Abstract: A seating and locking system for turbomachinery attached to the customer column housing the turbomachine. The seating and locking system includes two or more actuated pistons that push against a piston seat or locking groove of the turbomachine. The actuated pistons secure the turbomachine within the costumer column to prevent the turbomachine from moving and getting damaged. The seating and locking system further includes a seat attached below the customer column with two or more spring loaded rods. The seat forces the customer column and the turbomachine to remain fixed to the bottom of the vessel housing the customer column and the turbomachine. Embodiments can be used with pumps, expanders, turbines, compressors, and fans.

Abstract: A cryogenic submerged turbomachine equipped with one or more combinations of hydrostatic bearings, touchdown ball bearings, thrust bearings, and bushings. The pressurized fluid or gas introduced to the hydrostatic bearing creates a film of lubrication around at least one shaft of the turbomachine. A first combination includes at least a hydrostatic bearing or a pressurized journal bearing. A second combination includes a ball bearing and a thrust disk type bearing acting as a touchdown bearing. This second combination supports the rotor system of the turbine during transient periods when the Thrust Equalizing Mechanism device is not active, and decreases the axial thrust load during operation. A third combination uses a hydrostatic bearing with a sleeve that is joined as a unit with one or more ball bearings acting as touchdown ball bearings on the hydrostatic bearing sleeve.

Abstract: Centrifugal Pumps are known to exhibit unstable operating region(s) in flow as evidenced by unstable operating region(s) in flow as evidenced by the pump's flow-head curve that has either a flat or a positive slope. The unstable flow has been determined to be due to the generating of a vortex and appears in the cross-over pass located downstream of the pump impeller in the area where the flow direction changes or bends for entry into the diffuser, specifically an axial diffuser with blades. Once the flow-head curve for a selected centrifugal pump is plotted, the unstable area is manipulated by the use of tandem vane devices to eliminate the unstable regions of the flow head curve. These vane devices may be the full height or partial height vanes sized on the basis of the cross-over path for guiding the fluid stream from the pump impeller into the diffuser smoothly including a change in direction. A small axial gap is defined between the tandem vane and the downstream axial diffuser vanes.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for supporting and adapting high pressure pumping apparatus for use on or in a marine vessel subject to direct dynamic motions imparted to the marine vessel without damaging the pumping apparatus to thereby extend the useful life of the pumping apparatus. For this purpose the method and apparatus is designed to prevent the deflection of the bearings by providing an axial support and radial damping to vibrations resulting from the motions imparted to the marine vessel. In addition, the pumping shaft is protected when inoperative by preventing the pumping shaft from rotation. Specifically the method and apparatus provide the suction vessel housing the high pressure pumping apparatus to be secured to the marine vessel's deck at all times along with the provision for absorbing the vibrations and stresses due to the marine vessel's movements imparted thereto by being subjected to the direct dynamic motions.

Abstract: A seating and locking system for turbomachinery attached to the customer column housing the turbomachine. The seating and locking system includes two or more actuated pistons that push against a piston seat or locking groove of the turbomachine. The actuated pistons secure the turbomachine within the costumer column to prevent the turbomachine from moving and getting damaged. The seating and locking system further includes a seat attached below the customer column with two or more spring loaded rods. The seat forces the customer column and the turbomachine to remain fixed to the bottom of the vessel housing the customer column and the turbomachine. Embodiments can be used with pumps, expanders, turbines, compressors, and fans.

Abstract: A shaft holding system for cryogenic pumps or expanders comprising of a set of hydraulic brakes surrounding the shaft of turbomachinery. Fluid or gas is introduced into the bellows chamber of a brake assembly. The bellows chamber expands due to the increase in pressure, thus exerting a force on the piston of the brake assembly. The piston in turn exerts a force on a brake rod, which pushes a brake pad attached to the end of the brake rod against the shaft. A feed line supplies fluid or gas to the hydraulics of the brake assembly. Two or more brakes can be used to secure the shaft of the turbomachine. A turbomachine including more than one shaft can use a set of brakes for each shaft of the turbomachine.

Abstract: A cryogenic submerged turbomachine equipped with one or more combinations of hydrostatic bearings, touchdown ball bearings, thrust bearings, and bushings. The pressurized fluid or gas introduced to the hydrostatic bearing creates a film of lubrication around at least one shaft of the turbomachine. A first combination includes at least a hydrostatic bearing or a pressurized journal bearing. A second combination includes a ball bearing and a thrust disk type bearing acting as a touchdown bearing. This second combination supports the rotor system of the turbine during transient periods when the Thrust Equalizing Mechanism device is not active, and decreases the axial thrust load during operation. A third combination uses a hydrostatic bearing with a sleeve that is joined as a unit with one or more ball bearings acting as touchdown ball bearings on the hydrostatic bearing sleeve.