Abstract: A condenser made of concrete for an axial exhaust turbine, the condenser being carried on a concrete raft and including a plurality of superposed bundles of heat exchange tubes, wherein the condenser includes end vertical tube plates connected via flexible seals to the walls of the condenser and intermediate vertical tube plates, said tube plates being secured to one another by ties and supporting the tubes of the bundles so that they are free to expand, the intermediate plates adjacent to the end plates being carried by internal steel support brackets that are fixed to the walls of the condenser. The bundles of heat exchanger tubes are easily mounted and maintenance thereof is facilitated.

Abstract: A structure comprising an LP module of a steam turbine supported by a concrete support-block carried by posts standing on a concrete raft, and an enclosure constituted by an exhaust box surrounding the LP module and connected thereto via elastic seals and by a condenser provided with bundles disposed beneath the LP module and resting on the raft, wherein the enclosure is made of concrete. The condenser envelope made of concrete is thus totally independent of the turbine and of its support-block.

Abstract: An HP module for a turbine having a drum rotor with admission for steam having very high pressure and temperature characteristics comprises zones of different designs that are suitable for different temperature and pressure levels. An anterior zone A is at the steam admission end and includes a rotor assembly, diaphragms, an internal body, and an admission baffle carrier all of which are fully isotrophic, without any break in a horizontal join plane. A posterior zone P situated at the exhaust end has its internal body implemented in the form of two portions which are coupled to the internal body of the zone A. The internal body of the zone P may be isotropic and banded or it may be non-isotropic or it may be bolted. In the zone A the blades are mounted either in axial grooves or else in circumferential grooves, whereas in the zone P, the grooves are selected to be circumferential for simplification purposes.

Abstract: An impulse steam turbine has a rotor and a stator and a plurality of stages each constituted by a diaphragm with stationary blading followed by moving blading comprising blades that rotate with the rotor. The moving blades are mounted directly on the rotor, and not on disks, with the stationary blading providing more than 85% of the pressure drop at the base of each stage. Such turbines may be provided with improvements that reduce secondary losses. Efficiency is improved by several percentage points.

Abstract: A drum rotor for an impulse steam turbine having moving wheels constituted by rotor blades whose roots are provided with dovetails are locked in dovetail shaped grooves formed in the rotor. The grooves are longitudinal over at least a portion of the rotor. The roots of the blades of a moving wheel are separated from the roots of the blades of an adjacent moving wheel by dovetail shaped spacers. An optimum filling of the longitudinal grooves is effected for better interconnection of the caps of the rotor blades.

Abstract: Zircaloy 2 or 4 strip is heat treated in the beta range, followed by rapid cooling by passing the strip between a first and second roller pair, each roller pair having two oppositely disposed rollers gripping the strip. Each roller pair is connected to a source of an electric current so as to complete an electric circuit including the source, the roller pairs and the strip, which causes heating of the strip to the beta range. The strip is heated at a rate less than 40.degree. C./sec between 750.degree. and 1000.degree. C., held at 1000.degree.-1100.degree. for less than 2 minutes and cooled at a rate of at least 40.degree. C./sec between 1000.degree. C. and 600.degree. C.

Abstract: The HP-MP steam turbine body has a single internal stator surrounding both the HP and the MP portions of the rotor. The internal stator co-operates with the external stator to define axial positioning means for the internal stator and to define a thermal screen for an inter-stator space which is swept with steam taken from one of the last stages of the HP stream. The portions of the internal stator which surround all of the expansion of the HP stream and the hot stages of the MP stream are steam-conditioned in optimum manner, thereby making it possible to reduce the temperature gradient which the internal stator has to withstand, and also the temperature of the fastenings for both of the stators. The internal stator is simple in structure, the dimensioning of the HP-MP body is optimized, as are the fastenings, and the temperature control of the stators.

Abstract: The bearing supporting the rotor has its stiffness increased by being connected directly to a foundation, thereby providing better behavior for the bearing in the event of a major accident (e.g. the loss of one of the blades in the last, low pressure stage). In addition, by separating the bearing function from the stator exhaust end function, there is no danger of any rotor out-of-balance forces exciting resonance in the stator structure.

Abstract: The bearing supporting the rotor has its stiffness increased by being connected directly to a foundation, thereby providing better behavior for the bearing in the event of a major accident (e.g. the loss of one of the blades in the last, or lowest presssure stage). In addition, by separating the bearing function from the stator exhaust end function, there is no danger of any rotor out-of-balance forces exciting resonance in the stator structure.

Abstract: A concrete steam condenser for an axial exhaust turbine supported on a concrete foundation, is aligned with the exhaust and comprises a volume whose external concrete envelope forms a monolithic assembly with the concrete foundation. The turbine exhaust is flanged to the condenser inlet. The condenser does not require supporting or guiding. The turbine shaft responds better to deformation of the condenser. The amount of concrete used is significantly less than the volume usually used.