LOW PRESSURE INLET RING SUBASSEMBLY WITH INTEGRAL STAYBARS

摘要

56,203 Integral cast inlet ring sections for low pressure steam turbines are disclosed. Preferably, semicircular inlet ring sections from opposing sides of the steam inlet are joined together by integral staybars to form an inlet ring subassembly. After fabrication into a turbine inner cylinder, the two inlet ring subassemblies are preferably joined by a horizontal joint, such as a bolted connection, to form a circular inlet ring. The present invention eliminates welds and other connections typically associated with staybars and thereby eliminates a source of stress concentration and fatigue failures in steam turbines. The present invention also permits the inlet ring to be welded to a flange in a manner which eliminates potential delamination of the flange by fusing the sites of potential delamination.