Air storage gas turbine

Claim 1

In an air storage gas turbine of the type including: a turbine assembly including a bladed rotor, a vaned stator, a vane carrier casing from which the stator is suspended and a turbine inlet; an outer casing disposed about said vane carrier casing and forming an intermediate space; a combustion chamber supported by the external casing; a hot gas duct means for communicating the combustion chamber with the turbine inlet, said hot gas duct means including a hot gas casing positioned substantially within the intermediate space so that the intermediate space substantially surrounds the hot gas casing; and main air passage means for supplying air to said air storage gas turbine; wherein the improvement comprises an inlet casing having upstream, downstream, and radially inner walls which are distinct from said outer casing and said vane carrier and forming an annular chamber in said intermediate space, said inlet casing having a lower half, an inner periphery and an outer periphery, said inner periphery surrounding the vane carrier casing, at least a major portion of said outer periphery being adjacent to the outer casing, said inlet casing communicated with said main air passage means through at least one radial inlet opening located in said lower half, said inlet casing having at least one axial outlet opening located at an outer circumferential edge of said annular chamber and communicating said annular chamber with the intermediate space, at least one control device and at least one rapid shut-down device provided at a location along said main air passage means.