Steam Turbine Cooling Unit with Segmented Flow Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing steam turbine cooling systems face challenges in controlling the flowrate of steam to different parts, leading to insufficient cooling efficiency due to the branching and distribution of coolant steam, which results in inadequate temperature and pressure management for effective cooling.
Innovation Solution
A steam turbine cooling unit is designed with a coolant steam path that follows the superheated steam supply tube, allowing coolant steam to flow from a high-temperature section to a low-temperature section, ensuring efficient cooling and easy flowrate control by merging with the superheated steam, thus maintaining performance and improving cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If coolant steam is branched and distributed to different parts, then the cooling coverage is improved, but the flowrate control becomes difficult and cooling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The steam supply tube is divided into an outer tube and an inner tube, creating separate flow paths: a cooling path between the tubes and a supply path through the inner tube. This segmentation allows independent control of coolant steam flow to different regions without complex branching, resolving the contradiction between cooling coverage and flowrate control.
2Temperature
If coolant steam is supplied to the highest pressure section, then the cooling effect on the most heated part is improved, but it becomes difficult to supply steam with lower temperature and even higher pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the natural parameter changes of steam along the supply path: steam at the upstream side has higher pressure and lower temperature, while steam at the downstream side has lower pressure and higher temperature. By directing coolant steam through the cooling path to the high-pressure rotor section, the system automatically matches the required pressure conditions without additional pressure boosting equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances cooling efficiency by ensuring the coolant steam effectively cools high-temperature sections and prevents performance reduction in steam turbines, while allowing for controlled flowrate management without distributing coolant steam to multiple channels.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant steam path provided to penetrate the casing along the superheated steam supply tube to reach the gap
Implementation Method 2
coolant steam flowing through the coolant steam path along the superheated steam supply tube to reach the gap
Implementation Method 3
the coolant steam having a pressure higher than and a temperature lower than steam to be supplied by the superheated steam supply tube
Data Source
AI summary
A steam turbine cooling unit for a steam turbine includes a coolant steam path provided to penetrate a casing along a superheated steam supply tube to reach a gap; and a coolant steam supplying unit configured to supply coolant steam flowing through the coolant steam path along the superheated steam supply tube to reach the gap, and having: (i) a pressure higher than a pressure of superheated steam to be supplied by the superheated steam supply tube; and (ii) a temperature lower than a temperature of the superheated steam to be supplied by the superheated steam supply tube.