Gas turbine power plants

Claim 2

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor, and a homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature connected to said bladed rotor for rotation therewith, said armature being traversed by an electrical current and including means defining for the flow of current in said armature a path having a component extending in a plane passing perpendicular to the axis of the rotor, and (b) magnetic field generating means for producing at least one induction field through said armature, said induction field having a component extending in the same plane as and normal to said first mentioned component, whereby there is imparted to the rotor an electrodynamic force having a component parallel to said rotor axis.

Claim 3

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the armature of the homopolar machine has, with respect to its electrical conductivity, an anisotropic structure adapted to impart to the lines of electrical current in said armature a component directed tangentially with respect to the axis of said rotor.

Claim 4

sliding contact means connecting opposite sides of the respective armatures with the adjacent terminations of said outside fixed conductor means, and

Claim 5

sliding contact means connecting opposite sides of the respective armatures with the adjacent terminations of said outside fixed conductor means, and

Claim 6

inside fixed conductor means extending within the interior of said axial support and connected at its opposite ends to the outside fixed conductor means in the regions adjacent the remote sides of said armatures.

Claim 7

inside fixed conductor means extending within the interior of said axial support and connected at its opposite ends to the outside fixed conductor means in the regions adjacent the remote sides of said armatures.

Claim 8

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 2 wherein said portion of the armature of the homopolar machine is formed with slots inclined away from a radial plane passing through the axis of said rotor, said slots comprising said current path defining means.

Claim 9

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 3 wherein said slots are constituted by plural axial sections of different inclinations.

Claim 10

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 4 wherein said magnetic field generating means is adapted to produce separate induction fields through the portions of the armature carrying the respective slot sections and comprises means for varying the ratio between said separate induction fields.

Claim 11

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 5 wherein said magnetic field generating means include at least one main field winding, and said varying means include at least one auxiliary field winding.

Claim 12

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine including at least one bladed rotor; and at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor and comprising a disc-like section and (b) magnetic field generating means adapted to produce an induction field through said armature and comprising two windings mounted on either side of said disc-like section in coaxial relation therewith, said winding being traversed by equidirectional currents.

Claim 13

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine including at least one bladed rotor; and at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor and comprising a disc-like section and (b) magnetic field generating means adapted to produce an induction field through said armature and comprising two windings mounted on either side of said disc-like section in coaxial relation therewith, said winding being traversed by equidirectional currents.

Claim 14

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 7 comprising at least two consecutive independent bladed rotors each having a disc-like armature section rotating therewith, each of said disc-like sections including two annular electrical terminals with different diameters coaxial with said rotors, said unit further comprising a fixed support carrying a fixed element between and coaxial with said rotors, said fixed element including an electrically conductive ring coaxial with said rotors and connecting electrically through sliding contacts with the corresponding annular terminals on the rotors adjacent thereto.

Claim 15

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 8 wherein at least one of the electrical terminals on each rotor is of frustoconical shape and, through a sliding electrical contact, bears on a correspondingly shaped frustoconical portion on said fixed element.

Claim 16

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 8 wherein said fixed element carries a field winding.

Claim 17

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; and at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor comprising a substantially axially extending drum-like section and (b) magnetic field generating means adapted to produce an induction field through said armature and comprising two windings mounted in coaxial relation with said drum-like section and traversed by currents flowing in opposite directions.

Claim 18

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; and at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor comprising a substantially axially extending drum-like section and (b) magnetic field generating means adapted to produce an induction field through said armature and comprising two windings mounted in coaxial relation with said drum-like section and traversed by currents flowing in opposite directions.

Claim 19

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 11 comprising at least two consecutive independent bladed rotors having a drum-like armature section rotating therewith, each such section including two annular electrical terminals coaxial with said rotors, said unit further including a fixed support carrying a fixed element between and coaxial with said rotors, said fixed element including an electrically conductive ring coaxial with said rotors and connecting electrically through sliding contacts the corresponding annular terminals on the rotors adjacent thereto.

Claim 20

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 12 wherein at least one of the electrical terminals on each rotor is of frustoconical shape and, through a sliding electrical contact, bears on a correspondingly shaped frustoconical portion on said fixed element.

Claim 21

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; and at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor and comprising a first disc-like section and a second substantially axially extending drum-like section, (b) first magnetic field generating means adapted to produce a substantially axial induction field through said disc-like section and including two windings mounted on either side of said disc-like section and coaxial therewith, said windings being traversed by equidirectional currents, and (c) second magnetic field generating means adapted to produce a substantially radial induction field through said drum-like section and including at least one winding mounted coaxial to said drum-like section for traversal by an electrical current flowing in a direction opposite to the direction of said equidirectional currents.

Claim 22

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; and at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor and comprising a first disc-like section and a second substantially axially extending drum-like section, (b) first magnetic field generating means adapted to produce a substantially axial induction field through said disc-like section and including two windings mounted on either side of said disc-like section and coaxial therewith, said windings being traversed by equidirectional currents, and (c) second magnetic field generating means adapted to produce a substantially radial induction field through said drum-like section and including at least one winding mounted coaxial to said drum-like section for traversal by an electrical current flowing in a direction opposite to the direction of said equidirectional currents.

Claim 23

A turboelectrical unit comprising: a fixed support; an axial flow turbomachine including at least one bladed rotor rotaTing on said support; at least one homopolar machine including an armature being traversed by an electrical current and including at least one rotary annular electrical terminal coaxial with said rotor; a fixed annular electrical terminal mounted on said fixed support in coaxial relation with said rotary annular terminal; and bearing means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said fixed support, said bearing means including means for maintaining said rotary annular electrical terminal in sliding electrical contact with said fixed electrical terminal.

Claim 24

A turboelectrical unit comprising: a fixed support; an axial flow turbomachine including at least one bladed rotor rotaTing on said support; at least one homopolar machine including an armature being traversed by an electrical current and including at least one rotary annular electrical terminal coaxial with said rotor; a fixed annular electrical terminal mounted on said fixed support in coaxial relation with said rotary annular terminal; and bearing means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said fixed support, said bearing means including means for maintaining said rotary annular electrical terminal in sliding electrical contact with said fixed electrical terminal.

Claim 25

A turboelectrical unit according to claim 15 wherein said bearing means include liquid metal bearing means adapted to provide said electrical sliding contact.

Claim 26

A turboelectrical unit comprising: a fixed support; an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; bearing means for mounting said rotor for rotation on said fixed support; at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor, (b) main magnetic field generating means adapted to produce an induction field through said armature, and (c) auxiliary magnetic field generating means adapted to produce in the region of said bearing means a magnetic field opposed to that produced by said main magnetic field generating means.

Claim 27

A turboelectrical unit comprising: a fixed support; an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; bearing means for mounting said rotor for rotation on said fixed support; at least one homopolar electrical machine including (a) an armature rotating with said rotor, (b) main magnetic field generating means adapted to produce an induction field through said armature, and (c) auxiliary magnetic field generating means adapted to produce in the region of said bearing means a magnetic field opposed to that produced by said main magnetic field generating means.

Claim 28

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; at least one homopolar electrical machine including an armature rotating with said bladed rotor for traversal by an electrical current; an auxiliary electrical circuit, and means electrically connecting said armature with said auxiliary circuit.

Claim 29

A turboelectrical unit comprising: an axial flow turbomachine having at least one bladed rotor; at least one homopolar electrical machine including an armature rotating with said bladed rotor for traversal by an electrical current; an auxiliary electrical circuit, and means electrically connecting said armature with said auxiliary circuit.

Claim 30

A gas turbine power plant comprising: a. an axial support, b. a compressor rotor mounted on said support, c. a turbine rotor mounted on the same support in axially spaced relation to said compressor, d. at least one homopolar electrical machine including an armature rotating with said turbine rotor and fixed field means cooperating with said armature to generate an electrical current therein upon rotation thereof, e. at least one additional homopolar electrical machine including an armature rotating with said compressor rotor and including fixed field means cooperating with said armature to rotate the same upon the passage of an electrical current therethrough, and f. conductor means establishing an electrical circuit between the armature rotating with the turbine rotor and the armature rotating with the compressor rotor, said conductor means comprising:

Claim 31

A gas turbine power plant comprising: a. an axial support, b. a compressor rotor mounted on said support, c. a turbine rotor mounted on the same support in axially spaced relation to said compressor, d. at least one homopolar electrical machine including an armature rotating with said turbine rotor and fixed field means cooperating with said armature to generate an electrical current therein upon rotation thereof, e. at least one additional homopolar electrical machine including an armature rotating with said compressor rotor and including fixed field means cooperating with said armature to rotate the same upon the passage of an electrical current therethrough, and f. conductor means establishing an electrical circuit between the armature rotating with the turbine rotor and the armature rotating with the compressor rotor, said conductor means comprising:

Claim 32

The power plant according to claim 19 wherein said outside fixed conductor means comprises an intermediate generally annular casing section extending between the armatures, a forward generally annular casing section upstream of the armature rotating with said compressor rotor and a rearward generally annular casing section downstream of the armature rotating with said turbine rotor, all of said casing sections comprising conductive material.