Continuous twin-stay columns for bulb hydraulic turbines

A support structure for a hydraulic turbine having a rotatably mounted runner having a generally horizontal axis of rotation with a rotatable drive shaft affixed to one end of said runner and extending axially therefrom;

• said shaft terminating in a generator unit remote from said runner;
• a stationary bulb housing adjacent said runner and enclosing said drive shaft and generator unit;
• a duct wall surrounding said runner and bulb housing and cooperating with said runner and bulb housing to define a hydraulic passage;
• said bulb housing including an inner stay cone axially disposed along said drive shaft between said generator unit and said runner;
• said inner stay cone being perpendicular to said shaft;
• an outer stay cone embedded in said duct wall and coplanar with said inner stay cone;
• the improvements comprising:
• a. a pair of vertical stay columns extending through said bulb housing with said drive shaft extending between said stay column;
• each of said columns affixed to said outer stay cone beneath said bulb housing and extending vertically through said inner stay cone in said bulb housing and being affixed to said outer stay cone above said bulb housing;
• said vertical stay column affixed to said inner stay cone where said columns pass through said inner stay cone;
• b. a pair of bottom vertical piers adjacent said stay columns remote from said runner;
• said bottom vertical piers being integral with said duct wall beneath said bulb housing and extending vertically upward into communication with said bulb housing;
• and,
• c. a pair of top vertical piers adjacent said stay columns remote from said runner;
• said top vertical piers being integral with said duct wall above said bulb housing and extending vertically downward into communication with said bulb housing.

A support structure for a hydraulic turbine having a rotatably mounted runner having a generally horizontal axis of rotation with a rotatable drive shaft affixed to one end of said runner and extending axially therefrom;

• said shaft terminating in a generator unit remote from said runner;
• a stationary bulb housing adjacent said runner and enclosing said drive shaft and generator unit;
• a duct wall surrounding said runner and bulb housing and cooperating with said runner and bulb housing to define a hydraulic passage;
• said bulb housing including an inner stay cone axially disposed along said drive shaft between said generator unit and said runner;
• said inner stay cone being perpendicular to said shaft;
• an outer stay cone embedded in said duct wall and coplanar with said inner stay cone;
• the improvements comprising:
• a pair of vertical stay columns extending through said outer stay cone with each of said columns adjacent to said inner stay cone and with said drive shaft extending between said stay columns;
• said columns being affixed to said inner stay cone where said columns are adjacent to said inner stay cone;
• and,
• a pair of bottom vertical piers adjacent said stay columns remote from said runner;
• said bottom vertical piers being integral with said duct wall beneath said bulb housing and extending vertically upward into communication with said bulb housing.

A support structure for a hydraulic turbine having a rotatably mounted runner having a generally horizontal axis of rotation with a rotatable drive shaft affixed to one end of said runner and extending axially therefrom;

• said shaft terminating in a generator unit remote from said runner;
• a staionary bulb housing adjacent said runner and enclosing said drive shaft and generator unit;
• a duct wall surrounding said runner and bulb housing and cooperating with said runner and bulb housing to define a hydraulic passage;
• said bulb housing including an inner stay cone axially disposed along said drive shaft between said generator unit and said runner;
• said inner stay cone being perpendicular to said shaft;
• an outer stay cone embedded in said duct wall and coplanar with said inner stay cone;
• the improvements comprising:
• a. a pair of vertical stay columns extending through said outer stay cone with each of said columns adjacent to said inner stay cone and with said drive shaft extending between said stay columns;
• said columns being affixed to said inner stay cone where said columns are adjacent to said inner stay cone.
• b. a pair of bottom vertical piers adjacent said stay columns remote from said runner;
• said bottom vertical piers being integral with said duct wall beneath said bulb housing and extending vertically upward into communication with said bulb housing;
• and,
• c. a pair of top vertical piers adjacent said stay columns remote from said runner;
• said top vertical piers being integral with said duct wall above said bulb housing and extending vertically downward into communication with said bulb housing.