Abstract: A process for retrofitting an electric power plant that uses two 60 Hertz large frame heavy duty industrial gas turbine engines to drive electric generators and produce electricity, where each of the two industrial engines can produce up to 350 MW of output power. The process replaces the two 350 MW industrial engines with one twin spool industrial gas turbine engine that is capable of producing at least 700 MW of output power. Thus, two prior art industrial engines can be replaced with one industrial engine that can produce power equal to the two prior art industrial engines.

Abstract: An interstage seal for a turbine of a gas turbine engine, the interstage seal having a seal carrier with an axial extending seal tooth movable with a stator of the engine, and a rotor with a seal surface that forms the interstage seal with the seal tooth, where a magnetic force produced by two magnets and a gas force produced by a gas pressure acting on the seal carrier forms a balancing force to maintain a close clearance of the seal without the seal tooth contacting the rotor seal surfaces during engine operation. In other embodiments, two pairs of magnets produce first and second magnetic forces that balance the seal in the engine.

Abstract: A process for retrofitting an industrial gas turbine engine of a power plant where an old industrial engine with a high spool has a new low spool with a low pressure turbine that drives a low pressure compressor using exhaust gas from the high pressure turbine, and where the new low pressure compressor delivers compressed air through a new compressed air line to the high pressure compressor through a new inlet added to the high pressure compressor. The old electric generator is replaced with a new generator having around twice the electrical power production. One or more stages of vanes and blades are removed from the high pressure compressor to optimally match a pressure ratio split. Closed loop cooling of one or more new stages of vanes and blades in the high pressure turbine is added and the spent cooling air is discharged into the combustor.

Abstract: A turbine with a variable inlet guide vane assembly in which the vane airfoils extend between inner and outer buttons, and in which a center of rotation of the airfoil is located aft of an aerodynamic center of pressure of the airfoil. The trailing edge of the airfoil extends into both of the buttons such that no gap is formed between the airfoil trailing edge region and a static part of the turbine during movement of the airfoil from an opened position to a closed position.

Abstract: A combustor of an industrial gas turbine engine having a combustor secured within a combustor casing with a combustor cavity surrounding the combustor, and a flow liner forming a cooling air space between the casing and the flow liner in which high pressure cooling air can be passed to provide insulation to the casing from the high temperature gas surround the combustor. The flow liner can include a TBC or a layer of insulation to limit heat buildup of the cooling air flowing through the space to further insulate the casing.

Abstract: An air hot part of a gas turbine engine, the hot part having an isogrid formed on a cool surface opposite to a hot surface, where an impingement plate bonded over multiple impingement cooling surfaces of the airfoil, where the impingement plate forms a series of double or triple impingement cooling for separate surfaces of the airfoil. The impingement plate can be shaped and sized to fit over an airfoil surface that requires multiple impingement cooling.

Abstract: An air cooled turbine airfoil with an impingement plate bonded over multiple impingement cooling surfaces of the airfoil, where the impingement plate forms a series of double or triple impingement cooling for separate surfaces of the airfoil. The impingement plate can be shaped and sized to fit over an airfoil surface that requires multiple impingement cooling.

Abstract: A spiral cooling system for cooling an aft turbine casing of a gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine includes a turbine casing having a fore end and an aft end, a star bearing support member supporting a bearing housing and including a plurality of struts each mounted to an aft flange at the aft end of the turbine casing. The turbine casing includes an outer casing wall and an inner casing wall at the aft end defining an airflow plenum therebetween that receives cooling air at an input end opposite to the aft flange. The spiral cooling system includes a plurality of fins secured to an inside surface of the outer wall and being spaced from the inner wall that directs the airflow from the input end in a circular manner around the plenum to an output end of the plenum.

Abstract: An air cooled turbine stator vane form a small gas turbine engine in which the vane has an airfoil of less than one inch in spanwise height, where the airfoil is a hollow airfoil having an insert that forms a sequential impingement cooling circuit for the pressure side wall and then the suction side wall. The insert includes a plurality of cooling air supply channels connected together by ribs where pressure side impingement holes are formed in the cooling air supply channels and suction side wall impingement cooling holes are formed in the ribs.

Abstract: An industrial gas turbine engine with a high spool and a low spool in which low pressure compressed air is supplied to the high pressure compressor, and where a portion of the low pressure compressed air is bled off for use as cooling air for hot parts in the high pressure turbine of the engine. Annular bleed off channels are located in the LPC diffuser. The bleed channels bleed off around 15% of the core flow and pass the bleed off air into a cooling flow channel that then flows into the cooling circuits in the turbine hot parts.

Abstract: An industrial gas turbine engine for electrical power production includes a high pressure spool and a low pressure spool in which the low pressure spool can be operated from full power mode to zero power mode when completely shut off, where the low pressure spool is operated at high electrical demand to supply compressed air to the high pressure compressor of the high pressure spool, and where turbine exhaust is used to drive a second electric generator from steam produced in a heat recovery steam generator. The power plant can operate at 25% of peak load while keeping the unused parts of the power plant hot for easy restart when high power output is required.

Abstract: An air riding seal between a rotor and a stator in a turbine of a gas turbine engine, where an annular piston is movable in an axial direction within a housing that extends from the stator, and a bellows is secured to the annular piston to form a flexible air passageway from a compressed air inlet through the annular piston and into a cushion cavity that forms an air riding seal between the annular piston and the rotor sealing surface. In another embodiment, a flexible seal secured to and extending from the annular piston forms a sealing surface between the annular piston chamber and the annular piston to provide a seal and allow for axial movement.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine with a closed-loop liquid metal cooling fluid system for cooling stator vanes within the turbine, in which the stator vanes are made of a metallic material that will not react with the liquid metal cooling fluid. The stator vane may be made from a typical metal material such as ferrous metal alloys, nickel alloys or cobalt (Co) alloys, and an insert or liner made of molybdenum or tantalum may be placed inside to protect the outer vane material from reacting with a liquid metal such as bismuth, lead (Pb), indium, or alloy mixtures of thereof. In the case where the liquid coolant is bismuth, the liquid bismuth must be purged from the cooling system before the fluid cools and solidifies so the solidified bismuth does not expand and break the vanes.

Abstract: A sequential impingement cooling insert for a turbine stator vane that forms a double impingement for the pressure and suction sides of the vane or a triple impingement. The insert is formed from a sheet metal formed in a zigzag shape that forms a series of alternating impingement cooling channels with return air channels, where pressure side and suction side impingement cooling plates are secured over the zigzag shaped main piece. Another embodiment includes the insert formed from one or two blocks of material in which the impingement channels and return air channels are machined into each block.

Abstract: A turbine rotor blade of the spar and shell construction, the spar including a tip end with a dovetail shaped groove extending from the top, and a tip cap includes a dovetail shaped slot that engages with the spar groove to retain the tip cap in place. A shell made from a high temperature resistant material is secured in place between the platform and the tip cap. The platform includes a core extending into a hollow space formed by the shell and discharges impingement cooling air against the backside wall of the shell. The spar and the platform include fir tree configurations so that an assembled blade can be inserted into a slot of a rotor disk.

Abstract: A turbine stator vane for an industrial engine, the vane having two impingement cooling inserts that produce a series of impingement cooling from the pressure side to the suction side of the vane walls. Each insert includes a spar with a row of alternating impingement cooling channels and return air channels extending in a radial direction. Impingement cooling plates cover the two sides of the insert and having rows of impingement cooling holes aligned with the impingement cooling channels and return air openings aligned with the return air channel.

Abstract: A multiple piece turbine rotor blade with a shell having an airfoil shape and secured between a spar and a platform with the spar including a tip end piece. a snap ring fits around the spar and abuts against the spar tip end piece on a top side and abuts against a shell on the bottom side so that the centrifugal loads from the shell is passed through the snap ring and into the spar and not through a tip cap dovetail slot and projection structure.

Abstract: An improved airfoil tip sealing apparatus is disclosed wherein brush seals are attached to airfoil tips with the distal ends of the brush seal fibers sealingly contacting opposing wall surfaces. Embodiments for variable vanes, stators and both cooled and uncooled turbine blade applications are disclosed.

Abstract: The present gas turbine engine (10) includes a disc assembly (64) defining a disc (66) having a plurality of blades (70) attached thereto. The disc (66) has a preestablished rate of thermal expansion and the plurality of blades have a preestablished rate of thermal expansion being less than the preestablished rate of thermal expansion of the disc (66). A shroud assembly (100) is attached to the gas turbine engine (10) and is spaced from the plurality of blades (70) a preestablished distance forming an interface (108) therebetween. Positioned in the interface is a seal (110) having a preestablished rate of thermal expansion being generally equal to the rate of thermal expansion of the plurality of blades (70).

Abstract: Cooling air delivery systems for gas turbine engines are used to increase component life and increase power and efficiencies. The present system increases the component life and increases efficiencies by better utilizing the cooling air bled from the compressor section of the gas turbine engine. For example, a flow of cooling air which is directed through internal passages of the engine and into a cavity and is used to cool the interface between a turbine disc and a plurality of turbine blades and further reduces ingestion of hot power gases into the internal portion of the gas turbine engine. The cavity has a generally tapered configuration and effectively cools the interface between the disc and the blade. Thus, increasing component life and increasing power and efficiencies of the engine.