# US 8,784,046 B2 · Turbine

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- Number: US 8,784,046 B2
- Document ID: US8784046B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/386,084
- Filed: 2010-10-04
- Published: 2012-05-17
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-10-09
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Yoshihiro Kuwamura; Kazuyuki Matsumoto; Hiroharu Ooyama; Yoshinori Tanaka; Asaharu Matsuo
- Inventors: Yoshihiro Kuwamura; Kazuyuki Matsumoto; Hiroharu Ooyama; Yoshinori Tanaka; Asaharu Matsuo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784046B2

## CPC

- F16J 15/4472: {with axial path}
- F01D 5/225: {by shrouding}
- F01D 11/001: {for sealing space between stator blade and rotor}
- F01D 11/02: by non-contact sealings, e.g. of labyrinth type (for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator F01D11/08)
- F01D 11/08: for sealing space between rotor blade tips and stator (specially-shaped blade tips therefor F01D5/20)
- F16J: PISTONS {(specially adapted for dampers F16F9/32)}; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)

## Abstract

The turbine is provided with a blade (50) and a structure body (11) which rotates relatively with respect to the blade (50). A stepped part (52A) having a step surface (53A) is installed at one of the leading end of the blade (50) and the structure body (11) corresponding to the leading end thereof, while a seal fin (15A) which extends toward the stepped part (52A) to form a small space (H) is installed at the other of them. A cavity (C1) is formed between the blade (50) and the structure body (11) and also between the seal fin (15A) and the partition wall which faces thereto in the rotating shaft direction of the structure body (11) on the upstream side. When a distance of the cavity (C1) between the partition wall and the seal fin (15A) is given as a cavity width (W), and a distance between the seal fin (15A) and the end edge (55) of the stepped part (52A) in the rotating shaft direction on the upstream side is given as (L), at least one of the distances (L) satisfies the following formula (1). 0.7H≦L≦0.3W (1).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A turbine for converting energy of a fluid to rotational energy, the turbine comprising:
a blade;
a structure body which has a space between the structure body and the leading end of the blade and rotates relatively with respect to the blade;
a stepped part which is installed at the leading end of the blade and comprising a step surface to project toward the structure body;
a seal fin which is installed at the structure body to extend toward the stepped part;
a partition wall which faces the seal fin at the upstream side of the flow of the fluid in a direction parallel to the blade or a rotating shaft of the structure body; and
a cavity which is formed between the leading end of the blade and the structure body and also between the partition wall and the seal fin; wherein
when a small space formed between the seal fin and the stepped part is given as H,
a distance between the partition wall and the seal fin which form the cavity is given as a cavity width W, and
a distance between the seal fin and the end edge of the stepped part on the upstream side is given as L, at least one of the distances L satisfies the following formula (1).
0.7H≦L≦0.3W (1).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The turbine according to claim 1, wherein the distance L satisfies the following formula (2).
1.25H≦L≦2.75H(however, L≦0.3W) (2).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The turbine according to claim 2, wherein
the stepped parts are installed in a plural number in such a manner that the projection height toward the structure body becomes gradually higher from the upstream side toward the downstream side of the flow of the fluid in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft;
the structure body is provided with the seal fins corresponding to each of the stepped parts; and
the seal fin corresponding to the stepped part forms the partition wall which faces a seal fin corresponding to a stepped part adjacent to the downstream side.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The turbine according to claim 3, wherein
a part in the structure body corresponding to the leading end of the blade is an annular recess, with the rotating shaft being the central axis, and
the partition wall which faces a seal fin corresponding to a stepped part positioned on the uppermost stream side is formed by an inner wall surface of the recess on the upstream side.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The turbine according to claim 1, wherein
the stepped parts are installed in a plural number in such a manner that the projection height toward the structure body becomes gradually higher from the upstream side toward the downstream side of the flow of the fluid in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft;
the structure body is provided with the seal fins corresponding to each of the stepped parts; and
the seal fin corresponding to the stepped part forms the partition wall which faces a seal fin corresponding to a stepped part adjacent to the downstream side.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The turbine according to claim 5, wherein
a part in the structure body corresponding to the leading end of the blade is an annular recess, with the rotating shaft being the central axis, and
the partition wall which faces a seal fin corresponding to a stepped part positioned on the uppermost stream side is formed by an inner wall surface of the recess on the upstream side.

### Claim 7

A turbine for converting energy of a fluid to rotational energy, the turbine comprising:
a blade;
a structure body which has a space between the structure body and the leading end of the blade and rotates relatively with respect to the blade;
a stepped part which is installed at the structure body and having a step surface to project toward the leading end of the blade;
a seal fin which is installed at the leading end of the blade to extend toward the stepped part;
a partition wall which faces the seal fin at the upstream side of the flow of the fluid in a direction parallel to the blade or a rotating shaft of the structure body; and
a cavity which is formed between the leading end of the blade and the structure body and also between the partition wall and the seal fin; wherein
when a small space formed between the seal fin and the stepped part is given as H,
a distance between the partition wall and the seal fin which form the cavity is given as a cavity width W, and
a distance between the seal fin and the end edge of the stepped part on the upstream side is given as L, at least one of the distances L satisfies the following formula (1).
0.7H≦L≦0.3W (1).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The turbine according to claim 7, wherein the distance L satisfies the following formula (2);
1.25H≦L≦2.75H(however, L≦0.3W) (2).

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The turbine according to claim 8, wherein
the stepped parts are installed in a plural number in such a manner that the projection height toward the leading end of the blade becomes gradually higher from the upstream side toward the downstream side of the flow of the fluid in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft,
the seal fin is installed at the leading end of the blade so as to correspond to each of the stepped parts, and
the seal fin corresponding to the stepped part forms the partition wall which faces the seal fin corresponding to the stepped part adjacent to the downstream side.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The turbine according to claim 9, wherein
a part in the structure body corresponding to the leading end of the blade is an annular recess, with the rotating shaft being the central axis, and
the partition wall which faces a seal fin corresponding to a stepped part positioned on the uppermost stream side is formed by an inner wall surface of the recess on the upstream side.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The turbine according to claim 7, wherein
the stepped parts are installed in a plural number in such a manner that the projection height toward the leading end of the blade becomes gradually higher from the upstream side toward the downstream side of the flow of the fluid in a direction parallel to the rotating shaft,
the seal fin is installed at the leading end of the blade so as to correspond to each of the stepped parts, and
the seal fin corresponding to the stepped part forms the partition wall which faces the seal fin corresponding to the stepped part adjacent to the downstream side.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The turbine according to claim 11, wherein
a part in the structure body corresponding to the leading end of the blade is an annular recess, with the rotating shaft being the central axis, and
the partition wall which faces a seal fin corresponding to a stepped part positioned on the uppermost stream side is formed by an inner wall surface of the recess on the upstream side.