Abstract: Oil deflectors are used in large rotary machines to seal against oil leakage which travels axially along the shaft from a flood lubricated bearing in which the shaft is mounted for rotation. Disclosed is a fluid-cooled oil deflector in which cooling is provided by apparatus which distributes, in a substantially uniform flow pattern, a stream of cooling fluid across the inner surface of the support plate which holds a labyrinth seal in place around the rotating shaft. Preferably the cooling fluid is taken as a side stream of oil from the main supply stream which passes directly to the bearings for lubrication. The apparatus includes a first arcuate, substantially semi-circular, upper gutter which spans the shaft at an outer location on the support plate. Cooling oil, or other fluid, received at the radially outer side of the gutter, generally at the apex of the arc, passes through spaced-apart slots in the gutter and down a portion of the inner surface of the support plate.

Abstract: Control apparatus is disclosed for limiting overspeed in a steam turbine following a sudden loss in load. The apparatus includes at least one valve disposed in the steam conduit interconnecting higher and lower pressure sections of the turbine and an actuator for controlling operation of the valve between a fully open position and a pressure-relief position wherein the valve functions as a pressure relief valve. During normal operation, the valve is maintained in the fully open position. On receipt of a turbine overspeed signal, the valve is actuated to the pressure relief position and a volume of steam at a preselected pressure, necessary to open the valve, is held back within the turbine stages, crossovers, and so forth. This retained steam is thus prevented from adding energy to increase the speed of the turbine rotor.

Abstract: A rotor comprising stacked laminations having conductor slots and axial passageways provided with closed-slot spacer assemblies that are stacked in groups between selected axially spaced rotor laminations to hold said laminations apart while sealing the conductor slots thereby to form radial cooling ducts through the laminations of the selected axially spaced groups and around the closed-slot spacer assemblies. According to the method of the invention, the spacer assemblies are secured in selected operating position by being staked to certain of the main rotor laminations, and a characteristic staking procedure is used to secure individual plates of each of the assemblies together.

Abstract: In a double flow section of a steam turbine, the inner web of the diaphragm surrounding the rotor shaft in the region of divergence of the steam flow paths, is fabricated in the form of two cylindrical shells which are held together either in a fixed position or in a relatively fixed position which permits some slight axial motion between the shells. This form of diaphragm eliminates a number of machining and fabrication alignment problems and additionally permits differential axial expansion of the two pieces occurring as a result of internal thermal steam conditions.

Abstract: A rotor for a large dynamoelectric machine possesses abrasion prevention material between certain of the laminations in the rotor winding. In particular, while the rotor windings may generally be wound in a series-connected fashion, the use of adjacent parallel winding conductors requires the use of an abrasion prevention material disposed between adjacently lying parallel-connected conductors. The use of this material eliminates copper galling and the undesirable formation of copper particles.

Abstract: An improved support system for "P" bars is disclosed, wherein the "P" bar is mounted in a stator slot of the stator core of a dynamoelectric machine which has an integral excitation system. The support system includes a number of elements, all of which, in combination, serve to secure the "P" bars in the slots of the stator core and, additionally, provide a low friction interface between the "P" bar and the support system such that the "P" bar is independently suspended and is actually capable of slight movement along its longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A tilting pad journal bearing in which the bearing contributes to vibration damping of the supported rotating part without the necessity of substantially preloading the pads against the journal. In a preferred embodiment for a horizontally mounted shaft, the upper, lesser loaded pads are preloaded lightly against the journal by supplying lubricating oil at low pressure to a narrow interstitial space between each such preloaded pad and the bearing casing. In operation, the interstitial space acts as a flow restriction means to prevent a rapid outflow of oil, restricting the pad and shaft from sudden, vibratory movements.

Abstract: A method is disclosed by which incipient cracks are detected in the rotor of a fluid powered turbine while the turbine is on-line and running under substantially normal load. In a preferred form of the invention, vibrations are monitored in the rotor and signature analysis of the normal background vibration pattern is obtained to establish the spectral content of the normal vibration signal. The turbine rotor is then transitorily perturbed, preferably by changing the temperature of the motive fluid (steam temperature is changed for example in a steam driven turbine), and the signature analysis is again performed to determine changes in the vibration pattern. An increase in the amplitude of the fundamental frequency and the appearance and increase in amplitude of higher harmonics following rotor perturbation is indicative of the presence and size of a crack in the rotor.

Abstract: An improved end winding support system for "P" bars is disclosed wherein each "P" bar extends axially from one end of a stator slot of the stator core of a dynamoelectric machine which has an integral excitation system. The support system includes means for affixing each of the "P" bars to stator bars at three different locations in the end winding region and especially in such a manner that the inner section close to the stator core includes a slip plane capable of accommodating relatively small differential thermal expansion displacements in the axial direction between the "P" bar and the stator bars.

Abstract: An adaptive control system for controlling the temperature of desuperheated steam in a turbine bypass system. In one embodiment of the invention, redundant temperature sensors downstream of desuperheating water sprays provide an indication of the actual steam temperature after desuperheating has occurred. The highest value of temperature is automatically selected for control and to provide an error signal to a controller. The controller output, indicative of the deviation from a desired temperature, is multiplied by a factor proportional to steam flow in the bypass system. The multiplied signal is then utilized to proportionally position one or more water control valves to spray more or less water into the bypassed steam. The control system thus automatically adapts itself to variations in steam flow. Preferably, the steam flow is taken as the product of the position of a steam flow throttling valve in the bypass line and the steam supply pressure ahead of the valve.

Abstract: A gas turbine, copper-based alloy part having a crystalline structure in which grain boundaries are elongated in the direction of principal stress applied to the part when in turbine service exhibits especially enhanced strength and fatigue resistance in such direction. The part is prepared in a process in which it is first cast to shape in a mold and then directionally solidified by substantially limiting the heat flow from the part to a direction parallel to the principal stress direction.

Abstract: A simple, easily operated method and apparatus for determing the thickness and gas permeability of refractory coatings as such coatings are in place on foundry molds and cores. The apparatus is entirely portable, requires no connections to utility supplies such as electricity, air sources and so forth, and is hand-held during operation. The apparatus comprises a hand-held probe having an outlet orifice of known, predetermined size for making contact with the mold and a hand-held measuring unit which includes a cylinder having a gravity-actuated piston, a gas flow rate meter, and a gravity-actuated check valve. The two separate hand-held units are interconnected by flexible conduit. The cylinder and piston combination cause a flow of air at controlled pressure through the mold at the probe contact surface. In operation, the piston is actuated by inverting the hand held measuring unit and then reinverting to its normal position.

Abstract: In a gas-cooled generator or other dynamoelectric machine, wedges are provided for retention of the field windings and for introducing the cooling fluid into passages through the field windings to provide rotor cooling. In particular, the wedge of the present invention possesses pairs of bidirectionally curved inlet passages so as to smoothly convert a tangential flow of gas into a gas flow having both radially inward and longitudinal components. The wedges are particularly useful in cooling dynamoelectric machine rotors having a diagonal flow, gap pickup cooling system.

Abstract: A control system for a steam turbine operated with a steam bypass system. In the control system, bypass valve control is according to setpoints generated as a function of a combined flow reference (CFR) signal. The CFR signal is representative of boiler outlet flow under all turbine operating phases and is generated by multiplying the sum of the steam admission control valve flow demand and the high pressure bypass flow demand by boiler pressure. An actual load demand (ALD) signal indicative of the turbine demand for steam is produced from the product of the steam admission control valve flow demand and boiler pressure, and is used for intercept valve control. Excessive steam flow in the lower pressure bypass subsystem is prevented by providing an override for the normal control to prevent high heat impact to the condenser and latter stages of the turbine high pressure section.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for obtaining data from sensor measurements made on a body moving rotationally with respect to a stationary observer. Radio frequency energy is reactively coupled between an energy source fixed with respect to the observer and load varying means located on the moving body. The load variance is dependent upon measurement data provided by sensors located on the moving body. The variation in load is reflected back through the reactive coupler to a detector which is fixed with respect to the observer. The detector operates to provide signals indicative of the measurement data provided by the sensors. The apparatus of the present invention may be easily retrofitted to rotational devices such as turbines, motors and generators to provide relevant, continuous, on-line measurements of important parameters associated with such rotating systems. These parameters include such measurements as temperature, pressure, strain and torque.

Abstract: A solution to the problem of excessive rotation loss heating in a bypass steam turbine has been provided by the introduction of a reverse flow of steam to the high-pressure section of the turbine during those operating periods in which such heating is of concern. The present invention is directed to a control system for automatically selecting either the forward or reverse steam flow regime as is most appropriate, depending on turbine and other related operating conditions. In a preferred embodiment, the control system includes means for selecting either a forward or reverse flow control signal to govern the steam admission control valves; means for controlling the reverse flow valve and having decisional logic for determining whether the reverse flow valve shall be open or closed; and means for controlling the ventilator valve and having decisional logic for determining whether the ventilator valve shall be open or closed.

Abstract: A stator core for a dynamoelectric machine comprises a plurality of coaxially aligned annular module sections with axial cooling passages therethrough. The modules are spaced apart and fluid coupling means are disposed between the aligned axial passages in adjacent modules in a selective fashion to provide cooling flow paths which are both axially and radially directed.

Abstract: An air-sealed oil deflector is disclosed which prevents leakage of oil from bearings of a rotating shaft and which prevents the ingestion of unfiltered atmospheric air which can lead to contaminant build-up and damage to the shaft. The air-sealed deflector includes an annular plenum surrounding the shaft and an annular feed slot interposed between the shaft and the plenum to fluidly interconnect the plenum with the chamber between at least two seal rings immediately adjacent the shaft. The plenum is adapted to receive a continuous flow of forced air from an air supply system including an air prime mover and means for filtering air drawn from the atmosphere which serves as the ultimate air source. The plenum being relatively large in volume, and having a cross-sectional area large with respect to the air feed conduit to the plenum, provides a very uniform source for air flow radially inward, in a sheet-like fashion, toward the shaft through the feed slot.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for continuously monitoring the air gap torque acting on the rotor of a 3-phase electrical generator by sensing certain of the output voltages and currents produced by the generator as it supplies power to a connected load. In a preferred form of the invention, signals representing the three generator output voltages and two of the three line currents are conditioned and combined in electrical circuitry to produce a single output signal which is indicative of the air gap torque. The torque signal so produced is in a form easily handled by conventional means such as computers and recorders, and is appropriate for use by operating personnel in making decisions regarding generator operation.

Abstract: Apparatus for individually isolating the hydraulic actuators of steam valves for a steam turbine while the turbine remains in operation and while all other steam valves associated with the turbine remain functional. Isolation is achieved by providing a manual isolation valve for blocking the flow of hydraulic fluid from a main supply; a flow restrictor to limit the inflow of hydraulic fluid; and a flow direction control means to limit hydraulic fluid to flow only from the actuator toward an emergency trip hydraulic fluid supply.