shaft (30) that is between the rotor (20) and the compressor wheel (16).

Claims

1. A radial flow gas turbine generator, the radial flow gas turbine generator including a shaft having a rotor of a generator, a compressor wheel and a turbine wheel of a gas turbine fixed to the shaft, and a single bearing arrangement supporting the shaft for rotation, wherein said single bearing arrangement is at an axial position on the shaft and the axial position is between the rotor and the compressor wheel.

2. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the single bearing arrangement includes two or more mechanical contact bearings.

3. The gas turbine generator as claim 2 wherein the mechanical contact bearings are rolling element bearings.

4. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the bearing arrangement includes bearings in a module that maintains a predetermined relationship between the bearings.

5. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 4 wherein the bearings are mounted within a sleeve.

6. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 5 wherein the bearings are mounted in a spaced apart relationship to one another within the sleeve.

7. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 6 wherein a resilient member is located between the bearings in the sleeve.

8. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 7 wherein the resilient member is a coil spring.

9. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 8 wherein the coil spring is located within the sleeve such that a first end of the spring abuts on of the bearings and an opposite end of the spring abuts a seat provided on the sleeve.

10. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bearing arrangement is air cooled.

14. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bearing arrangement is self-lubricating.

15. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an oil wick system configured to lubricate the bearing arrangement.

16. The gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a recirculating lubrication system configured to cool and lubricate the bearing arrangement.

17. A method of operating a radial flow gas turbine generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating speed of the radial flow gas turbine generator is greater than the first resonant speed.

11-13. -13. (canceled)

18. A vehicle comprising:

battery cells; and

a gas turbine generator in electrical communication with the battery cells, the gas turbine generator including a shaft, a compressor wheel, and a turbine wheel, and a single bearing arrangement, the shaft having a rotor, the compressor wheel fixed to the shaft, the turbine wheel fixed to the shaft, and the single bearing arrangement supporting the shaft for rotation, the single bearing arrangement at an axial position on the shaft between the rotor and the compressor wheel, wherein rotation of the shaft produces electrical power to recharge the battery cells.