Abstract: A system includes a fluid distribution system. The fluid distribution system includes multiple spray rings disposed upstream of an inlet of a compressor. The multiple spray rings include a first spray ring disposed about an axis of the compressor in a first plane substantially perpendicular to the axis. The first spray ring includes a first set of nozzles disposed about the axis and configured to spray a first fluid flow toward the compressor inlet. The multiple spray rings further include a second spray ring disposed about the axis of the compressor in a second plane substantially perpendicular to the axis. The second spray ring includes a second set of nozzles disposed about the axis and configured to spray a second fluid flow toward the compressor inlet. The first plane is different than the second plane.

Abstract: A system includes a turbine with an expansion section configured to expand an exhaust flow in a downstream direction, such that the expansion section includes a plurality of stages and a diffuser section coupled downstream of the expansion section. The diffuser section receives the exhaust flow along an exhaust path and an energizing flow along a wall, and the diffuser section includes the wall comprising an inner surface, so the wall is disposed about the exhaust path, and an energizing port disposed in the wall at or downstream of a last stage of the plurality of stages of the expansion section. The energizing port is configured to direct the energizing flow along the inner surface of the wall to energize a boundary layer along the wall, and a first pressure of the energizing flow is greater than a second pressure of the exhaust flow at the energizing port.

Abstract: A turbine blade includes a tip shroud having a seal rail. The seal rail includes a tangential surface extending between tangential ends. The turbine blade includes a root portion configured to couple to a rotor and an airfoil portion extending between the root portion and the tip shroud. The seal rail includes a cooling passage extending along a length of the seal rail. The cooling passage is fluidly coupled to a cooling plenum to receive a cooling fluid via an intermediate cooling passage extending between the cooling passage and a cooling plenum. The seal rail includes cooling outlet passages fluidly coupled to the cooling passage. The cooling outlet passages are disposed within the seal rail and extend between the cooling passage and the tangential surface of the seal rail. The cooling outlet passages are configured to discharge the cooling fluid from the tip shroud via the tangential surface.

Abstract: A system includes a fluid distribution system. The fluid distribution system includes multiple spray rings disposed upstream of an inlet of a compressor. The multiple spray rings include a first spray ring disposed about an axis of the compressor in a first plane substantially perpendicular to the axis. The first spray ring includes a first set of nozzles disposed about the axis and configured to spray a first fluid flow toward the compressor inlet. The multiple spray rings further include a second spray ring disposed about the axis of the compressor in a second plane substantially perpendicular to the axis. The second spray ring includes a second set of nozzles disposed about the axis and configured to spray a second fluid flow toward the compressor inlet. The first plane is different than the second plane.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for scaling an airfoil for placement in a turbomachine. The method disclosed herein includes radially scaling a master airfoil to form a scaled airfoil. The method may also include tuning the scaled airfoil. For example, tuning the scaled airfoil may include axially scaling. The scaled airfoil generally has similar characteristics to the master airfoil.

Abstract: A turbine blade includes a tip shroud having a seal rail. The seal rail includes a tangential surface extending between tangential ends. The turbine blade includes a root portion configured to couple to a rotor and an airfoil portion extending between the root portion and the tip shroud. The seal rail includes a cooling passage extending along a length of the seal rail. The cooling passage is fluidly coupled to a cooling plenum to receive a cooling fluid via an intermediate cooling passage extending between the cooling passage and a cooling plenum. The seal rail includes cooling outlet passages fluidly coupled to the cooling passage. The cooling outlet passages are disposed within the seal rail and extend between the cooling passage and the tangential surface of the seal rail. The cooling outlet passages are configured to discharge the cooling fluid from the tip shroud via the tangential surface.

Abstract: A system includes a turbine with an expansion section configured to expand an exhaust flow in a downstream direction, such that the expansion section includes a plurality of stages and a diffuser section coupled downstream of the expansion section. The diffuser section receives the exhaust flow along an exhaust path and an energizing flow along a wall, and the diffuser section includes the wall comprising an inner surface, so the wall is disposed about the exhaust path, and an energizing port disposed in the wall at or downstream of a last stage of the plurality of stages of the expansion section. The energizing port is configured to direct the energizing flow along the inner surface of the wall to energize a boundary layer along the wall, and a first pressure of the energizing flow is greater than a second pressure of the exhaust flow at the energizing port.

Abstract: The present invention is an aerodynamically efficient turbine airfoil that includes a first endwall, a second endwall, a stacking axis, an aspect ratio, a percentage radial span, a tangential offset, and an angle; wherein relationships between the aspect ratio, percentage radial span, and angle are defined.

Abstract: A power plant may include a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator having an MHD exhaust that is cooled using a compressor exit flow to a temperature at which the MHD exhaust can be fed to at least one stage of a gas turbine. The heated compressor exit flow may be used to feed a combustor for the MHD generator. In an alternative embodiment, the gas turbine exhaust may be used in a heat recovery steam generator for a steam turbine system, and then fed back to a compressor for the combustor to the MHD generator. In another embodiment, a power plant may include a compressor exit flow feeding a combustor for an MHD generator and an MHD exhaust may be mixed with a compressor pre-exit, extraction flow for feeding to at least one stage of a gas turbine.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a turbomachine having a turbomachine blade and a stationary structural component. The turbomachine blade includes a tip shroud having a leading edge portion where the leading edge portion has a first surface. The stationary structural component is disposed about the turbomachine blade and includes a corresponding portion corresponding to the leading edge portion of the tip shroud, where the corresponding portion has a second surface, where the first surface and the second surface have generally parallel contours.

Abstract: A variable clearance mechanism for use in a turbine engine is provided that includes a stationary component, a plurality of articulating seal members coupled to the stationary component, and a biasing mechanism including an actuation ring. The variable clearance mechanism varies the position of stationary seal members to provide variable bucket tip clearance as a function of an operating condition of the turbine engine. The biasing mechanism is coupled to the plurality of articulating seal members for use in selectively translating the plurality of articulating seal members when the actuation ring is rotated circumferentially relative to the stationary component.

Abstract: A method of engineering a turbomachine airfoil may include providing a master airfoil configuration having a preset outer and inner radius relative to an axis of rotation thereof. The master airfoil configuration may be radially scaled to a custom-sized turbomachine airfoil having an outer radius different than the preset outer radius of the master airfoil configuration, and/or an inner radius different than the preset inner radius of the master airfoil configuration. Tuning a frequency of the custom-sized turbomachine airfoil by changing a parameter of at least one of a part span shroud and a tip shroud may then be performed. Axial scaling may also be performed. The custom-sized turbomachine airfoil may be employed in the turbomachine without performing wheel box testing, and may exhibit substantially similar operational characteristics as the master airfoil configuration.

Abstract: A turbomachine having clearance control capability is provided and includes a turbine stage including a blade configured to rotate around a centerline, a movable portion of a casing circumferentially surrounding the turbine stage and a rotatable cam operably coupled to the movable portion and thereby configured to control an axial position of the movable portion. A radially outermost tip of the blade and an interior surface of the movable portion are sloped with respect to the centerline such that the controlled axial position of the movable portion is determinative of a clearance between the blade and the movable portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a turbomachine having a turbomachine blade and a stationary structural component. The turbomachine blade includes a tip shroud having a leading edge portion where the leading edge portion has a first surface. The stationary structural component is disposed about the turbomachine blade and includes a corresponding portion corresponding to the leading edge portion of the tip shroud, where the corresponding portion has a second surface, where the first surface and the second surface have generally parallel contours.

Abstract: An exhaust diffuser for a turbine includes an inlet configured to receive exhaust gas from a last stage bucket of the turbine and an exhaust gas guide surface configured to guide the exhaust gas. A curvature of the guide surface comprises a first angle with respect to an axis of the turbine and a ratio of a guide surface axial length to the active length of the last stage bucket which is between about 0.45 to 0.70. A method of diffusing exhaust of a turbine includes energizing a boundary layer along a curved exhaust flow guide surface of an exhaust diffuser with over tip leakage of a last stage bucket of the turbine.

Abstract: A method is provided for evaluating stall/surge margin of a machine of interest. The method includes identifying a vital factor where each the vital factors corresponds to operation of the machine of interest. Raw data relating to the vital factor is provided. A contribution of the vital factor to the stall/surge margin is determined from at least the provided raw data. The contribution of the vital factor to the stall/surge margin is statistically analyzed. A stall/surge margin is allocated based on the statistical analysis of the contribution of the vital factor. An operating limit line is defined based on the allocation of the stall/surge margin.

Abstract: An blade row for use in a compressor is provided. The blade row has a plurality of inlet guide vanes. Each inlet guide vane has a meanline approximately equal to NACA standard A4K6 meanline, a thickness distribution approximately equal to NACA standard SR 63 thickness distribution, a stagger angle, and a lift coefficient between 0.0 and 0.8.

Abstract: An blade row for use in a compressor is provided. The blade row has a plurality of inlet guide vanes. Each inlet guide vane has a meanline approximately equal to NACA standard A4K6 meanline, a thickness distribution approximately equal to NACA standard SR 63 thickness distribution, a stagger angle, and a lift coefficient between 0.0 and 0.8.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for monitoring and controlling a compressor including (a) monitoring at least one compressor parameter; (b) storing data indicative of the monitored parameter in a database system; (c) processing the collected data using a stall precursor detection algorithm to determine a stall precursor; (d) comparing the stall precursor with at least one of a corresponding average compressor value, and a corresponding unit specific value to determine the level of compressor operability, and (e) if the stall precursor varies from at least one of the average compressor value and the unit specific value, performing corrective actions to vary the level of compressor operability to prevent a surge condition.

Abstract: A method is provided for evaluating stall/surge margin of a machine of interest. The method includes identifying a vital factor where each the vital factors corresponds to operation of the machine of interest. Raw data relating to the vital factor is provided. A contribution of the vital factor to the stall/surge margin is determined from at least the provided raw data. The contribution of the vital factor to the stall/surge margin is statistically analyzed. A stall/surge margin is allocated based on the statistical analysis of the contribution of the vital factor. An operating limit line is defined based on the allocation of the stall/surge margin.