System of supporting turbine diffuser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10287920-B2
Application number	US-201514951173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Nov 24, 2015
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A system includes a diffuser section comprising an outer barrel, an outer aft plate, an inner barrel, an inner aft plate, and a plurality of poles, where the outer aft plate is disposed at a downstream end of the outer barrel, the inner aft plate is disposed at a downstream end of the inner barrel, the outer barrel and the inner barrel are disposed about a turbine axis, the diffuser section receives an exhaust gas from a gas turbine, the plurality of poles is circumferentially spaced about the turbine axis, and each pole of the plurality of poles couples a downstream end of the outer aft plate to a downstream end of the inner aft plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a diffuser section comprising an outer barrel, an outer aft plate, an inner barrel, an inner aft plate, and a plurality of poles, wherein the outer aft plate is disposed at a downstream end of the outer barrel, the inner aft plate is disposed at a downstream end of the inner barrel, the outer barrel and the inner barrel are disposed about a turbine axis, the diffuser section is configured to receive an exhaust gas from a gas turbine, the plurality of poles is circumferentially spaced about the turbine axis, and each pole of the plurality of poles extends between and couples to a downstream end of the outer aft plate and a downstream end of the inner aft plate;

wherein each pole of the plurality poles comprises a diameter, and the diameter of each pole is based at least in part on a circumferential location of the respective pole within the diffuser section; and
wherein the diameter of poles of the plurality of poles disposed at circumferential locations within a top portion of the diffuser section is greater than the diameter of poles of the plurality of poles disposed at circumferential locations within a bottom portion of the diffuser section.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first set of poles of the plurality of poles disposed at circumferential locations within a top portion of the diffuser section are configured to support the weight of the diffuser section when the diffuser section is installed.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each pole of the plurality of poles extends along a pole axis, and each poles axis is parallel to a common axis.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the turbine axis comprises the common axis.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the poles of the plurality of poles do not support turning vanes.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of gusset supports, wherein the plurality of poles is coupled to the outer aft plate and to the inner aft plate via the plurality of gusset supports.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of gusset supports is disposed on exterior surfaces of the outer aft plate and the inner aft plate.

8. A system comprising:
a diffuser section configured to receive an exhaust gas from a gas turbine, the diffuser section comprising:
an outer barrel disposed about a turbine axis;
an inner barrel disposed about the turbine axis;
an outer aft plate disposed at a downstream end of the outer barrel;
an inner aft plate disposed at a downstream end of the inner barrel; and
a plurality of poles, wherein the plurality of poles is circumferentially spaced about the turbine axis, each pole of the plurality poles comprises a diameter, the diameter of each pole is based at least in part on a circumferential location of the respective pole within the diffuser section, and each pole of the plurality of poles extends between and couples to a downstream end of the outer aft plate and a downstream end of the inner aft plate; and

an exhaust plenum configured to receive the exhaust gas from the diffuser section, wherein the outer aft plate, the inner aft plate, and the plurality of poles are disposed within the exhaust plenum;

wherein the poles of the plurality of poles do not support turning vanes.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of poles is parallel to the turbine axis.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein a first subset of the plurality of poles disposed nearest a top portion of the diffuser section is configured to support the weight of the gas turbine during installation.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein a second subset of the plurality of poles disposed nearest a bottom portion of the diffuser section comprise a non-uniform axial cross-section.

12. The system of claim 8 , comprising a plurality of gusset supports, wherein the plurality of poles is coupled to the outer aft plate and to the inner aft plate via the plurality of gusset supports.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Jamiolkowski Robert
• Zreda Robert Jacek
• Bracquemart Eric Yves
• Ożga Daniel Tomasz

Classifications

• F01D9/045

  for radial flow machines or engines · CPC title

• F05D2240/55

  Seals · CPC title

• F02C7/20

  Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep · CPC title

• F01D25/285 Primary

  Temporary support structures, e.g. for testing, assembling, installing, repairing; Assembly methods using such structures · CPC title

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title