Turbine Rotor Blade Ring Relocation in a Conical Housing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing thermal turbomachines face significant complexity and effort when adapting to increased performance requirements, as conventional methods require substantial modifications to both rotor blades and housing.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the replacement of an original rotor blade ring with a larger replacement ring at a different position within the turbine's conical housing, utilizing a positioning element like a spacer disc to maintain the rotor disk unchanged, allowing for increased energy efficiency without altering the housing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If both the rotor blades and housing are replaced to increase performance, then the maximum output is increased, but the conversion complexity increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaximum outputVSAvoidconversion complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the rotor blade ring from the conversion process, leaving the housing unchanged. By replacing only the exchangeable rotor blade ring with a new design that provides larger outflow area, the solution achieves increased maximum output while avoiding the complexity of converting both the rotor and housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The rotor blade system is segmented into an exchangeable rotor blade ring that can be independently replaced. This segmentation allows the blade ring to be detached and replaced without modifying the housing or other components, thereby reducing conversion complexity while maintaining performance improvement capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If rotor blades are repositioned axially to create space for enlarged drainage openings, then moisture removal is improved, but the conversion effort increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemoisture removalVSAvoidconversion effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the rotor blade ring as a separate replaceable component. By designing the new rotor blade ring with optimized blade positions and enlarged drainage openings integrated into the blade design itself, moisture removal is improved without requiring separate conversion efforts for the housing or complex repositioning operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Use of energy by moving object

If a larger rotor blade ring is used to increase performance, then energy efficiency is improved, but the housing dimensions must be changed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidhousing dimensions
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The conical housing is designed with a universal geometry that can accommodate different rotor blade ring sizes. The conical shape provides progressively increasing radial clearance from the rotor axis, allowing larger rotor blade rings to be installed without modifying the housing dimensions, thus maintaining energy efficiency improvements while preserving the original housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3551850B1Method for modifying a turbine
Publication Date: 2021.03.31 SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3551850B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3551850B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for modifying a turbine (1) with rotor blade rings (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) and guide vane rings (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) arranged in a conical housing (2), in which an original rotor blade ring (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) at a first rotor blade position (I) is replaced by a replacement rotor blade ring (3') at a second rotor blade position (II), wherein the second rotor blade position (II) is arranged spaced apart from the first rotor blade position (I) along a direction of extent of a rotor shaft (11) of the turbine (1) in the flow direction (S) of a working medium flowing through the turbine (1).