Apparatus and method for reducing blade flop in steam turbine
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorJurek Ferleger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steam turbine of the type employing a plurality of axial entry, integral shroud blades comprises spring means resident in a slot machined in at least one face of each shroud. The spring means urge against the adjacent shroud and reduce relative motion between adjacent blades.
Claims20
In a steam turbine having a disk with at least one groove disposed therearound and a plurality of blades, each blade having a root disposed at a proximal end thereof in registration with a groove and a shroud integral with the blade at a distal end thereof, the shroud of each blade having a pair of faces that oppose faces of the shrouds of adjacent blades, an apparatus for reducing relative motion between adjacent blades comprising resilient means disposed in each one of a slot machined in at least one face of each shroud for urging against the shroud adjacent each slot, the slot having a length less than the width of the shroud face, the slot encapsulating the resilient means disposed therein, and an access slot for receiving a tool to manipulate the resilient means during and after assembly.
Steam turbine comprising:
- (a) a disc having a plurality of generally fir tree shaped, generally axially extending grooves exposed therearound;
- (b) a plurality of blades circularly disposed around the disc, each blade having a fir tree shaped root at a proximal end thereof in registration with one of the grooves and a shroud integral with the blade at a distal end thereof;
- the shroud of each blade having a pair of faces that oppose faces of the shrouds of adjacent blades, there being a generally axially extending slot disposed in at least one face of each shroud, the slot having a length less than the width of the face of each shroud, there also being an access slot;
- and
- (c) spring means disposed in each axially extending slot, spring means urging against the shroud adjacent each axially extending slot, whereby the force exerted by the spring means is sufficient to reduce relative motion between adjacent plates, the access slot being for receiving a tool to manipulate the spring means during and after assembly.
In a steam turbine of the type having a disk with a plurality of generally fir tree shaped, generally axially extending grooves and a plurality of blades, each blade having a fir tree shaped root at a proximal end thereof in registration with one of the grooves of a shroud integral with the blade at a distal end thereof, the shroud of each blade having a pair of adjacent faces that oppose faces of the shrouds of adjacent blades, a method of assembling the turbine to reduce relative motion between adjacent blades comprising the steps of:
- (a) machining a generally axially extending slot and an access slot in at least one face of each shroud;
- and
- (b) inserting a spring means in each axially extending slot so that each spring means urges against the shroud adjacent each axially extending slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.