US3816022A — Power augmenter bucket tip construction for open-…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 249 words

In a gas turbine wherein a turbine disk is mounted on a shaft rotatably supported in a casing, said turbine disk extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and having turbine buckets affixed to the outer rim thereof with platform means disposed therebetween, said buckets receiving a driving force from a hot motive fluid moving in a direction generally parallel to said axis of said shaft and the driving force being transmitted to said shaft via rotation of said turbine disk, means located radially inward of said platform for introducing liquid coolant within said turbine in a radially outward direction into an open-circuit coolant distribution system comprising cooling channels extending beneath the airfoil surfaces of each of said buckets, metering means located radially inward of and in flow communication with said cooling channels and a manifold and discharge portion located in the tip region of each of said buckets in flow communication with the radially outer ends of cooling channels of the given bucket whereby coolant is metered into, proceeds through and exits from cooling channels into said manifold and discharge portion, the improvement comprising: a. manifold means located beneath the bucket surface near the tip of each bucket in flow communication with the discharge end of each coolant channel and b. said manifold and discharge portion including a convergentdivergent nozzle disposed to discharge coolant flow from said open circuit coolant distribution system in a rearward direction relative to the direction of rotation of said turbine disk.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 249 words

In a gas turbine wherein a turbine disk is mounted on a shaft rotatably supported in a casing, said turbine disk extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and having turbine buckets affixed to the outer rim thereof with platform means disposed therebetween, said buckets receiving a driving force from a hot motive fluid moving in a direction generally parallel to said axis of said shaft and the driving force being transmitted to said shaft via rotation of said turbine disk, means located radially inward of said platform for introducing liquid coolant within said turbine in a radially outward direction into an open-circuit coolant distribution system comprising cooling channels extending beneath the airfoil surfaces of each of said buckets, metering means located radially inward of and in flow communication with said cooling channels and a manifold and discharge portion located in the tip region of each of said buckets in flow communication with the radially outer ends of cooling channels of the given bucket whereby coolant is metered into, proceeds through and exits from cooling channels into said manifold and discharge portion, the improvement comprising: a. manifold means located beneath the bucket surface near the tip of each bucket in flow communication with the discharge end of each coolant channel and b. said manifold and discharge portion including a convergentdivergent nozzle disposed to discharge coolant flow from said open circuit coolant distribution system in a rearward direction relative to the direction of rotation of said turbine disk.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 64 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein the manifold means consists of a slot formed in the bucket core on each side of each turbine bucket, the two slots being interconnected at some point upstream of the convergent-divergent nozzle by a passage extending through the separating bucket core material and said nozzle is located to discharge coolant flow from the trailing edge of said bucket.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 42 words

The improvement of claim 1 wherein each turbine bucket is connected at its distal end to shroud construction and the convergent-divergent nozzle is formed in said shroud construction, said nozzle being disposed to discharge into a cavity formed in the turbine casing.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 44 words

The improvement of claim 3 wherein the manifold structure in the manifold and discharge portion is disposed on both the pressure and suction sides of each bucket and is in flow communication with the nozzle via passageways in the bucket core and shroud construction.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 103 words

A unitary turbine bucket/shroud structure comprising a turbine bucket and a shroud element, said turbine bucket having a network of subsurface cooling channels and manifold structure formed therein, the radially outward ends of said channels being in flow communication with said manifold structure, said shroud element being affixed to the distal end of the core of said turbine bucket and having nozzle construction formed therein, said nozzle construction being in flow communication with said manifold structure and being disposed to discharge flow therefrom in a direction generally opposite to the direction in which said bucket/shroud structure is intended to be moved in use.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 103 words

A unitary turbine bucket/shroud structure comprising a turbine bucket and a shroud element, said turbine bucket having a network of subsurface cooling channels and manifold structure formed therein, the radially outward ends of said channels being in flow communication with said manifold structure, said shroud element being affixed to the distal end of the core of said turbine bucket and having nozzle construction formed therein, said nozzle construction being in flow communication with said manifold structure and being disposed to discharge flow therefrom in a direction generally opposite to the direction in which said bucket/shroud structure is intended to be moved in use.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 16 words

The unitary turbine bucket/shroud structure of claim 5 wherein the nozzle construction is a convergent-divergent nozzle.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 53 words

The unitary turbine bucket/shroud structure of claim 5 wherein in addition to the cooling channels communicating with the manifold structure, other cooling channels near the leading and trailing edges communicate directly with passages extending through the shroud element in a generally radial direction instead of communicating with the manifold structure and nozzle construction.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 216 words

In the operation of a gas turbine wherein a turbine disk is mounted on a shaft rotatably supported in a casing, said turbine disk extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and having turbine buckets affixed to the outer rim thereof with platform means disposed therebetween, said buckets receiving a driving force from a hot motive fluid moving in a direction generally parallel to said axis of said shaft and the driving force being transmitted to said shaft via rotation of said turbine disk, means located radially inward of said platform for introducing liquid coolant within said turbine in a radially outward direction into an open-circuit coolant distribution system by which said coolant is metered into cooling channels in said buckets, proceeds as liquid and vapor through said channels and exits from said channels into manifold and discharge means forming part of said open-circuit coolant distribution system, the improvement comprising: a. creating and maintaining a pressure differential between said open-circuit coolant distribution system and the ambient to which the coolant flow is discharged, said pressure differential being sufficiently high that the coolant flow reaching said manifold and discharge means is discharged at supersonic velocities and b. discharging said coolant flow in a rearward direction relative to the direction of rotation of said turbine disk.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 216 words

In the operation of a gas turbine wherein a turbine disk is mounted on a shaft rotatably supported in a casing, said turbine disk extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said shaft and having turbine buckets affixed to the outer rim thereof with platform means disposed therebetween, said buckets receiving a driving force from a hot motive fluid moving in a direction generally parallel to said axis of said shaft and the driving force being transmitted to said shaft via rotation of said turbine disk, means located radially inward of said platform for introducing liquid coolant within said turbine in a radially outward direction into an open-circuit coolant distribution system by which said coolant is metered into cooling channels in said buckets, proceeds as liquid and vapor through said channels and exits from said channels into manifold and discharge means forming part of said open-circuit coolant distribution system, the improvement comprising: a. creating and maintaining a pressure differential between said open-circuit coolant distribution system and the ambient to which the coolant flow is discharged, said pressure differential being sufficiently high that the coolant flow reaching said manifold and discharge means is discharged at supersonic velocities and b. discharging said coolant flow in a rearward direction relative to the direction of rotation of said turbine disk.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-06-10	1977-12-10	1978-06-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-06-10	1981-12-10	1982-06-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-06-10	1985-12-10	1986-06-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Power augmenter bucket tip construction for open-circuit liquid cooled turbines

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