Abstract: A shaft seal for steam turbines is provided. The shaft seal steam barrier is supplied with a slight excess pressure. In order to avoid complex additional devices necessary for liquefying the water vapor once again, a condensation chamber, which is sealed from the surrounding air as well as from the steam barrier chamber with brush seals, is provided between the steam barrier chamber and the surrounding air. The condensation chamber is constructed in such a manner that the heat, developing in the interior thereof, is discharged to the outside.

Abstract: A method for determining an approximate value for a parameter characteristic of the fatigue state of a component as a result of a time-varying stress to which it is subjected by means of a number of load cycles should, itself, during comparatively lengthy stress cycles, enable a prognosis concerning the current fatigue state of the component, this prognosis being, in particular, adapted to the needs and suited for the real-time determination of maintenance intervals. To this end, in addition to optionally already fully completed load cycles, a first partially completed load cycle is also taken into consideration during the determination of the parameter, whereby temporary stress values for phases that have not yet been run through of the partially completed load cycle are, together with a predetermined fixed value, taken into consideration.

Abstract: There is described a method for heating a steam turbine comprising a medium-pressure turbine section and/or a low-pressure turbine section, the discharge end of the medium-pressure turbine section being provided with a catchment device. Steam penetrating the medium-pressure turbine section during a starting process is retained at an outlet by means of a catchment device in such a way that the pressure of the steam increases in the medium-pressure turbine section. The steam that is discharged from the medium-pressure turbine section is retained, thus increasing the pressure and the temperature of the steam. Heat transfer from the steam to the thick-walled parts located on the medium pressure turbine section and the shaft of the medium-pressure turbine section is augmented, thus reducing the starting time of the steam turbine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for heating a steam turbine comprising a high-pressure turbine section and a medium-pressure turbine section and/or a low-pressure turbine section. Said method is characterized by the essential aspect that the high-pressure turbine section is impinged upon by steam having relatively great conductivity while the medium-pressure turbine section or the low-pressure turbine section remains closed during said impingement following a cold start. As soon as the conductivity drops below a certain value, the medium-pressure turbine section or the low-pressure turbine section is also impinged upon by steam.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting a gas and steam turbine system which comprises a gas turbine system which comprises at least one gas turbine, in addition to at least one steam turbine system which comprises at least one steam turbine and at least one steam system. Heat produced by the working fluid and which is released in the gas turbine is guided to the steam system in order to produce steam which drives the steam turbine. According to the invention, during starting, the gas turbine is started prior to the steam turbine and the steam turbine is started in the presence of the first steam in the system and is impinged upon by said steam.

Abstract: There is described a method for prior determination of a life consumption of individual components in a fossil-fuelled power generating installation, with respect to a load cycling process to be carried out. An apparatus can be provided for prior determination of a life consumption of individual components in a fossil-fuelled power generating installation, with respect to a load cycling process to be carried out. Actual variables which characterize the state of the power generating installation before a load cycling process are determined. A driving gear of the power generating installation which creates the load cycling process is set in advance. The load cycle time is calculated based upon the driving gear and the characterizing variables. A predicted life consumption for at least one of the individual components for the selected driving gear is also calculated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for starting a steam turbine installation which comprises at least one steam turbine and at least one steam-generating installation for generating steam for driving the steam turbines, the steam turbine installation having at least one casing component, which has an initial starting temperature of more than 250° C., the temperature of the steam and of the casing component being continually measured, and the casing component of the steam turbine installation being supplied with steam from the starting time point onwards. The starting temperature of the steam is lower than the temperature of the casing component and the temperature of the steam is increased with a start transient and the staring temperature is chosen such that the change in temperature per unit of time of the casing component lies below a predefined limit. The temperature of the casing component initially decreases, until a minimum is reached and then increases.

Abstract: A method for determining an approximate value for a parameter characteristic of the fatigue state of a component as a result of a time-varying stress to which it is subjected by means of a number of load cycles should, itself, during comparatively lengthy stress cycles, enable a prognosis concerning the current fatigue state of the component, this prognosis being, in particular, adapted to the needs and suited for the real-time determination of maintenance intervals. To this end, in addition to optionally already fully completed load cycles, a first partially completed load cycle is also taken into consideration during the determination of the parameter, whereby temporary stress values for phases that have not yet been run through of the partially completed load cycle are, together with a predetermined fixed value, taken into consideration.

Abstract: A method and a device are for operating a steam turbine in which includes several no-load or light-load phases. All phases are supplied with steam in order to ensure good preheating. The supply of a phase is selected in such a way that the phase produces the least possible output, preferably no output. The enthalpy differential between the entrance to and exit from the phase is thus preferably reduced to zero.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for operating a steam turbine (10) comprising several no-load or light-load phases (11, 12). All phases (11, 12) are supplied with steam in order to ensure good preheating. According to the invention, the supply of a phase (11) is selected in such a way that said phase (11) produces the least possible output, in particular no output. The enthalpy differential (&Dgr;h) between the entrance (25) to and exit (26) from the phase (11) is thus preferably reduced to zero.

Abstract: A turbo machine, especially a steam turbine, has a main axis, an inner housing, an outer housing, a top region, and a bottom region. Between the outer housing and the inner housing a radial gap is formed, which has a narrow part in the bottom region.

Abstract: A turbine casing has an inner casing and an outer casing which surrounds the inner casing to form an intermediate space. In order to avoid a casing distortion, a forced flow of a medium located within the intermediate space is provided. A method is also described which relates to avoiding a temperature based casing distortion during the shut-down of a turbine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a turbine housing (1) having an inner housing (2) which is surrounded by an outer housing (3), the inner housing (2) and the outer housing (3) each having a first, upper partial region (5) and a second, lower partial region (6), and having an inner-housing outer surface (7) and an outer-housing inner surface (8) which are positioned opposite one another, with a distance between them. At least in a part of the first partial region (5), the inner-housing outer surface (7) has a lower heat transfer through radiation to the opposite outer-housing inner surface (8) than at least in a part of the second partial region (6) of the inner-housing outer surface (7). This can be achieved by means of suitable surface coatings in the respective regions which have different absorption and/or emission coefficients (a1, a2).

Abstract: A method for heating a valve configuration of a steam turbine, includes the steps of directing steam to a closed valve of the valve configuration, condensing the steam in the valve, and discharging the condensate. The temperature is kept at the saturated-steam temperature corresponding to the respective steam pressure. The method is in particular suited for keeping a bypass-valve configuration hot. The bypass-valve configuration is intended for bypassing the steam turbine on the steam side. For this purpose, a steam line is connected to the valve configuration. The steam line has an inclined line section with a rising slope or a falling slope directly upstream of the valve configuration. A valve configuration for a steam turbine is also provided.

Abstract: A turbine casing has an inner casing and an outer casing which surrounds the inner casing to form an intermediate space. In order to avoid a casing distortion, a forced flow of a medium located within the intermediate space is provided. A method is also described which relates to avoiding a temperature based casing distortion during the shut-down of a turbine.

Abstract: A turbine guide regulates a load cycle process in a turbine. The turbine guide has a limiting unit, to which a variable for a variable pre-setting of a time duration tv of the load cycle process can be fed. In the limiting unit, a determination of a turbine guide variable takes place for carrying out the load cycle process in the time duration tv under consideration of a maximum permissible limiting value. In an exhaustion unit an advance determination of the material exhaustion of the load cycle process to be carried out according to the turbine guide variable takes place. The invention further pertains to a method for regulating a load cycle process of a turbine.

Abstract: A steam turbine with a steam inlet region, an exhaust-steam region and a blading region surrounded by a turbine housing and disposed axially therebetween. Furthermore, a cooling-fluid inlet is provided which can be closed and opened by a closing member and through which cooling fluid can be introduced into the turbine housing. The introduced cooling fluid can be conducted out of the turbine housing again via a suction device for sucking out the cooling fluid. The invention relates, furthermore, to a steam turbine plant and to a method for cooling the steam turbine.

Abstract: A turbomachine, especially a steam turbine, includes a casing, an inflow region formed at least in part by the casing for guiding working fluid, a feed for a cooling fluid, a rotating-blade carrier disposed in the casing and extending along a principal axis, and a shielding element disposed in the inflow region for shielding the rotating-blade carrier from the working fluid. The shielding element is attached to the casing by a mounting and the feed is guided through the mounting. A method is also provided for cooling one or more components of a turbomachine adjoining an inflow region for a hot working gas.