Abstract: The housing of the primary recirculating pump in a nuclear reactor plant has a reinforced annular portion at the inlet and/or outlet and anchoring means provided on the annular portion and on the foundation to allow for limited movement of the housing relative to the foundation in response to development of major stresses which are likely to arise in the event of breakage of one or more pipes or as a result of earth tremors. The inertia of the annular portion or portions in response to temperature changes can be reduced by forming their end faces with one or more circumferentially complete grooves which surround the adjacent ends of the respective pipes. The anchoring means may comprise cylindrical pins which extend radially from the respective annular portion and into complementary sockets provided on clamps, claws or analogous anchoring parts in or on the foundation.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a hydroelectric machine set in which the electrical machine is in the form of a rim which surrounds a service water duct containing the bladed wheel of a hydraulic machine, and wherein the blades of said wheel are joined to the rotor of the electrical machine by torque-transmitting connections which allow free radial movement of the blades relatively to the rotor. Preferably, those connections also permit pivoting movement of the blades relatively to the rotor.

Abstract: An arrangement is set forth for mounting knife edge seals on a rotating bladed disk for sealing cooperation with sealing lands on a ring, fixed against rotation, connected to the inner ends of adjacent vanes. The knife edge seals are fixed to a sealing member which is removably positioned on a cylindrical-like flange on the disk. Radially mounted headed pins, held in position by centrifugal force during engine operation, fix the sealing member to the disk flange, while a pin retaining ring holds the pins in place when the disk is at rest.

Abstract: A combined sealing and guiding arrangement for positioning an inner circular machine part within an outer circular machine part, the parts being for example a stator-blade-carrier for a turbo-machine positioned within an outer casing. The casing and also the stator-blade-carrier consist of two halves which are joined along a horizontal dividing plane, and a sealing ring also consisting of two halves which are joined along that same dividing plane is seated in a groove provided in the periphery of the stator-blade-carrier and clamped against the inner periphery of the casing by means of circumferentially distributed clamping bolts. The lower halves of the outer casing and sealing ring are also provided with aligned grooves in which circumferentially spaced key segments are seated to prevent any relative axial displacement between these two parts.

Abstract: A seal clearance control device for maintaining a radial clearance between turbine blade tips and the surrounding seal ring. The shroud is controlled by a relatively fast response ring and a relatively slow ring the fast ring serving to control the radial growth of the sealing ring and the slow ring serving to control the radial contraction of the seal ring.

Abstract: A member interposed between the inner and outer casings of a rotary machine which is arranged to hold the casings in concentric alignment with the machine shaft as the two casings undergo transient thermal and pressure growth.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the radial clearance between the rotor and stator elements in the turbine section of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A cooling air valve is operatively disposed at the upstream end of the turbine section to control the admission of cooling air to the turbine in response to engine operating temperatures. In one specific embodiment the thermal growth of the case and the stator elements supported thereby is controlled by the valve. At low power conditions the case and the supported elements grow radially with the rotor in response to increasing gas path temperatures. At elevated conditions cooling air is flowable to the case to retard the thermal growth of the case and allow the rotor to grow radially toward the stator elements.

Abstract: A stator vane assembly is provided, particularly for the first row of stationary vanes of a gas turbine, utilizing ceramic vanes. Each individual vane assembly consists of an airfoil vane with a separate end cap at each end for supporting the vane in position. In accordance with the invention, the engaging surfaces of the vane and of each adjacent end cap are curved surfaces of compound curvature forming engaging pivot and seat surfaces, the major and minor radii of the pivot surface being less than the corresponding major and minor radii of the seat surface, and the curvature of the pivot surface being such that thermal ratcheting of the vane with respect to the end caps is prevented.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling the nozzle guide vanes in the turbine section of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A plurality of guide vanes is cantilevered from the turbine case and extends radially inward across the path of working medium gases flowing through the turbine. A ring which is deformable in response to pressure forces is disposed between the vanes and the turbine case forming an annular chamber from which air is metered to the vanes during operation of the engine for cooling. In one embodiment platform cavities and airfoil cavities are alternately disposed between the vanes and the ring to isolate airfoil cooling air from platform cooling air.

Abstract: This invention shows a shroud construction located around the tips of the blades on a rotating body in an engine to provide a minimum clearance between the blade tips and the shroud during all conditions of operation-acceleration, steady state and deceleration. This shroud construction provides an arrangement where the internal diameter of the vanes support the shroud member for the tips of the blades. The vane is supported as internal diameter to an internal support while the outer diameter of the vane is permitted radial growth with respect to the turbine casing. While the blade tip shroud can be made integral with the outer shroud of the vanes, it may be connected by means which will permit a small axial misalignment. Means are provided for cooling the shrouds around the tips of the blades.

Abstract: The structure which supports a rotor-surrounding shroud is composed of a material exhibiting a low coefficient of thermal expansion at low temperatures and a high coefficient of thermal expansion at higher temperatures. In this way, low alpha characteristics persist during periods of low temperature operation to provide large cold clearances and acceptable clearances during transient operation, while high alpha characteristics persist during periods of high temperature operation to provide close clearance control at maximum and part-power, steady-state operating conditions. The two-alpha material also finds use with other relatively rotating parts having close clearance relationship therebetween, such as in the stationary portion of a seal structure.

Abstract: Thermal matching of compounds in a gas turbine engine is achieved by providing the component with the highest rate of thermal expansion with an insulating sheet which is dimpled to contact the surface of the component at discrete spots leaving air spaces in between. The sheet is attached to the component by spot welding at a pre-determined number of areas to provide the necessary heat conducting paths between the insulation and the component to enable the expansion of the component to be matched with that of another component. Seal clearances can be reduced by matching the expansions of seal carrying components in this way.

Abstract: An arrangement for sealing the joints formed between the facing ends of turbine stator segments arranged in an annular array to form a turbine diaphragm is disclosed, the arrangement basically consisting of seal strips formed by at least two bimetal ribbons fastened along their longitudinal centerlines and adapted to deflect away from each other with increasing temperatures, the opposite edges of the strips being disposed in grooves in the facing ends of the stator segments.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling the case and the nozzle guide vanes in the turbine section of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A plurality of guide vanes is cantilevered from the case and extends radially inward across the path of working medium gases flowing through the turbine. A ring, which is deformable to provide radial sealing in operative response to pressure forces exerted by medium gases on the airfoil section of each guide vane, is disposed between the vanes and the case forming an annular chamber which is adapted to receive cooling air and from which the cooling air is flowable to the vanes during operation of the engine.

Abstract: A simplified interstage seal assembly for a turbomachine utilizing an abradable semicircular seal slidably held radially inwardly of a stator shroud by a pair of semicircular seal holders. The seal holders are retained between radially depending flanges of shroud segments, with each holder having a key portion projecting through radial slots in the flanges for guided radial expansion or contraction. The holders, after insertion of the keys in the slots, are spatially separated a predetermined distance and maintained in the separated and engaged position by engagement of a seal ring which is supported in the seal holders, in a track and channel arrangement, with a portion of the seal ring disposed in the space between the opposed seal holders to prevent axial displacement of the seal holders and thereby retain the key portions thereof within the slots of the flange.