Abstract: A pressure packing for a piston rod of a reciprocating compressor includes a case having a piston rod through bore. A compartment within the case is coincident with the through bore and the compartment has an axial length at least as long as a stroke of the piston rod.

Abstract: A turbomachine assembly is shown, including a rotor and a ring of blades mounted on the rotor. Each blade includes an airfoil portion and a root portion inserted in a circumferential blade-retaining groove of the rotor. The blade-retaining groove includes an enlarged groove portion. The blades in the enlarged groove portion are rotatable around a respective, generally radial axis, to take a position of minimum tangential dimension. At least one removable insert is arranged along the enlarged groove portion, between the root portions of the blades located in the enlarged groove portion and a side wall of the blade-retaining groove, to force and lock the blades in a final assembled arrangement.

Abstract: A rotating machine comprises a shaft, a casing, at least one main magnetic bearing connected to the shaft for rotatably supporting said shaft inside the casing, at least one first and one second auxiliary rolling bearings positioned between the shaft and the casing to support axial and radial loads, and first and second axial abutment means positioned on the shaft to transmit axial loads to inner rings of the rolling bearings. The machine further comprises a spacer axially positioned between facing faces of the inner rings of said rolling bearings for the transmission of the axial loads between said inner rings, and at least a first axial retaining means positioned on the casing and located axially between facing faces of the outer rings for the transmission of the axial loads between at least one of said outer rings and the casing.

Abstract: A sump pressurization system comprising an off-board source of pressurized air is provided to supplement pressurized air to a bearing sump arrangement when the operating conditions of the gas turbine engine are such that the on-board pressurized air source, e.g. the compressor of the gas generator, are such that the air pressure generated thereby is insufficient to pressurize a sump pressurization cavity. A gas turbine engine comprising such a sump pressurization system is also provided, as is a corresponding method for operating a gas turbine engine to facilitate reducing leakage of lubrication oil.

Abstract: A system for monitoring machinery and systems in a process plant using a local monitoring and diagnostic system, the system including a plant database configured to store rule sets including at least one rule expressed as at least one of a physics-based model, a data-driven model, and a empirical model of a plant component and a relational expression of a real-time data output relative to a real-time data input, and a server grade computer configured to receive plant component data from a plant unit control panel, generate virtual sensor outputs using the at least one model associated with the plant component, transmit the plant component data and generated virtual sensor outputs to the plant database for storing and to a data visualization system for generating analytical graphics, determine using the at least one model rule set, an operating or performance condition of the plant component in near real-time.

Abstract: A manufacturing technique for impellers for a centrifugal rotating machine is provided. The impeller is made by composition of single vanes pieces that fit to the hub or directly to the rotor shaft by welding, friction welding or a mechanical locking system. The manufacturability of the segments is easy fast and cheap and make it possible to use advanced manufacturing technologies like additive manufacturing of the type of Direct Metal Laser Melting.

Abstract: An axially-split turbomachine comprising a casing comprised of a first casing portion and a second casing portion, forming a housing for a rotor arranged for rotation therein. The rotor comprises a shaft and at least one impeller mounted on the shaft. The casing comprises at least one shaft passageway through which the shaft extends from the interior of the casing towards the exterior of the casing. The sealing arrangement comprises a linear sealing member, extending between the first and the second casing portions. The sealing arrangement further comprises at least one sealing ring portion surrounding said at least one shaft passageway. The sealing ring portion and the linear sealing member form a continuous sealing body.

Abstract: A multi-stage compressor is described, comprising a rotor having a plurality of axially stacked impellers and a tie rod extending through the stacked impellers and holding the impellers together. A gas compression path extends from a compressor inlet to a compressor outlet and through the impellers. A flow channel is provided between the tie rod and the stacked impellers. The flow channel develops along at least a portion of the tie rod. Hot gas is diverted from the compression path and flows through the flow channel to heat the tie rod during startup of the compressor.

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) return vane for a multistage centrifugal compressor. The return channel vane extends upstream to a region proximate the bend apex of the return channel. In each point of the return channel vane, the angle “beta” is defined as the acute angle between the tangent to the local camberline and the local circumferential direction. At each normalised position between leading edge and trailing edge, the local twist of the return channel vane is defined as the algebraic difference between the angles beta at the two points at hub and shroud having said normalised position. When moving in streamwise direction from leading edge to trailing edge, the twist first decreases, reaching an algebraic minimum, then increases, reaching an algebraic maximum, then decreases again. However, the absolute twist of the algebraic minimum is larger than the absolute twist of the algebraic maximum.

Abstract: A drive system for driving at least one compressor is described. The system comprises a gas turbine configured and arranged for driving the compressor. The gas turbine has a hot end and a cold end. A load coupling for connection of said gas turbine to the compressor is arranged at hot end of the gas turbine. An electric motor/generator arranged at the cold end of the gas turbine. The electric motor/generator is electrically connected to an electric power grid and is adapted to function as a generator for converting excess mechanical power from the gas turbine into electrical power and delivering the electrical power to the electric power grid, and as a motor for supplementing driving power to the compressor.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for decreasing the corrosion susceptibility and/or the liquid droplet erosion susceptibility of one or more turbine blades associated with a steam turbine. One or more of the turbine blades are constructed of an Austenitic Nitrogen strengthened stainless steel; such Austenitic stainless steel has a weight percentage of manganese bigger than ten and preferably a weight percentage of nickel smaller than five; advantageously, such Austenitic stainless steel is strengthened with nitrogen. The blades constructed of such Austenitic stainless steel are configured in the later stages of the steam turbine.

Abstract: A centrifugal compressor including: a casing; at least one impeller supported for rotation in the casing and provided with a hub, a shroud and an impeller eye; an impeller-eye sealing arrangement, for sealing the impeller in the region of said impeller eye. The centrifugal compressor further includes at least one cooling-medium portlocated at the impeller-eye sealing arrangement, arranged for delivering a cooling medium around the impeller eye.

Abstract: A method for repairing a turbomachine component comprises the steps of: setting up a laser cladding machine including a laser source a powder feeder and an air source, for repairing a narrow recess of the turbomachine component; defining a path including areas to be repaired by laser cladding within the narrow recess; moving forward the laser cladding machine or the turbomachine component, in order that said path is covered from the first to the second end point by the laser beam and the powder jet for repairing said areas to be repaired; moving backward the laser cladding machine or the turbomachine component, in order that said path is covered from the second to the first end point by the air jet for blowing away the powder in excess.

Abstract: Reciprocating compressors having a rotative valve and related methods are provided. A reciprocating compressor has a compression chamber configured to compress a fluid that has entered the compression chamber via an intake, and it is discharged from the compression chamber, after being compressed, via a discharge, an actuator configured to supply an angular displacement, and a rotative valve configured to receive the angular displacement and to determine whether the intake and the discharge are opened or closed depending on the angular displacement. The rotative valve has a rotatable disk configured to rotate due to the angular displacement and having a first opening allowing a suction fluid flow to enter the compression chamber when the first opening overlaps the intake, and a second opening allowing a discharge fluid flow to exit from the compression chamber when the second opening overlaps the discharge.

Abstract: Positive drive valve actuating mechanisms useable to operate a valve of a reciprocating compressor for oil and gas industry and related methods are provided. The valve actuating mechanism includes a driver configured to perform a rotating motion and a follower connected to a mobile part of the valve and to the driver. The follower is configured to transform the rotating motion of the driver into a reciprocating motion to open the valve and to close the valve, respectively.

Abstract: A system for monitoring machinery and systems in a process plant using a local monitoring and diagnostic system, the system including a plant database configured to store rule sets including at least one rule expressed as at least one of a physics-based model, a data-driven model, and a empirical model of a plant component and a relational expression of a real-time data output relative to a real-time data input, and a server grade computer configured to receive plant component data from a plant unit control panel, generate virtual sensor outputs using the at least one model associated with the plant component, transmit the plant component data and generated virtual sensor outputs to the plant database for storing and to a data visualization system for generating analytical graphics, determine using the at least one model rule set, an operating or performance condition of the plant component in near real-time.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and diagnosing anomalies in an output of a gas turbine, the method including storing a plurality rule sets specific to a performance of the gas turbine. The method further including receiving real-time and historical data inputs relating to parameters affecting the performance of the gas turbine, periodically determining current values of the parameters, comparing the initial values to respective ones of the current values, determining a degradation over time of the at least one of the performance of the compressor, the power output, the heat rate, and the fuel consumption based on the comparison, recommending to an operator of the gas turbine a set of corrective actions to correct the degradation.

Abstract: A system and computer-implemented method for generating real-time performance recovery advisories for a centrifugal compressor of a fleet of centrifugal compressors are provided. The method is implemented using a computer device coupled to a user interface and a memory device and the method includes determining a performance deviation of the compressor using a determined actual performance of the compressor and a predicted performance of the compressor, comparing the performance deviation to a predetermined threshold range of performance deviation, and recommending to a user at least one source for the performance deviation, the recommendation including a value of the performance recovery available for each source.

Abstract: A compressor system including a driver machine, for example a motor or a turbine, an epicyclic gearbox, and a centrifugal compressor, wherein the driver machine, the epicyclic gearbox, and the centrifugal compressor are connected in train configuration, i.e. the output rotary member of the driver machine is coupled to the input rotary member of the epicyclic gearbox and the output rotary member of the epicyclic gearbox is coupled to the input rotary member of the centrifugal compressor. The gear ratio of the epicyclic gearbox is greater than one, typically much more than one, thus increasing the rotation speed from input to output.

Abstract: A hollow blade for a turbomachine comprises an airfoil portion; the airfoil portion extends longitudinally for a length; the airfoil portion is defined laterally by an external surface; the airfoil portion has at least one internal cavity extending along said length and defined laterally by an internal surface; the airfoil portion has a set of channels extending from the external surface to the internal surface; the openings of said channels on said external surface are aligned along a curved line that reflects an isobar on said external surface.