Patent GB-1121153-A (GB)
Title: Gas turbines for use as power turbines
IPC: F01D25/28
Filed: 1965-12-20
Abstract: 1,121,153. Gas turbine plant; power plant. WORTHINGTON CORP. Dec. 20, 1965 [April 1, 1965], No. 53983/65. Headings F1G, F1Q and F1T. A turbine comprises an outer casing and an inner casing, a rotor disposed within the inner casing and forming fluid-flow passages in cooperation therewith, there being support means and guide means for independently supporting and guiding the outer casing and the inner casing from a fixed base with freedom for controlled relative movement therebetween, the guide means including locating means for positively locating the outer casing and the inner casing at one common central point. The invention is described with reference to a plant which comprises four power turbines 22, 24, 26, 28 (Fig. 1) each of which is of the double flow type, the shafts of the turbines 22, 24 being aligned and interconnected and connected to an electric generator 30, the shafts of the turbines 26, 28 also being aligned and interconnected and connected to the other side of the electric generator. Each power turbine is supplied with gases from a pair of oppositely disposed gas turbine type gas generators 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 such as modified aircraft gas turbine jet engines. A power turbine 26 is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and comprises an outer casing 70, an inner casing 72 and a rotor assembly 74 which comprises stub shafts 163, 164 rotatably supported in bearings 206, 242. The turbine is of the double flow type. The rotor comprises spacer discs 158, rotor discs 160 and stub shafts 163, 164 all secured together by means of through-bolts 166. The shaft 164 is connected to the rotor shaft of the adjacent power turbine 28 while the shaft 163 is connected to the shaft of the electric generator 30. The inner casing 72 comprises a toroidal gas inlet structure 84 to which are secured exhaust diffusers 86, 88. The inlet structure has gas inlet members 98, 100 at opposite sides thereof, see Fig. 6, and volute structures 104, 106 extend therefrom within the toroidal structure 84 whereby combustion gases from the combustion gas generators 40, 42 are delivered to the radial inlet vanes 124. The gases flow in opposite directions through the rotor blade assemblies 171, 173, stator guide blades 190, 192 and rotor blades 170, 175, thence through the exhaust diffuser passages 136, 138 into the space between the outer casing 70 and the inner casing 72 to discharge to atmosphere as indicated by arrows 156. Apertures 118 are formed in the volute structures 104, 106 for pressure balancing purposes. The inner casing 72 is supported from base structure by flexible means which comprise four flexible strut structures 350, 352 Fig. 4 (and Fig. 8 not shown). The exhaust diffuser 88 of the inner casing 72 is formed with four integral flanges 342, 344 which are disposed above mounting pads 346, 348 and the flexible strut structures 350, 352 which each comprise a pair of spacedapart vertical, flat plates 358, 360 extend between the flanges and mounting pads. The inner casing 72 is located at its centre by means of a pin 324 which is located within a bore in a boss 327 at the lower part of the toroidal structure, the pins also being located within a bore of a boss 320 which is secured to the base structure 45. The outer casing 70 is also supported from the base structure by means which allow movement. For this purpose flanges 278, 280 (Figs. 2 and 4) extend from the end faces of the outer casing 70 and strut members 294, 296 having ball members 298 at their ends extend between the flanges 278, 280 and members 288, 290 secured to the base structure. The outer casing 70 is positively located at the same central point as the inner casing 72 by means of a flexible sealing device 326 which is disposed between the outer casing 70 and the boss 320 which is secured to the base structure 45, Figs. 5 and 6. The construction of the sealing device 326 is described with reference to Fig. 9 (not shown). Guide flanges 302, 304 extend from the outer casing 70 as shown in Fig. 6 and are located above sole plates 306 which are secured to the base structure. The flanges 302, 304 engage with guide members 312, 314 secured to the sole plates whereby longitudinal movement of the outer casing 70 is limited at these points but transverse expansion is permitted. Further guide members 398, 400 are secured to the sole plates 306, Fig. 6 and strut members 404, 406 extend between the guide members and the gas inlet transition pieces 92, 94 which form part of the inner casing 72. The strut members 404, 406 extend through openings in the outer casing 70, the openings being sealed by sealing assemblies 414, 416. This construction permits thermal expansion of the inner casing 72 in the transverse and vertical directions. The means by which bearing casing 206 is supported from the exhaust diffuser 88 which forms part of the inner casing 72 is described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 (not shown). The bearing casing is formed of upper and lower halves bolted together and integral support flanges 446, 448 project from the lower half of the casing, these flanges co-operating with flanges 450, 452 formed integrally with the exhaust diffuser 88. Clearances are provided to permit thermal expansion of the diffuser 88 in the radially inward direction. The bearing casing 242 is supported from the exhaust diffuser 86 in a similar manner. The bearing 206 is a journal bearing while bearing 242 is a journal and thrust bearing. The bearing casings 206, 242 are guided relative to the exhaust diffusers 88, 86 by means of radial pins 224 which engage sockets formed in the exhaust diffusers.