Abstract: An article, such as an impeller, is mounted for torque transmission by a shaft by positioning the article in contact with a threaded collar engaging tapered threads on the shaft and applying an axial force to the article to move and tighten the threaded collar on the tapered threads. The axial force is applied to the article by a clamping collar which contacts the article only in an area spaced from a central bore of the article in order to deflect a portion of the article defining the central bore radially inward toward the shaft. In one embodiment, two impellers are positioned back-to-back, with one impeller receiving an axial force spaced radially from a central bore of the impeller by an annular formation on the other impeller.

Abstract: In a centrifugal compressor the drive shaft of the compressor is driven by a step up gear mechanism including an input shaft driving a central drive gear, an output gear mounted on the compressor drive shaft, and three gear trains extending from the central drive gear and the output gear. Two impellers to provide two stages of compression are mounted back to back on the inner end of the compressor drive shaft. The input shaft of the gear train mechanism comprises a quill shaft surrounded by a hollow shaft fixed by friction to the inner end of the quill shaft. A rubbing seal is provided between the outer end of the hollow shaft and the compressor casing. The compressor drive shaft is supported on its outer end by the gear train mechanisms and at its middle and near its inner end by angular contact ball bearings. The portion of the compressor drive shaft between the ball bearing at the middle of the shaft and the outer end of the drive shaft is a flexible quill shaft.

Abstract: An inlet screen for an ocean thermal power plant has an outer side parallel to the ocean current and a plurality of parallel bars extending at an acute angle to the horizontal, wherein the acute angle opens toward the upstream direction of the current. The total area of through openings in the inlet screen receive the predetermined flow requirement of the power plant at a velocity no greater than 0.5 feet per second, so that fish are not sucked against the screen. The vertical spacing between the bars is no greater than one-half of the inner diameter of tubes in heat exchangers in the plant. The spacing between bars is at a minimum at the outer side of the screen, and the spacing increases between the outer side and the inner side, so that objects do not become wedged between the bars. The inlet screen extends sufficiently below the ocean level to accommodate the plant's water flow requirement at a velocity of no greater than 0.

Abstract: An improved turbo-generator unit for a sea power plant having a wall separating the sea from a space at atmospheric pressure has the turbine submerged in the sea on one side of the wall, the generator in the atmospheric space and a common shaft sealingly extending through the wall. The turbine motive fluid is a halocarbon vapor while the generator is cooled with a halocarbon refrigerant having a closed circuit which includes a fluid-tight generator housing.

Abstract: In a turbine driven power generating plant of the type using for example a hydrocarbon or halocarbon as the working fluid operating on or near the surface of an ocean, warm surface water is used as a source of heat for a boiler and cold water pumped from substantial depths is used to condense the working fluid after it has been expanded through the turbine. An auxiliary power source for starting the water pumps of the main system includes a prime mover driving a compressor which in turn supplies a high energy working fluid to a turbine coupled to drive the water pumps. The turbine exhaust after being cooled in a heat exchanger by the cold water pumped from the ocean depths, is returned to the suction side of the compressor.