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US 2006/0186671 A1Published application
Submerged turbine generator
AssigneeEbara Corporation
InventorsShuichiro Honda, Masao Matsumura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A submerged turbine generator is operated by a working fluid, such as liquid nitrogen, liquefied natural gas, or liquid ethylene, to generate electric power. The submerged turbine generator includes a shaft, a casing, a turbine having a runner fixed to the shaft, a generator having a rotor fixed to the shaft and a stator surrounding the rotor, and bearings for rotatably supporting the shaft. The runner is rotated integrally with the shaft by the pressure of the working fluid introduced into the casing. The shaft includes at least two members.
Claims23
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said shaft includes at least two members.
4 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- a thrust balancing mechanism operable to balance a thrust load applied to said shaft;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein at least one of said bearings comprises a thrust magnetic bearing operable to support the thrust load applied to said shaft at rest and start-up.
5 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein each of said bearings comprises a contact bearing section and a non-contact bearing section.
4 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- a main line through which the working fluid is delivered to said runner;
- and
- a secondary line through which the working fluid is delivered to cool said bearings.
5 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to a first end of said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- a thrust balancing mechanism operable to balance a thrust load applied to said shaft, said thrust balancing mechanism comprising a fixed orifice and a variable orifice;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said fixed orifice and/or said variable orifice of said thrust balancing mechanism is disposed at a second end of said shaft opposite to said first end.
5 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- a housing in which said generator is housed;
- a thrust balancing mechanism operable to balance a thrust load applied to said shaft;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said thrust balancing mechanism comprises a balance sleeve fixed to said shaft and arranged to form a fixed orifice and/or a variable orifice with said housing.
6 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- a thrust balancing mechanism operable to balance a thrust load applied to said shaft;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said thrust balancing mechanism comprises a balance piston fixed to said shaft.
5 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a multistage turbine having a plurality of runners fixed to said shaft so that said runners are rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said multistage turbine comprises a first turbine group and a second turbine group which are arranged so as to face opposite directions.
4 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a plurality of turbine stages each having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner of each of said plurality of turbine stages is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said plurality of turbine stages comprise a first turbine group and a second turbine group which are arranged so as to face opposite directions;
- and
- wherein said first turbine group and said second turbine group are arranged so as to simultaneously receive the working fluid to thereby simultaneously rotate said plurality of turbine stages.
6 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- and
- a housing in which said generator is housed, said housing having bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said housing has a cooling liquid inlet through which a part of the working fluid in said casing is introduced into said housing.
4 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- a housing in which said generator is housed, said housing having bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- a main line through which the working fluid is delivered into said casing;
- and
- a secondary line through which the working fluid is delivered into said housing.
5 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- a housing in which said generator is housed;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein the working fluid is supplied into said housing, flows around said generator, and then rotates said runner.
4 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- and
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- wherein said runner has a single inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet to allow the working fluid to form two flows moving away from each other along an axial direction of said shaft.
4 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- and
- a radial nozzle disposed near peripheral inlets of said runner.
4 more elements
A submerged turbine generator, comprising:
- a shaft;
- a casing;
- a turbine having a runner fixed to said shaft so that said runner is rotated integrally with said shaft due to pressure of a working fluid introduced into said casing;
- a generator having a rotor fixed to said shaft and a stator surrounding said rotor;
- bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft;
- and
- a multiple volute nozzle disposed near peripheral inlets of said runner.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.