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US 4,537,560 AGranted
Radial key for steam turbine wheels
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEloy V. Emeterio, Robert E. Deallenbach, Martin F. O'Connor, Oleg Klufas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a steam turbine, apparatus for preventing rotation of a first wheel with respect to a second wheel adjacent the first wheel, wherein the first and second wheels are secured to a shaft of a rotor of the steam turbine by an interference shrink fit, comprises a key disposed in a keyway defined by and between respective hubs of the wheels. The key is exposed to ambient environment of the rotor and is spaced from the axial ends of the keyway to permit steam to flow through portions of the keyway. Key and keyway configurations for prohibiting radial movement of the key are illustrated.
Claims18
In a steam turbine, a rotor comprising:
- a rotatable shaft;
- a plurality of wheels axially spaced along said shaft and respectively affixed thereto by an interference shrink fit between the respective radially inner surface of said wheels and said shaft, each wheel of said plurality of wheels carrying a plurality of circumferentially aligned steam turbine blades at the radially outermost portion of said each wheel, at least two adjacent wheels, each of said at least two adjacent wheels respectively comprising:
- a hub section at the radially inner portion of the wheel, said hub extending axially from both axial ends of the wheel, said hub including an axial end face surface at each axial end of the hub;
- each opposing axial end face respectively defining at least one substantially radial slot thereon, each said radial slot being open to the periphery of the respective hub and extending to said shaft, each said radial slot being axially aligned with the respective radial slot on the respective opposing end face to form a substantially radial keyway between the hubs of said at least two adjacent wheels;
- retaining means fixedly secured to the hub section of one of the opposing axial end faces for preventing outward radial movement of any key to be disposed in the keyway;
- and
- at least one key disposed in said keyway, said key comprising a body portion and at least a pair of spacing means for axially spacing said key from respective axial end walls of said keyway, said key including at least one flange extending outwardly from said body portion and engaging said retaining means said key further including a radially inner extremity in close proximity to said shaft, and a leading and a trailing face, said leading and trailing face respectively contacting a leading and a trailing sidewall of said keyway, respectively.
4 more elements
In a steam turbine, a rotor comprising:
- a rotatable shaft;
- a plurality of wheels axially spaced along said shaft and respectively affixed thereto by an interference shrink fit between the respective radially inner surface of said wheels and said shaft, each wheel of said plurality of wheels carrying a plurality of circumferentially aligned steam turbine blades at the radially outermost portion of said each wheel, each wheel respectively comprising:
- a hub section at the radially inner portion of the wheel, said hub extending axially from both axial ends of the wheel, said hub including an axial end face surface at each axial end of the hub such that adjacent wheels include respective opposing axial end face surfaces;
- each opposing axial end face defining at least one substantially radial slot respectively thereon, the radial slot being open to the periphery of the respective hub and extending to said shaft, each said radial slot being axially aligned with the respective radial slot on the respective opposing end face to form a respective plurality of substantially radial keyways between the respective hubs of each adjacent wheel of said plurality of wheels;
- retaining means fixedly secured to the hub section of one of the respective opposing axial end faces of each respective pair of opposing axial end faces for preventing outward radial movement of any key to be disposed in the respective keyway;
- and
- a plurality of keys respectively disposed in each respective one of the plurality of keyways, each of said plurality of keys respectively comprising a body portion and at least a pair of spacing means for axially spacing the respective key from the respective axial end walls of the respective keyway, each of said plurality of keys respectively including at least one flange extending outwardly from said body portion and engaging said respective retaining means, each of said plurality of keys respectively further including a radially inner extremity in close proximity to said shaft, and a leading and a trailing face, said leading and trailing face respectively contacting a leading and a trailing sidewall of the respective keyway.
4 more elements
In a steam turbine, a rotor comprising:
- a rotatable shaft;
- a plurality of wheels axially spaced along said shaft and respectively affixed thereto by an interference shrink fit between the respective radially inner surface of said wheels and said shaft, each wheel of said plurality of wheels carrying a plurality of circumferentially aligned steam turbine blades at the radially outermost portion of said each wheel, at least two adjacent wheels, each of said at least two adjacent wheels respectively comprising:
- a hub section at the radially inner portion of the wheel, said hub extending axially from both axial ends of the wheel, said hub including an axial end face surface at each axial end of the hub such that said at least two adjacent wheels include respective opposing axial end face surfaces;
- each opposing axial end face surface respectively defining at least one substantially radial slot thereon, each said radial slot being open to the periphery of the respective hub and radially extending from the periphery of the respective hub at least partially along the radial extent of the respective hub towards said shaft, each said radial slot being axially aligned with the respective radial slot on the respective opposing end face to form a substantially radial keyway between the hubs of said at least two adjacent wheels;
- retaining means fixedly secured to the hub section of one of the opposing axial end faces for preventing outward radial movement of any key to be disposed in the keyway;
- the respective hub having at least one notch terminating at the respective slot of the respective hub;
- at least one key disposed in said keyway between the hubs of said at least two adjacent wheels, said key comprising a body portion and at least a pair of spacing means for axially spacing said key from respective axial end walls of said keyway, said key including at least one flange extending outwardly from said body portion and engaging said retaining means, said key further including tab means for preventing inward radial movement of the keys said tab means mateable with said notch, and a leading and a trailing face, said leading and trailing face respectively contacting a leading and a trailing sidewall of said keyway, respectively.
4 more elements
In a steam turbine, a rotor comprising:
- a rotatable shaft;
- a plurality of wheels axially spaced along said shaft and respectively affixed thereto by an interference shrink fit between the respective radially inner surface of said wheels and said shaft, each wheel of said plurality of wheels carrying a plurality of circumferentially aligned steam turbine blades at the radially outermost portion of said each wheel, each wheel respectively comprising:
- a hub section at the radially inner portion of the wheel, said hub extending axially from both axial ends of the wheel, said hub including an axial end face surface at each axial end of the hub such that adjacent wheels include respective opposing axial end face surfaces;
- each opposing axial end face defining at least one substantially radial slot respectively thereon, the radial slot being open to the periphery of the respective hub and radially extending from the periphery of the respective hub at least partially along the radial extent of the respective hub towards said shaft, each said radial slot being axially aligned with the respective radial slot on the respective opposing end face to form a respective plurality of substantially radial keyways including at least one keyway between each respective pair of opposing axial end face surfaces;
- retaining means fixedly secured to the hub section of one of the respective opposing axial end faces of each respective pair of opposing axial end faces for preventing outward radial movement of any key to be disposed in the respective keyway;
- the respective hub having at least one notch terminating at the respective slot of the respective hub;
- a plurality of keys respectively disposed in each said plurality of keyways, each said key comprising a body portion and at least a pair of spacing means for axially spacing said key from respective axial end walls of the respective keyway, each said key including at least one flange extending outwardly from the respective body portion and engaging said retaining means, each said key further including tab means for preventing inward radial movement of the respective key, said tab means mateable with said respective at least one notch, and a leading and a trailing face, said leading and trailing face respectively contacting a leading and a trailing sidewall respectively of said respective keyway.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.