Turbo engine with improved compensating piston gasket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9494165-B2
Application number	US-86683008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2008
Priority date	Mar 10, 2008
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A flow machine ( 1 ) has an outer housing ( 2 ) with an inner housing ( 6 ), particularly a guide blade carrier, arranged therein and a rotor shaft ( 10 ) which is situated in the latter, a cover ( 4; 8 ) which is fastened to the outer housing ( 2 ) and separates an inlet pressure (p 1 ) in the interior of the outer housing ( 2 ) from an ambient pressure (pu) outside the outer housing, and a compensating piston seal ( 22 ) for sealing an outlet pressure (p 2 ) in a work space, particularly compression space ( 16 ), defined between the rotor shaft ( 10 ) and the inner housing ( 6 ) against the inlet pressure (p 1 ) in a noncontacting manner. The compensating piston seal ( 22 ) is fastened to the cover ( 4; 8 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flow machine ( 1 ) comprising:
an outer housing ( 2 ) and an inner housing ( 6 ) disposed radially inwardly of said outer housing ( 2 ), a rotor shaft ( 10 ) and installed parts ( 26 ) of compressor stages of said flow machine ( 1 ) being disposed within said inner housing ( 6 );
an autoclave cover ( 4 ) fastened to and disposed entirely radially inwardly of said outer housing ( 2 ), said autoclave cover directly contacting a longitudinal end of said inner housing ( 6 ) and radially supports the longitudinal end and configured to separate an inlet pressure (p 1 ) in the interior of said outer housing ( 2 ) from an ambient pressure (pu) outside said outer housing, the autoclave cover ( 4 ) being more rigid than said inner housing;
a closing cover ( 8 ) configured to close the outer housing ( 2 ) on a side of the flow machine ( 1 ) opposite the autoclave cover ( 4 ), the autoclave cover ( 4 ), the inner housing ( 6 ), the closing cover ( 8 ) and the rotor shaft ( 10 ) defining a work space ( 16 );
a compensating piston seal ( 22 ) configured to seal an outlet pressure (p 2 ) in the work space ( 16 ) against the inlet pressure (p 1 ) in a noncontacting manner, said compensating piston seal ( 22 ) being fastened to said autoclave cover ( 4 ); and
a shaft seal in the autoclave cover, the shaft seal and the compensating piston seal ( 22 ) cooperating such that the shaft seal is only acted upon by the pressure difference between the inlet pressure (p 1 ) and the ambient pressure (pu) while the compensating piston seal ( 22 ) seals the outlet pressure (p 2 ) against the inlet pressure (p 1 ),
wherein a seal space is formed between the shaft seal and the compensating piston seal ( 22 ), in which seal space the inlet pressure (p 1 ) prevails.

2. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said autoclave cover ( 4 ) comprises a fastening portion ( 4 a ) projecting axially in the direction of said work space ( 16 ) for fastening said compensating piston seal ( 22 ).

3. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said rotor shaft comprises an outer circumferential surface and said compensating piston seal comprises a surface facing said rotor shaft, one selected from the group consisting of said circumferential surface and said surface having a plurality of recesses therein, said recesses being one selected from the group consisting of substantially circular and substantially polygonal in cross section.

4. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said compensating piston seal ( 22 ) is constructed to seal against a high pressure in the work space of greater than 50 bar.

5. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 being one selected from the group consisting of a compressor and a high-pressure compressor.

6. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said work space is a compression space.

7. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said compensating piston seal ( 22 ) is constructed to seal against a high pressure in the work space of greater than 100 bar.

8. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said compensating piston seal ( 22 ) is constructed to seal against a high pressure in the work space of greater than 500 bar.

9. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an annular gap having a predetermined geometry is formed between said rotor shaft ( 10 ) and said compensating piston seal ( 22 ).

10. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein said annular gap formed between the rotor shaft ( 10 ) and the compensating piston seal ( 22 ) is convergent in at least one portion.

11. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein said annular gap formed between said rotor shaft ( 10 ) and said compensating piston seal ( 22 ) is divergent in at least one portion.

12. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said autoclave cover ( 4 ) comprises a through hole penetrated by said rotor shaft ( 10 ) and wherein said compensating piston seal ( 22 ) comprises a substantially hollow-cylindrical sleeve ( 20 ) which is fastened so as to extend inside at least a portion of said through-hole and enclosing said rotor shaft without contacting the same.

13. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 12 , wherein said cylindrical sleeve ( 20 ) is fastened to said autoclave cover by one selected from the group consisting of positive engagement and frictional engagement.

14. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 12 , wherein said autoclave cover ( 4 ) comprises a wall facing said work space; and said sleeve ( 20 ) comprising a first annular portion ( 20 a ) projecting radially outward at the axial end of the compensating piston seal ( 22 ) facing said work space ( 16 ) and contacting said wall of said autoclave cover ( 4 ) facing said work space.

15. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 14 , wherein said first annular portion ( 20 a ) comprises an outer edge; and wherein said sleeve ( 20 ) comprises a second annular portion ( 20 b ) extending axially in direction of said autoclave cover ( 4 ) from said radially outer edge of said first annular portion ( 20 a ); said wall of said autoclave cover comprising a recess having a shape corresponding to said second annular portion ( 20 b ); said outer edge being received in said correspondingly formed recess in said wall of said autoclave cover ( 4 ).

16. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 12 , wherein said sleeve ( 20 ) is fastened to said autoclave cover by at least one connection element ( 32 ).

17. The flow machine ( 1 ) according to claim 16 , wherein said connection element is one selected from the group consisting of a pin and a screw.

Assignees

• Markwalder Alfred
• Kleynhans George
• Baumann Urs
• Man Diesel & Turbo Se

Inventors

• Markwalder Alfred
• Kleynhans George
• Baumann Urs

Classifications

• F04D29/0516

  balancing pistons · CPC title

• F04D17/125

  the casing being vertically split · CPC title

• F04D29/4206 Primary

  especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps · CPC title