Rotor support thermal control system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsVasanth Muralidharan, Sulficker Ali, Amarnath Kakarla, Hemanth Gudibande Sathyakumar Kumar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems for thermally regulating portions of a steam turbine are disclosed. In one embodiment, a thermal control system for a rotor bearing support includes: a housing fluidly connected to an inlet and adapted to substantially enclose the rotor bearing support, the housing defining a first annular cavity adapted to receive a fluid from the inlet; and an outlet fluidly connected to the housing, the outlet adapted to receive the fluid from the annular cavity.
Claims16
A thermal control system for rotor bearing supports, the thermal control system comprising:
- a housing fluidly connected to an inlet and adapted to substantially enclose a first rotor bearing support, the housing defining a first annular cavity adapted to receive a fluid from the inlet;
- an outlet fluidly connected to the housing, the outlet adapted to receive the fluid from the annular cavity;
- a second rotor bearing support positioned axially upstream of the first rotor bearing support;
- a sensor connected to the second rotor bearing support, the sensor adapted to monitor a condition of the second rotor bearing support;
- and
- a fluid system connected to the sensor and adapted to supply the fluid to the inlet, the fluid system adapted to adjust a temperature of the fluid based upon the condition of the second rotor bearing support.
A steam turbine comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor enclosed within the stator;
- a set of rotor bearings connected to the rotor;
- a first rotor bearing support connected to a first portion of the set of rotor bearings;
- a second rotor bearing support positioned axially upstream of the first rotor bearing support and connected to a second portion of the set of rotor bearings;
- and
- a thermal control system connected to the set of rotor bearing supports, the thermal control system comprising:
- an inlet;
- a housing fluidly connected to the inlet and adapted to substantially enclose the first rotor bearing support, the housing defining a first annular cavity adapted to receive a fluid from the inlet;
- an outlet fluidly connected to the housing, the outlet adapted to receive the fluid from the annular cavity;
- a sensor connected to the second rotor bearing support, the sensor adapted to monitor a condition of the second rotor bearing support;
- and
- a fluid system connected to the sensor and adapted to supply the fluid to the inlet, the fluid system adapted to adjust a temperature of the fluid based upon the condition of the second rotor bearing support.
A power generation system comprising:
- a generator;
- a steam turbine operatively connected to the generator;
- a rotor disposed within the steam turbine;
- a set of rotor bearings connected to the rotor;
- a first rotor bearing support connected to a first portion of the set of rotor bearings;
- a second rotor bearing support positioned axially upstream of the first rotor bearing support and connected to a second portion of the set of rotor bearings;
- and
- a thermal control system connected to the set of rotor bearing supports, the thermal control system comprising:
- an inlet;
- a housing fluidly connected to the inlet and adapted to substantially enclose the first rotor bearing support, the housing defining a first annular cavity adapted to receive a fluid from the inlet;
- an outlet fluidly connected to the housing, the outlet adapted to receive the fluid from the annular cavity;
- a sensor connected to the second rotor bearing support, the sensor adapted to monitor a condition of the second rotor bearing support;
- and
- a fluid system connected to the sensor and adapted to supply the fluid to the inlet, the fluid system adapted to adjust a temperature of the fluid based upon the condition of the second rotor bearing support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.