Apparatus for Extending the Flow Range of Turbines

摘要

An apparatus for extending the operational flow rate range of a turbine is described herein. Two or more removable sleeves may be used to change the cross-sectional area of a turbine. Each removable sleeve may define or eliminate the stator gap between a stator blade tip and an inner wall of the removable sleeve and a rotor gap between a rotor blade tip and an inner wall of the removable sleeve. A movable sleeve may be disposed in the turbine and may move between a first position and a second position in response to changes in the pressure differential across the turbine. The movable sleeve may define or eliminate a stator gap between a stator blade tip and the inner conical surface of the sleeve or a hub of the turbine and a rotor gap between a rotor blade tip and the inner conical surface of the sleeve.

主权项

1. A turbine, comprising:
a movable sleeve disposed with the turbine and axially movable between a first position and a second position in response to changes in a pressure differential between a first location in the turbine and a second location in the turbine, the movable sleeve comprising an inner wall; a stator blade coupled to the inner wall of the movable sleeve; a rotor blade coupled to a hub of the turbine; wherein the movable sleeve in the first position engages a tip of the stator blade with the hub of the turbine and defines a first gap having a first width between the tip of the rotor blade and the inner wall of the movable sleeve; and wherein the movable sleeve in the second position defines a second gap having a second width between the tip of the stator blade and the hub of the turbine, wherein the second width is greater than zero.