Patent Description:
During the operation of such a combined cycle power plant the intermediate shaft undergoes a thermal expansion, which leads to an axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor within the at least one steam turbine stator as well as to an axial displacement of the gas turbine rotor within the gas turbine stator due to the rigid single shaft arrangement. The pin-ended supports of the gas turbine part in combination with the tie rods at least partly compensate these axial displacements of the rotors relative to their stators. The pin ended supports allow an axial shift of the gas turbine stator in a pendulum fashion. The tie rods, which expand similar compared to the intermediate shaft, initiate said axial movement. This compensation is required to keep axial clearances of both turbines in acceptable limits and to avoid damages in case of exceeding these limits.

If only the gas turbine part of such a combined gas and steam turbine arrangement shall be replaced in order to modify the plant, a new gas turbine part is chosen having a very similar design compared to the design of the old gas turbine part, i.e. a new gas turbine part also comprising pin-ended supports as well as tie rods, in order to avoid problems with the interaction of the new gas turbine part with the old steam turbine part. This often urges companies operating such combined gas and steam turbine arrangements to continue the cooperation with the manufacturer of the original gas turbine part in absence of suitable alternatives.

<CIT> discloses a single shaft combined cycle power plant comprising a gas turbine part having a gas turbine stator and a gas turbine rotor supported by a thrust bearing and a loose bearing, a steam turbine part having at least one steam turbine stator and a steam turbine rotor supported by two loose bearings and an intermediate shaft, which is rigidly connected to the gas turbine rotor and to the steam turbine rotor forming a rigid single shaft configuration, wherein the gas turbine stator is arranged on at least two pin-ended supports positioned at the cold side and on at least two pin-ended supports positioned at the hat side of the gas turbine part and wherein several tie-rods are provided, whose first ends are connected to the gas turbine stator and whose second ends are held stationary with respect to the steam turbine stator.

Starting form this prior art it is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative method for modifying a combined cycle power plant of the above-mentioned type, whose gas turbine part is to be replaced.

In order to solve this object the present invention provides a method for modifying a single shaft combined cycle power plant in accordance with claim <NUM>, the single shaft combined cycle power plant comprising a gas turbine part having a gas turbine stator and a gas turbine rotor supported by a thrust bearing and a loose bearing, a steam turbine part having at least one steam turbine stator and a steam turbine rotor supported by two loose bearings, and an intermediate shaft, which is rigidly connected to the gas turbine rotor and to the steam turbine rotor forming a rigid single shaft configuration, wherein the gas turbine stator is arranged on at least two pin-ended supports positioned at the cold side and on at least two pin-ended supports positioned at the hot side of the gas turbine, and wherein several tie-rods are provided, whose first ends are connected to the gas turbine stator and whose second ends are held stationary with respect to the steam turbine stator, the method comprising the steps of removing the gas turbine part, the pin-ended supports an the tie rods, arranging at least one measuring device at the steam turbine part designed for measuring a physical dimension representing an axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor with respect to the at least one steam turbine stator caused by a thermal expansion of the intermediate shaft, providing a new gas turbine part having a gas turbine stator, a gas turbine rotor supported by a thrust bearing and by a loose bearing, a hydraulic unit acting on the thrust bearing and a controller designed for controlling the hydraulic unit on the basis of data provided by the at least one measuring device, wherein the thrust bearing and the hydraulic unit are designed in such a manner that the axial position of the gas turbine rotor relative to the gas turbine stator can be steplessly shifted by means of the hydraulic unit within a predetermined range, arranging the new gas turbine part on fixed supports positioned at its cold side and on flexible supports positioned at its hot side, and rigidly connecting the gas turbine rotor to the intermediate shaft.

Thus, the present invention proposes for cases, where an existing gas turbine part of a single shaft configuration, whose gas turbine stator is supported by pin-ended supports and comprises tie rods for compensating the thermally expanding intermediate shaft, needs to be replaced, to replace it by a new gas turbine part carried by fixed and flexible supports, wherein this new gas turbine part shall comprise a thrust bearing, i.e. an axial bearing, enabling an axial stepless displacement of the gas turbine rotor relative to the gas turbine stator to compensate the thermal expansion of the intermediate shaft. Further, a controller, a hydraulic unit and a measuring device are provided in order to change the position of the gas turbine rotor relative to the gas turbine stator depending on an axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor within the steam turbine stator. Hence, during the operation of such single shaft combined cycle power plant, the axial position of the gas turbine rotor is controlled in dependency of the axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor, i.e. in dependency of another engine.

According to one aspect of the present invention the physical dimension is the width of an axial gap and/or the width of a radial gap between the steam turbine rotor and the steam turbine stator.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by means of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the following same reference numerals denote same or similar components.

<FIG> shows a single shaft combined cycle power plant <NUM> comprising a gas turbine part <NUM> and a steam turbine part <NUM>.

The gas turbine part <NUM> has a gas turbine stator <NUM> and a gas turbine rotor <NUM> supported by a thrust bearing <NUM> and a loose bearing <NUM>. The gas turbine stator <NUM> is arranged on two pin-ended supports <NUM> positioned oppositely at the cold side and on two pin-ended supports <NUM> positioned oppositely at the hot side of the gas turbine part <NUM>. Accordingly, the gas turbine stator <NUM> can be tilted around axes <NUM> in direction of arrows <NUM> thus enabling a movement of the gas turbine stator <NUM> in the axial direction A. Moreover, several tie-rods <NUM> (only one of them is shown in <FIG>) are provided, whose first ends are connected to the gas turbine stator <NUM> and whose second ends are held stationary.

The steam turbine part <NUM> has two steam turbine stators <NUM> each being arranged on fixed supports (not shown) and a steam turbine rotor <NUM> supported by two loose bearings <NUM>.

Moreover, the power plant <NUM> comprises an intermediate shaft <NUM>, which is rigidly connected to the gas turbine rotor <NUM> and to the steam turbine rotor <NUM> forming a rigid single shaft configuration.

During the operation of the combined cycle power plant <NUM> the intermediate shaft <NUM> undergoes a thermal expansion, which leads to an axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor <NUM> within the steam turbine stators <NUM> as well as to an axial displacement of the gas turbine rotor <NUM> within the gas turbine stator <NUM> due to the rigid single shaft arrangement. The pin-ended supports <NUM> of the gas turbine part <NUM> in combination with the tie rods <NUM> at least partly compensate these axial displacements of the rotors <NUM>, <NUM> relative to their stators <NUM>, <NUM>. The pin ended supports <NUM>, as already stated above, allow an axial shift of the gas turbine stator <NUM> in a pendulum fashion. The tie rods <NUM>, which expand similar compared to the intermediate shaft <NUM>, initiate said axial movement. This compensation is required to keep axial clearances of both turbines in acceptable limits and to avoid damages in case of exceeding these limits.

If the gas turbine part <NUM> of the power plant <NUM> needs to be replaced by a new gas turbine part <NUM> in order to modify the power plant <NUM>, the following steps are performed according to a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In a first step S1, the old gas turbine part <NUM>, the pin-ended supports <NUM> and the tie rods <NUM> are removed.

Moreover, in step S2 at least one measuring device <NUM> is arranged at the steam turbine part <NUM>. Said measuring <NUM> device is designed for measuring a physical dimension representing an axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor <NUM> with respect to at least one of the steam turbine stators <NUM>. In the present case, the physical dimension is the width a of an axial gap between the steam turbine rotor <NUM> and the steam turbine stator <NUM>. However, the monitoring of other physical dimensions is possible, such as the width of a radial gap between the steam turbine rotor <NUM> and the steam turbine stator <NUM>. It is also possible to arrange several measuring devices <NUM> to monitor one or several different physical dimension(s) in order to provide redundant measuring devices <NUM>.

In step S3 a new gas turbine part <NUM> is provided having a gas turbine stator <NUM>, a gas turbine rotor <NUM> supported by a thrust bearing <NUM> and by a loose bearing <NUM>, a hydraulic unit <NUM> acting on the thrust bearing <NUM> and a controller <NUM> designed for controlling the hydraulic unit <NUM> on the basis of data provided by the measuring devices <NUM>. The thrust bearing <NUM> and the hydraulic unit <NUM> are designed in such a manner that the axial position of the gas turbine rotor <NUM> relative to the gas turbine stator <NUM> can be steplessly shifted by means of the hydraulic unit <NUM> within a predetermined range.

Thereafter, in step S4 the new gas turbine part <NUM> is arranged on fixed supports <NUM> positioned oppositely at its cold side and on flexible supports <NUM> positioned oppositely at its hot side, the flexible supports <NUM> are able to compensate thermal expansions of the stators <NUM>. Moreover, the gas turbine rotor <NUM> is rigidly connected to the intermediate shaft <NUM>. The modified power plant <NUM> is shown in <FIG>.

During the operation of the combined cycle power plant <NUM> shown in <FIG>, the intermediate shaft <NUM> undergoes a thermal expansion, which leads to an axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor <NUM> within the steam turbine stators <NUM>. This displacement is registered by the measuring device <NUM>. In order to compensate such displacement, the controller <NUM> controls the hydraulic unit <NUM> on the basis of the data received from the measuring device <NUM>, whereupon the hydraulic unit <NUM> acts on the thrust bearing <NUM> in order to initiate an axial compensation movement of the gas turbine rotor <NUM> relative to the gas turbine stator <NUM>. This compensation keeps the axial clearances of both turbines in acceptable limits and avoids damages in case of exceeding these limits.

<FIG> and <FIG> show a possible structure of the thrust bearing <NUM>. The thrust bearing <NUM> comprises an outer ring <NUM>, which is arranged stationary at the gas turbine stator <NUM>, wherein such movement is initiated by a plurality of circumferentially arranged double action pistons <NUM> manipulated by the hydraulic unit <NUM>. Each piston <NUM> is provided at each of its free ends with a thrust bearing <NUM>, which can be pressed in axial direction against the rotor shoulder <NUM>. By moving the pistons <NUM> in the one or the other direction, the gas turbine rotor <NUM> is axially moved relative to the gas turbine stator <NUM>.

Claim 1:
Method for modifying a single shaft combined cycle power plant (<NUM>) comprising
- a gas turbine part (<NUM>) having a gas turbine stator (<NUM>) and a gas turbine rotor (<NUM>) supported by a thrust bearing (<NUM>) and a loose bearing (<NUM>),
- a steam turbine part (<NUM>) having at least one steam turbine stator (<NUM>) and a steam turbine rotor (<NUM>) supported by two loose bearings (<NUM>), and
- an intermediate shaft (<NUM>), which is rigidly connected to the gas turbine rotor (<NUM>) and to the steam turbine rotor (<NUM>) forming a rigid single shaft configuration, wherein the gas turbine stator (<NUM>) is arranged on at least two pin-ended supports (<NUM>) positioned at the cold side and on at least two pin-ended supports (<NUM>) positioned at the hot side of the gas turbine part (<NUM>), and wherein several tie-rods (<NUM>) are provided, whose first ends are connected to the gas turbine stator (<NUM>) and whose second ends are held stationary with respect to the steam turbine stator (<NUM>),
the method comprising the steps of
- removing the gas turbine part (<NUM>), the pin-ended supports (<NUM>) and the tie rods (<NUM>),
- arranging at least one measuring device (<NUM>) at the steam turbine part (<NUM>) designed for measuring a physical dimension representing an axial displacement of the steam turbine rotor (<NUM>) with respect to the at least one steam turbine stator (<NUM>) caused by a thermal expansion of the intermediate shaft (<NUM>),
- providing a new gas turbine part (<NUM>) having a gas turbine stator (<NUM>), a gas turbine rotor (<NUM>) supported by a thrust bearing (<NUM>) and by a loose bearing (<NUM>), a hydraulic unit (<NUM>) acting on the thrust bearing (<NUM>) and a controller (<NUM>) designed for controlling the hydraulic unit (<NUM>) on the basis of data provided by the at least one measuring device (<NUM>), wherein the thrust bearing (<NUM>) and the hydraulic unit (<NUM>) are designed in such a manner that the axial position of the gas turbine rotor (<NUM>) relative to the gas turbine stator (<NUM>) can be steplessly shifted by means of the hydraulic unit (<NUM>) within a predetermined range,
- arranging the new gas turbine part (<NUM>) on fixed supports (<NUM>) positioned at its cold side and flexible supports (<NUM>) positioned at its hot side, and
- rigidly connecting the gas turbine rotor (<NUM>) to the intermediate shaft (<NUM>).