Tubular turbine generator unit

• US 8,536,719 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voith Patent Gmbh
• Original Assignee: Voith Patent Gmbh
• Inventors: Holstein, Benjamin, Perner, Norman, Borrmann, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US12/936,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 290/43, 290/52, 290/54
• US Class Current: 290/43
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 11/00 Parts or details not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the preceding groups controlling F03B15/00, e.g. wear-protection couplings, between turbine and generator
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/105 Bulb groups
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 3/04 with substantially axial flow throughout rotors, e.g. propeller turbines rotors per se F03B3/126
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/12 specially adapted for operating in liquid or gas combined with cooling arrangements H02K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/132 Submersible electric motors H02K5/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/19 for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/26 Structural association of machines with devices for cleaning or drying cooling medium, e.g. with filters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy

Abstract

The invention concerns a tubular turbine generator unit including

• • a turbine rotor disk;
  • a drive shaft which is torsion-proof connected with the turbine rotor disk;
  • an electrical generator with a generator rotor and a generator stator, wherein the generator rotor is driven at least via the drive shaft;
  • a tubular turbine housing, which encloses the electrical generator;
  • a bearing assembly, which is arranged inside the tubular turbine housing and enables to support the drive shaft;
  • characterized in that
  • at least one floodable space is provided inside the tubular turbine housing, which is flooded with water in the region of the tubular turbine generator unit, wherein the generator gap between the generator rotor and the generator stator and the bearing gap of the bearing assembly are part of the floodable space.

Claims

1. A tubular turbine generator unit including:

a turbine rotor disk;

a drive shaft which is torsion-proof connected with the turbine rotor disk;

an electrical generator with a generator rotor and a generator stator, wherein the generator rotor is driven at least via the drive shaft;

a tubular turbine housing, which encloses the electrical generator;

a bearing assembly, which is arranged inside the tubular turbine housing and enables to support the drive shaft;

a floodable space inside the tubular turbine housing, which is flooded with water during operation of the tubular turbine generator unit, characterised in that

the generator gap between the generator rotor and the generator stator and the bearing gap of the bearing assembly are part of the floodable space, wherein the water in said floodable space cools said electrical generator by removing waste heat.

2. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the tubular turbine housing comprises an inlet opening to the floodable space.

3. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the water in said floodable space lubricates said bearing assembly.

4. A tubular turbine generator unit including:

a turbine rotor disk;

a drive shaft which is torsion-proof connected with the turbine rotor disk;

an electrical generator with a generator rotor and a generator stator, wherein the generator rotor is driven at least via the drive shaft;

a tubular turbine housing, which encloses the electrical generator;

a bearing assembly, which is arranged inside the tubular turbine housing and enables to support the drive shaft;

a floodable space inside the tubular turbine housing, which is flooded with water during operation of the tubular turbine generator unit, characterised in that

the generator gap between the generator rotor and the generator stator and the bearing gap of the bearing assembly are part of the floodable space, wherein the floodable space is in liquid connection with the surrounding water outside the tubular turbine housing a liquid inlet.

5. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 4, characterised in that the tubular turbine generator unit includes a filtering device for filtering the inflowing surrounding water at the liquid inlet.

6. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 4, characterised in that the liquid inlet includes a closing device for separating the floodable space from the surrounding water area.

7. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 6, characterised in that the tubular turbine generator unit includes a filtering device for filtering the inflowing surrounding water at the liquid inlet.

8. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 6, characterised in the tubular turbine generator unit includes a pumping device for drying up the floodable space.

9. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 8, characterised in that the tubular turbine generator unit includes a filtering device for filtering the inflowing surrounding water at the liquid inlet.

10. A tubular turbine generator unit including:

a turbine rotor disk;

a drive shaft which is torsion-proof connected with the turbine rotor disk;

an electrical generator with a generator rotor and a generator stator, wherein the generator rotor is driven at least via the drive shaft;

a tubular turbine housing, which encloses the electrical generator;

a bearing assembly, which is arranged inside the tubular turbine housing and enables to support the drive shaft;

a floodable space inside the tubular turbine housing, which is flooded with water during operation of the tubular turbine generator unit, characterised in that

the generator gap between the generator rotor and the generator stator and the bearing gap of the bearing assembly are part of the floodable space; and

a watertight sealed space is arranged inside the tubular turbine housing for accommodating components of the generator rotor and/or of the generator stator and/or of the power electronics.

11. A tubular turbine generator unit according to claim 10, characterised in that the watertight sealed space includes a sealant in the form of a gap tube and/or of a casting compound.

12. A tubular turbine generator unit including:

a turbine rotor disk;

a drive shaft which is torsion-proof connected with the turbine rotor disk;

an electrical generator with a generator rotor and a generator stator, wherein the generator rotor is driven at least via the drive shaft;

a tubular turbine housing, which encloses the electrical generator;

a bearing assembly, which is arranged inside the tubular turbine housing and enables to support the drive shaft;

a floodable space inside the tubular turbine housing, which is flooded with water during operation of the tubular turbine generator unit, characterised in that

the generator gap between the generator rotor and the generator stator and the bearing gap of the bearing assembly are part of the floodable space; and

a component of a power station facility, including a flow channel with said tubular turbine generator unit arranged therein.

13. A turbine generator unit according to claim 12, wherein said power station facility is characterised in that a flood gate is arranged upstream of the tubular turbine generator unit for drying up the flow channel.

14. A turbine generator unit according to claim 12, wherein said power station facility is characterised in that the power station facility includes a guide apparatus, which equips the turbine rotor disk of the tubular turbine generator unit, wherein the guide apparatus presents an adjustment device arranged in a side surface of the flow channel.

15. A turbine generator unit according to claim 14, wherein said power station facility is characterised in that a flood gate is arranged upstream of the tubular turbine generator unit for drying up the flow channel.