Abstract: An improved combined cycle plant with a gas turbine, a steam turbine and a generator arranged in tandem on a single shaft system in the order aforementioned, including a single thrust bearing with rigidly coupled rotor members. A thrust bearing for the shaft system is supported in a bearing standard keyed to the foundation on the side of the steam turbine toward the gas turbine to restrain axial movement. The thrust bearing is preferably located in the compressor inlet of the gas turbine. The steam turbine comprises a first casing with the hihg pressure section supported in a bearing standard keyed to the foundation adjacent the thrust bearing. The second casing with the low pressure section is keyed to the foundation at its outlet in the center of the exhaust hood. In a preferred arrangement with a single flow low pressure turbine section, the second casing combines an intermediate pressure turbine section adjacent the generator receiving steam from the reheater.

Abstract: Ventilation apparatus for creating a fluid flow through the interhub spacing between the hubs of adjacent turbine wheels which are not integral with the rotor of the turbine includes an outward radial extension of the hub of the downstream wheel and/or a roundoff of the hub of the upstream wheel and/or a displacement of the axis of the hub of the upstream wheel from the axis of the hub of the downstream wheel for increasing the static pressure over a first predetermined arcuate portion of the interhub spacing in an ancillary fluid flow between the hubs and a seal circumferentially surrounding the hubs.

Abstract: A stage of an axial flow turbine includes a plurality of spaced apart buckets and a plurality of spaced apart nozzle partitions, each plurality respectively circumferentially aligned about and axially spaced from each other along a rotor of the turbine. The nozzle partitions are circumferentially spaced such that a minimum throat extends a predetermined radial distance from the root, thereby forming a converging-diverging flow passageway between nozzle partitions. The trailing edge of the nozzle partitions are disposed to include axial and tangential lean with respect to the rotor. Buckets include a plurality of covers respectively connecting the tips and having a single outward radially extending sealing rib on the radially outer surface of each cover, wherein each rib is tangentially aligned with respective adjacent ribs. Buckets are overtwisted to compensate for untwist at operational speed to achieve optimum efficiency.