Abstract: A gas turbine whose blades are cooled with cooling air has in its turbine part a device for the removal of dirt particles from the cooling air. The device consists of a first chamber in which the cooling air is collected, and a second chamber into which the cooling air from the first chamber is fed through conduit, and in which the dirt particles are removed from the cooling air. The conduit, above which a drop in pressure occurs, are oriented at an angle (&phgr;) in relation to the rotor axis so that the cooling air is accelerated in the tangential direction in relation to the rotor and moves in the circumferential direction of the rotor within the second chamber. Dirt particles are removed in the second chamber by centrifugal force from the cooling air in that they are driven outward and pass through the outlet openings into the gas stream of the turbine. The clean cooling air exits through radially further inward outlet openings into the cooling channels of the blades.

Abstract: A thermally highly loaded casting is produced. The casting mold is produced from a slurry using a wax model and a polymer foam which is fixed to the wax model or has been introduced into a cavity. In this way, during the casting process the liquid superalloy also penetrates into the open-cell structure of the casting mold, so that an integral cooling structure is formed during the solidification of the casting. A single-crystal or directionally solidified casting is advantageously produced. It is also conceivable to vary the cell size of the polymer foam, to produce a cooling structure and a base material separately, and to coat the cooling structure with a ceramic protective layer (thermal barrier coating).

Abstract: A combined door and platform assembly for an air preheater having a housing with an access opening. The assembly includes a door frame which is fixedly mounted to the outer surface of the housing around the access opening. The bottom portion of a base is permanently, pivotally mounted to the door frame. The base is moveable from a vertical position, where the base acts as a door closing the access opening, to a horizontal position, where the base acts as a platform to facilitate removal and replacement of basketed materials disposed within the housing.

Abstract: A transition element for providing an interface between a duct having a substantially rectangular cross section and an air preheater having a substantially circular cross section. The transition element includes an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall, and first and second end walls, where the outer sidewall and the first and second end walls form first and second transition corners. Each of the transition corners comprises first and second flow deflectors, each having an outer terminal edge and first and second side edges extending laterally from the terminal edge to an inner point. The first side edge of the first flow deflector is mounted to the second side edge of the second flow deflector and the outer terminal edges of the first and second flow deflectors are mounted to the duct to connect the air preheater to the duct.

Abstract: A method for adding additional axial seals and radial seals within existing air preheaters. The installed heat transfer baskets, radial seals, axial seals, gratings, and stay plates are all removed from the air preheater. An intermediate diaphragm plate is positioned in each original compartment, mounted to the rotor shell and a diaphragm inner support plate. Hot and cold end plates mounted to the post and an inboard portion of the diaphragm plates forming the original compartment provide additional support. New gratings and/or stay plates are installed. Additional hot and cold end axial seal support bars are mounted to the rotor shell and intermediate diaphragm plate. Axial seals are installed on the original and additional axial seal support bars and radial seals are installed on the axial edges of the original and intermediate diaphragm plates.

Abstract: A method for adding additional axial seals and radial seals within existing air preheaters. The installed heat transfer baskets, radial seals, axial seals, and gratings are all removed from the air preheater. The existing stay plates are modified, if they are to be reused, or replaced with new stay plates. An intermediate diaphragm plate is positioned in each original compartment and mounted to the stay plates. Additional hot and cold end axial seal support bars are mounted to the rotor shell and intermediate diaphragm plate. Axial seals are installed on the original and additional axial seal support bars and radial seals are installed on the axial edges of the original and intermediate diaphragm plates. Finally, new heat transfer baskets are inserted into each of the compartments formed by the original diaphragm plates, the intermediate diaphragm plates, and the rotor shell.

Abstract: A damper vane assembly for controlling the flow of flue gas between a flue gas pass of a combustion vessel which generates flue gas and a selective catalytic reactor operable to catalytically treat flue gas in a combustion system is provided. The damper vane assembly includes a first turning vane having a curved extent and a second turning vane with a curved extent. The first turning vane is moveable between a blocking position in which it blocks communication between the combustion vessel and the selective catalytic reactor and a flow guiding position in which the curved extent of the first turning vane guides flue gas from the flue outlet to the selective catalytic reactor. The second turning vane is moveable between a blocking position in which it blocks communication between the selective catalytic reactor and the flue gas outlet and a flow guiding position in which the curved extent of the second turning vane guides flue gas from the selective catalytic reactor to the flue gas outlet.

Abstract: A heat transfer element basket assembly for a rotary regenerative heat exchanger having a basket framework including oppositely disposed first and second side shells, means for holding the side shells in a spaced relationship, and heat absorbent material is disposed within the framework. The inboard end portions of first and second substantially planar flange plates are mounted to the outboard end portions of the first and second side shells, respectively. The outboard end portions of the first and second flange plates are each mounted to an adjacent diaphragm plate to install the basket assembly in the heat exchanger rotor. The first and second side shells of the basket assemblies define an angle therebetween which is substantially equal to the angle of the diaphragm plates. The outboard end portions of the first and second flange plates may be mounted to a diaphragm plate by bolting, welding or a combination where one of the flange plates is bolted and the other flange plate is welded.

Abstract: A rotary regenerative air preheater has ring assemblies at the upper and lower ends which define the outer periphery and support the air preheater housing panels. The ring assemblies are spaced by spokes which are tied to the hub of the air preheater and vertically supported from the air preheater structural members. The rotor housing panels are attached around and between the spoked ring assemblies. The ring assemblies are formed form a series of uniform interchangeable segments and they support the peripheral bypass seals.

Abstract: An exhauster is provided having an improved fan assembly for exhausting coal through an exhauster fan housing, the exhauster fan assembly being mountable within the housing on a shaft for rotation about a shaft rotational axis. The housing has an inlet generally aligned with the shaft rotational axis such that coal entering the housing through the inlet contacts the rotating exhauster fan and is redirected thereby along a radial outlet path. The exhauster fan assembly includes a plurality of blades and a hub having an outer surface, a free end, and a bore for receiving therein the free end of the shaft in an orientation in which the free end of the shaft and the free end of the hub are oriented in the same axial direction. The outer surface of the hub is radially outwardly spaced from the bore and the blades are mounted to the outer surface of the hub at uniform angular spacings therearound and project radially outwardly therefrom.