Two-piece steam turbine nozzle box featuring a 360-degree discharge nozzle
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsThomas J. Farineau, Michael T. Hamlin, Robert W. Hausler, Charles T. O'Clair, Mark E. Braaten, Dennis R. Ahl, James Maughan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nozzle box includes first and second nozzle box halves which are bolted together. Each nozzle box half includes a nozzle ring segment that carries nozzles along its entire 180° arc, so that when the nozzle box halves are joined together a nozzle box is formed with no discontinuities of nozzles around its 360° circumference. The nozzles carried on each nozzle ring segment communicate with inlet ports, and associated passages which are perpendicular to the nozzle box exit plane.
Claims6
A nozzle box for use in a steam turbine, said nozzle box comprising:
- a first nozzle box half including a nozzle ring segment having a plurality of nozzles arranged in an 180° arc in a nozzle box exit plane, a transition bridge segment welded to said nozzle ring segment and an inlet nozzle box segment welded to said transition bridge segment;
- a second nozzle box half including a nozzle ring segment having a plurality of nozzles arranged in an 180° arc in a nozzle box exit plane, a transition bridge segment welded to said nozzle ring segment and an inlet nozzle box segment welded to said transition bridge segment;
- said first and second nozzle box halves having mating horizontal-joints at their ends so that when fitted together a continuous 360° ring of nozzles is formed in the nozzle box exit plane.
A method of forming a nozzle box for use in a steam turbine, said method comprising:
- forming a first nozzle box half including a nozzle ring segment having a plurality of nozzles arranged in an 180° arc in a nozzle box exit plane, a transition bridge segment welded to said nozzle ring segment and an inlet nozzle box segment welded to said transition bridge segment;
- forming a second nozzle box half including a nozzle ring segment having a plurality of nozzles arranged in an 180° arc in a nozzle box exit plane, a transition bridge segment welded to said nozzle ring segment and an inlet nozzle box segment welded to said transition bridge segment;
- joining said first and second nozzle box halves having mating horizontal-joints at their ends so that when fitted together a continuous 360° ring of nozzles is formed in the nozzle box exit plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.