Abstract: To reduce the pressure drop of intercoolers and final coolers in a single or multi-stage gas compression, the compressed gas is cooled in direct heat exchange with a liquid cooling medium in a spray tower, for example, instead of by indirect contact in tube-type exchangers. The process is especially amenable to the multi-stage compression of cracking gas wherein a gasoline faction is condensed out in each cooling stage and is used to supplement water as the cooling medium.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a fan assembly including a duct in which an axial flow fan is mounted, there being a plurality of apertures formed in the duct wall around the fan and a layer of acoustic absorption material encircles the duct and projects through the apertures into the duct to have a minimum running clearance from the periphery of the fan.

Abstract: An adjustable locking device facilitates the insertion and removal of a diaphragm upper half in the upper portion of the split housing of an axial turbine. The diaphragm upper half is provided with a slot at its outer edge which permits the turbine housing locking pin to pass therethrough. An eccentric pivot locking device positioned in the slot is rotated to close the slot and secure the diaphragm half in the turbine housing relative to the pin. Slots may be provided at both edges of the diaphragm half or at only one edge while the other edge contains a bore hole recess to receive a corresponding locking pin of the housing. Set screw means associated with the locking device may be provided for further security.

Abstract: A self-priming centrifugal pump includes a housing having an inverted frusto-conically shaped lower portion. A centrifugal impeller is suspended from the shaft of a motor mounted in the top portion of the housing. The centrifugal impeller includes a solids collector member removably attached to its lower end. A cylindrical inlet tube, integral with the frusto-conically shaped lower housing portion, extends into the interior of the centrifugal impeller through an opening in the lower end of the solids collector member. An inverted dish shaped impeller member is located above the centrifugal impeller and directs and impels fluid pumped by the centrifugal impeller toward a plurality of efflux ports located in the pump housing. The centrifugal impeller includes an air hole in the conical wall thereof to allow air to escape as the pump is priming.

Abstract: The structure comprises a turbo-molecular pumping element providing a very moderate compression ratio and a rotating drum type pumping element equipped with an interchangeable stator or drum. These two elements are mounted in series and driven in a rotating movement by a single shaft. On the interchangeable part, parallel helical grooves whose depth depends on the molecular mass of the gas to be pumped are formed.

Abstract: An outer cylinder arrangement for a low pressure turbine apparatus. The outer cylinder arrangement surrounds a rotor member having an annular array of blades thereon. A manway opening in the outer cylinder permits access into a diffuser channel disposed within the outer cylinder. The diffuser channel is defined by a bearing cone member integral with the outer cylinder and a flow guide member disposed in spaced relationship from the bearing cone within the outer cylinder. The bearing cone has a removable segment thereon which, when removed, permits axial movement of one turbine blade from the annular array of blades into a volume defined by a removal pocket integral with the bearing cone. The flow guide has a removable segment thereon adjacent to the removable bearing cone segment.

Abstract: A circumferential manifold placed around an intermediate stage of the compressor to carry off bleed air for auxiliary purposes is provided with a plurality of check valves which allow the air to pass from the high pressure compartment of the compressor to the low pressure compartment of a plenum, but do not allow the air to pass from the plenum back to the manifold. Accordingly, when there is a variation in pressure around the circumferential manifold, as may be caused by distortion at the compressor inlet, the air that is bled off to the low pressure plenum comes principally from the high pressure zone of the compressor and may not re-enter from the manifold on the low pressure side thereof. The fluid flow of air from one side of the manifold to the other side thereof is thus prevented, so as to limit the distortion of the normal flow pattern which would otherwise occur in the compressor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a centrifugal pump having a housing, an input and an output port, and a driven impeller. Surrounding the impeller is a turbine means which serves to retrieve at least part of the kinetic energy imparted by the impeller to the pumping medium. The energy retrieved by the turbine means can be used to apply additional power to a prior auxiliary stage, an after auxiliary stage, or back to the original impeller itself. In this manner, the turbine retrieves kinetic energy which might otherwise be wasted and, therefore, the turbine improves the overall efficiency of the pump. Stationary flanges at the discharge end of the pump jacket serve to convert the remaining curvilinear motion of the water column into a non-revolving column of water. The stationary flanges also help to avoid a drop in the operating pressure at the discharge end of the jacket.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with a centrifugal pump, particularly adapted for pumping liquids with a heavy gas content. To separate the gases from the liquids the impeller is provided with ducts leading from the central inlet to the peripheral outlet of the pump, the ducts being of progressively smaller cross section from the inlet to the outlet and openings are provided through the impeller disc for the escape of gases. There are a plurality of openings and the cross sectional area presented by the openings for the escape of gas is progressively lesser from the inlet region to the outlet region.

Abstract: A high speed centrifugal compressor is closely directly coupled to the power turbine of a two-shaft gas turbine having a gas generator section separate from its power turbine. The compressor stage assembly elements are conveniently interfitted together in the vertically split compressor casing by means of compression bolts minimizing fastening means. The gas turbine-compressor finds particularly useful application in areas where high power, compact, relatively maintenance-free units are required, as, for example, on offshore platforms in the natural gas industry.

Abstract: A centrifugal fluid pump comprising a driven rotary assembly having at least two pumping stages operatively associated therewith and rotatable therewith as said rotary assembly is driven, each stage including a plurality of circumferentially spaced hydraulic cylinders operatively interconnected between a fluid supply tank that furnishes the respective hydraulic cylinders with the fluid and a pressure tank adapted to receive fluid under pressure from the respective hydraulic cylinders as the rotary assembly is driven. In operation, fluid is drawn into the hydraulic cylinders, and as the rotary assembly is driven the respective pistons of the hydraulic cylinders are driven radially outward causing fluid disposed on the outer sides thereof to be forced outwardly from the hydraulic cylinders under the influence of the centrifugal force generated by the rotary assembly.

Abstract: In order to raise the degree of compression without unduly increasing the dimensions a compressor having at least two stages includes a first centripetal stage and a last centrifugal stage mounted upon the same shaft. The diameter at the centripetal stage inlet does not exceed the diameter at the outlet of the centrifugal stage and the air flows radially inwards in the first stage, and radially outwards in the last stage.

Abstract: A two-stage diffuser is disclosed which is intended to be used with a high pressure ratio centrifugal compressor. The first stage comprises a vaneless diffuser passage having rotating sidewalls that freely turn on bearings mounted coaxially with the compressor rotor. The second stage comprises a stationary vaned-type diffuser. In combination, the two stages provide a compact diffuser having improved efficiency. Gas flow leaving the compressor from the periphery of the impeller at supersonic speed contacts the moving sidewalls of the rotary diffuser stage. By having these walls travel at nearly half the speed of the impeller, relative difference in speed between the gas and the walls is subsonic, hence, no shock wave occurs. Expansion of the gas in the first rotary diffuser stage makes it possible to deliver subsonic gas to the vaned second stage.

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.

Abstract: A horizontal multidirectional turbine windmill comprising a housing having apertures on all sides for ingress and egress of air and a rotor on a drive shaft within the housing, each aperture being the larger end of a funnel-shaped passage, the smaller ends of said passages being positioned to deliver air at relatively high velocities against the rotor buckets, the air entering the housing through one or more apertures on the windward side thereof and being exhausted through apertures on the leeward side. The housing is preferably so shaped that ambient air impinging on the housing surface without entering an aperture will flow around the housing and create a low pressure zone adjacent the exhaust funnel apertures, and the housing is also preferably so shaped that a plurality of units can be stacked vertically with their drive shafts coupled together. The rotor buckets are flexible and their profiles are varied automatically as a function of wind and rotational speed.

Abstract: A slidable seal is disposed in one end of each stationary arcuate shroud segment in a gas turbine. The seal is forced by a spring across a gap between adjacent shroud segments, to abut against an end of an adjacent shroud segment. The slidable seal helps control fluid leakage in both the axial and the radial direction.

Abstract: A pump has an outer casing, an inner casing and a rotor within the inner casing. The inner casing is of brittle material of substantially U-shaped cross-sectional configuration with the legs of the U extending into sealed axially sliding contact each with one of a pair of covers between which the rotor is disposed. A pump is provided to introduce a fluid under pressure between the inner and outer casings thereby to place the inner casing in compression to prestress the inner casing in opposition to fluid pressure peaks within the inner casing.

Abstract: A multi-stage axial flow turbine and blast furnace compressor blower comprises a blower having a degree of reaction of 100% and which includes a rotatable shaft having a plurality of rings with blades defining moving blade rows arranged in spaced location with a plurality of guide blade rows. The construction includes a plurality of stages between an iniaial and a final stage which include a moving ring with two relative moving blades and a single guide blade row. The initial and final stages are arranged so that the stages include either an initial single moving blade row and a final stage consisting of a single guide blade row and a single moving blade row or the initial stage comprises a single guide blade row and a moving ring with two rows of blades and the final stage comprises a single guide blade row.

Abstract: A vertical cantilever pump featuring a novel pump shaft construction for preventing excessive or an abnormal rise of pumped liquid therealong without a substantial reduction in pumping efficiency.

Abstract: The disclosure is of pumps which are capable of use as heart pumps, that is, for pumping blood in connection with the maintenance of the life function in a human or animal body to replace one or more pumping functions of the heart.