Turbine Casing Cross-Joint Sealing via Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional steam turbine housings face challenges with leakage at cross-part joints due to high temperature and pressure fluctuations, leading to inefficiencies and increased manufacturing costs when trying to maintain tightness.
Innovation Solution
A turbine housing design with a lead extending over the front vertical flange, surrounded by a sealing device that completely seals the gap between the lead and the rear housing segment, and a sealing ring arrangement that ensures reliable sealing across the cross-part joint, even under extreme operating conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bolt force is increased to improve tightness at cross-joints, then sealing reliability improves, but manufacturing cost and material requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing ring is introduced as an intermediary element between the two housing segments at the cross-part joint. This sealing ring actively prevents steam leakage across the joint, eliminating the need to rely solely on increased bolt forces. The sealing ring acts as a mediator that directly addresses the leakage problem while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism from relying on mechanical compression through bolts to using a dedicated sealing component (sealing ring) that can be optimized for specific operating parameters. This allows the sealing performance to be improved by selecting appropriate sealing ring materials and designs rather than simply increasing bolt forces.
2Reliability
If oversized components are used to improve tightness at cross-joints, then sealing reliability improves, but device complexity and assembly requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring serves as a specialized intermediary component that simplifies the overall assembly. Rather than using oversized housing segments or flanges, the sealing ring provides a focused sealing solution that fits into the existing joint geometry, maintaining simplicity while improving reliability.
3Strength
If operating parameters are restricted to avoid critical limits, then stress on cross-joints is reduced, but turbine performance and efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring acts as a protective intermediary that shields the cross-part joint from the full impact of high operating parameters. By providing active sealing, it prevents leakage even under high steam pressure and temperature conditions, allowing the turbine to operate at optimal efficiency without restricting operating parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring provides beforehand protection against leakage at the cross-part joint. It is pre-installed and designed to withstand the expected operating conditions, cushioning the joint against the harmful effects of high steam pressure and temperature before critical stress levels are reached.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a turbine casing (1) for a turbine, in particular a steam turbine, having a front casing segment (3), which is formed around a turbine longitudinal axis (2) and has a first front casing part-segment (3a) and a second front casing part-segment (3b), and a rear casing segment (4), which is formed around the turbine longitudinal axis (2) and has a first rear casing part-segment (4a) and a second rear casing part-segment (4b). The rear casing segment (4) is arranged downstream of the front casing segment (3) in the direction of flow (D) and is fastened to the front casing segment (3) via a rear vertical flange (6) of the rear casing segment (4) and a front vertical flange (7) of the front casing segment (3), forming a cross-shaped joint (5). According to the invention, a protrusion (8) which surrounds the turbine longitudinal axis (2) is formed on the front casing segment (3) in a region of the front vertical flange (7) and extends parallel or at least substantially parallel to the turbine longitudinal axis (2) and protrudes from the front vertical flange (7) in the flow direction (D). A circumferential seal device (10) is situated on an outer side (9), facing away from the turbine longitudinal axis (2), of the protrusion (8), said seal device sealing the protrusion (8) against the rear casing segment (4). The invention also relates to a method for assembling a turbine having a turbine casing according to the invention.