Abstract: A method of assembling a turbine bucket is provided. The bucket includes a dovetail portion, an airfoil portion, and a root that extends between the airfoil portion and the dovetail portion. The turbine bucket includes a pressure side and a suction side that are connected together at a leading edge and a trailing edge. The method includes forming at least one pocket within the turbine bucket, such that the pocket is formed within the pressure side. The method also includes forming at least one pin within the at least one pocket.

Abstract: The present invention provides a steam turbine that has upper and lower halves of diaphragm. The steam turbine of the present invention also provides an adjustable support bar attached to at least the upper half or the lower half of the diaphragm. The adjustable support bar of the present invention has a screw therein such that the adjustable support bar can raise or lower the upper half or the lower half of the diaphragm without removing each half of the diaphragm. Also provided are methods for adjusting and supporting a vertical position of the upper half and the lower half of the diaphragm at a horizontal split line in a steam turbine.

Abstract: To address certain deficiencies of carbon fiber material as a filler in a hybrid blade, a glass composite layer is provided as a barrier layer between a carbon fiber resin filler and the metallic main body of the blade. The glass composite layer also advantageously provides a gradient in thermal expansion between the carbon fiber composite and the body of the blade (steel) to reduce interfacial residual stress.

Abstract: A steam turbine nozzle singlet having a blade or airfoil between inner and outer sidewalls is provided. The sidewalls include steps or flanges which are received in complementary recesses in the rings enabling axially short low heat input welds e.g., e-beam welds. These complementary steps and recesses mechanically interlock the singlet between the rings preventing displacement of the singlet in the event of weld failure. The low heat input welds minimize or eliminate distortion of the nozzle flow path. Additional features on the singlets, provide a datum for milling machines to form singlets of different sizes.

Abstract: An airfoil configured for removing moisture from the steam flow path and injecting steam into the steam flow path of a steam turbine.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a machine casing component carrier configured to support a machine component such that the longitudinal axis of the machine component is adjustable with respect to a longitudinal axis of a rotatable member of the machine are provided. The carrier includes a support member configured to fixedly engage the machine component, an outwardly radially extending flange configured to engage a complementary receptacle formed in the turbine casing such that the weight of the carrier is supported at least partially by the receptacle, and a selectably adjustable shim member positionable within the receptacle configured to control an alignment of the longitudinal axis of the machine component with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A bling nozzle/carrier interface design for a steam turbine is provided wherein there is limited contact between the carrier (casing, shell) to allow for ease of assembly. There is also limited contact in strategic locations to both reduce the roll, or downstream deflection, of the inner portion and to improve disassembly due to limited contact in areas where corrosion can occur.

Abstract: A flow splitter directs inlet steam in axially opposite directions in a double flow steam turbine. The flow splitter includes a main ring having a radially outer apex with annular concave surfaces extending inwardly from and in opposite axial directions on opposite axial sides of the apex. A second ring is secured on one axial side of the main ring by welding to the main ring and has a concave outer surface portion which completes the concave surface of the flow splitter along the opposite axial side of the flow splitter.

Abstract: A steam turbine includes, in one exemplary embodiment, a rotor and a plurality of bucket stages coupled to the rotor with each bucket stage including a plurality of circumferentially spaced buckets coupled to the rotor. The steam turbine also includes a diaphragm assembly surrounding the rotor and the bucket stages, and an outer casing disposed about the rotor and diaphragm assembly. The diaphragm assembly includes a plurality of nozzle stages located between the bucket stages, a circumferentially extending groove, with the groove located upstream of one of the bucket stages and between that bucket stage and an adjacent nozzle stage, a circumferentially extending extraction chamber, and at least one first bore extending from the groove to the extraction chamber. The diaphragm assembly also includes at least one second bore extending from the extraction chamber through an outer surface of the diaphragm assembly.

Abstract: A singlet welded nozzle hybrid design that includes a singlet, that is, a single airfoil with respective inner and outer sidewall components. The outer sidewall component is received in a radial and circumferential groove of an outer carrier. The connection of the inner sidewall can be achieved by mechanically fitting and welded the inner sidewalls to either a seal carrier or a small ring, or a small radial weld may be provided between the sidewall endfaces of circumferentially adjacent singlets.

Abstract: A support arrangement for a turbine diaphragm segment in a split turbine casing includes a semi-annular diaphragm segment having a horizontal joint surface; a support bar joined to the diaphragm segment adjacent the horizontal joint surface, the support bar formed with a first flange extending outwardly over a portion of the casing, the portion including a horizontal surface; and a shim on the horizontal surface and engaged by the first flange.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for assembling a double flow steam turbine is provided. The method comprises providing an annular member having a first end, a second end, and a body extending therebetween, coupling a first arcuate member to the annular member wherein the first member includes a radially inner surface that defines an inner diameter of the first member and an opposite radially outer surface that defines an outer diameter of the first member, wherein the inner surface is substantially parallel to the outer surface, and coupling a second arcuate member to the annular member wherein the second member includes a radially inner surface that defines an inner diameter of the second member and an opposite radially outer surface that defines an outer diameter of the second member. The method also comprises coupling the second member to the first member such that a steam turbine flow splitter is formed.

Abstract: A method for assembling a turbine is provided, wherein the method includes positioning an annular nozzle carrier radially inwardly from a casing such that a cavity is defined between the nozzle carrier and the casing. The method also includes extending a flange from at least one of a leading edge of the annular casing and a leading edge of the nozzle carrier, and extending a seal ring between the nozzle carrier and the casing such that the seal ring seals the cavity, wherein the seal ring is positioned between the flange and at least one of the nozzle carrier and the casing.

Abstract: To address certain deficiencies of carbon fiber material as a filler in a hybrid blade, a glass composite layer is provided as a barrier layer between a carbon fiber resin filler and the metallic main body of the blade. The glass composite layer also advantageously provides a gradient in thermal expansion between the carbon fiber composite and the body of the blade (steel) to reduce interfacial residual stress.

Abstract: A steam turbine system for use in conjunction with hybrid last stage(s) LP buckets. The system is adapted to cool the bucket tip region during low VAN windage conditions whereby the beneficial design and efficiency outcomes of the use of hybrid blades can be realized.

Abstract: An airfoil configured for removing moisture from the steam flow path and injecting steam into the steam flow path of a steam turbine.

Abstract: A steam turbine blade includes a shank portion and an airfoil portion. The airfoil portion is formed with at least one pocket filled with a polymer filler material chosen as a function of natural frequency impact on the turbine blade or as a function of the damping characteristics of the filler materials. A steam turbine rotor wheel includes a plurality of blades secured about a circumferential periphery of the wheel, each blade having one or more pockets in the airfoil portion, the plurality of blades divided into two groups of blades. The pockets of one group of blades are filled with one or more polymer filler materials, and the pockets of the other group of blades filled with one or more polymer filler materials, wherein the polymer filler materials in the one group of blades creates different natural frequencies or damping characteristics in the blades of the one group than the polymer filler materials in the blades of the other group.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a blade for assembly on a steam turbine rotor wheel includes forming an airfoil portion with plural pockets and filling the pockets with more than one filler material chosen as a function of required temperature capability.

Abstract: A steam turbine rotor wheel includes a plurality of blades secured about a circumferential periphery of the wheel, each blade comprising a shank portion and an airfoil portion, the airfoil portion having at least one pocket filled with a filler material, wherein at least one edge of the pocket adjacent a leading edge of the blade is formed with an undercut.

Abstract: Spline seals are disposed in circumferentially registering slots of adjacent arcuate packing seal segments disposed in grooves on inner hooks of a steam turbine diaphragm assembly. The spline seals extend in a gap between the endfaces of the segments and minimize or preclude steam leakage flows past the endfaces. The spline seals may be oriented in axial and circumferential directions to minimize leakage flow paths in a generally radial direction and/or may be inclined radially in a downstream direction to seal against steam leakage flow in an axial direction. The spline seals are disposed in the slots which may be formed as part of original equipment manufacture or may be machined in segments with spline seals provided as retrofits.