Mechanically-coupled turbomachinery configurations and cooling methods for hermetically-sealed high-temperature operation

A hermetically-sealed turbomachine having a drive end and a driven end for handling a high-temperature process gas, said turbomachine comprising:

• a hot end taking the form of one of a blower, a compressor and a turbine, said hot end including a hot end housing and a hot end rotating assembly mounted within the hot end housing to handle the process gas between an inlet and an outlet;
• an electric component end taking the form of one of a motor, a generator and an alternator maintained at a relatively lower temperature than the hot end, said electric component end including an electric component end housing and an electric component end rotating assembly mounted within the electric component end housing that drives or is driven by the hot end rotating assembly;
• a compliant mechanical coupling connecting the hot end rotating assembly with the electric component end rotating assembly;
• and
• a thermal choke assembly disposed between the hot end housing and the electric component end housing, wherein said thermal choke assembly is stationary relative to the rotating assemblies of the hot end and the electric component end;
• wherein the mechanical coupling and the thermal choke assembly collectively suppress heat transfer from the hot end to relatively lower temperature electric component end.

A recirculation cooling method for a turbomachine using the process gas of the turbomachine, wherein said turbomachine comprises a hot end taking the form of one of a blower, a compressor and a turbine, said hot end including a hot end rotating assembly mounted within a hot end housing to handle the process gas between an inlet and an outlet, and a cool end taking the form of one of a motor, a generator and an alternator, said cool end including a cool end rotating assembly mounted within a cool end housing that drives or is driven by the hot end rotating assembly, said cooling method comprising:

• providing a cooling circuit path for guiding the process gas over the hot end rotating assembly and the cool end rotating assembly;
• drawing the process gas through the cooling circuit path using a cooling fan mounted on the cool end rotating assembly for rotation therewith;
• and
• suppressing heat transfer from the hot end to the cool end of the turbomachine using a thermal choke assembly disposed between the hot end housing and the cool end housing.