Apparatus for extending the flow range of turbines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840933-B2
Application number	US-201414577757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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.

2. The turbine of claim 1 , wherein the movable sleeve in the second position increases the first width of the first gap between the tip of the rotor blade and the inner wall of the movable sleeve.

3. The turbine of claim 1 , comprising a stationary sleeve disposed adjacent to the movable sleeve, wherein the stationary sleeve limits the axial movement of the movable sleeve.

4. The turbine of claim 3 , comprising a spring disposed between the movable sleeve and the stationary sleeve, wherein the spring is compressed when the movable sleeve is in the second position.

5. The turbine of claim 4 , wherein the spring is configured to move the movable sleeve to the first position.

6. The turbine of claim 3 , comprising a slot disposed between the movable sleeve and the stationary sleeve and configured to receive a pin, wherein engagement of the pin with the slot restricts rotation of the movable sleeve.

7. The turbine of claim 3 , comprising a seal disposed between the movable sleeve and the stationary sleeve.

8. A turbine, comprising:
a movable sleeve disposed within 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 a hub of the turbine, wherein a first width is defined between a tip of the stator blade and the inner wall of the movable sleeve;
a rotor blade coupled to the hub of the turbine, wherein a second width is defined between the tip of the rotor blade and the inner wall of the movable sleeve;
wherein the movable sleeve in the first position engages the tip of the stator blade such that the first width is about zero;
wherein the movable sleeve in the second position increases a gap between the tip of the stator blade and the surface of the hub such that the first width is greater than zero.

9. The turbine of claim 8 , wherein the movable sleeve in the second position increases the second width between the tip of the rotor blade and the inner wall of the movable sleeve.

10. The turbine of claim 8 , wherein when the movable sleeve is in the first position the second width is sufficient to prevent contact between the tip of the rotor blade and the inner wall during operation of the turbine.

11. The turbine of claim 8 , comprising a stationary sleeve disposed adjacent to the movable sleeve, wherein the stationary sleeve limits the axial movement of the movable sleeve.

12. The turbine of claim 10 , comprising a spring disposed between the movable sleeve and the stationary sleeve, wherein the spring is compressed when the movable sleeve is in the second position.

13. The turbine of claim 11 , wherein the spring is configured to move the movable sleeve to the first position.

14. The turbine of claim 10 , wherein the stationary sleeve and the movable sleeve define a fluid flow passage between the stationary sleeve and the movable sleeve.

15. The turbine of claim 8 , wherein inner wall comprises an inner conical surface and the inner conical surface of the movable sleeve, the tip of the stator blade, and the tip of the rotor blade have substantially similar conical angles.

16. An apparatus, comprising:
a first removable sleeve disposed in a turbine and comprising a first inner wall, the first removable sleeve configured to define a first width between a tip of a stator blade and the first inner wall and configured to define a second width between a tip of a rotor blade and the inner surface of the first removable sleeve; and
a second removable sleeve disposed within the turbine and comprising a second inner wall, the second removable sleeve configured to engage the tip of the stator blade such that the first width is about zero and configured to decrease the second width.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first removable sleeve is configured to provide a first operational flow rate range for the turbine, and the second removable sleeve is configured to provide a second operational flow rate range for the turbine.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , comprising the turbine, wherein the turbine comprises:
a hub;
the stator blade, wherein the stator blade is coupled to the hub; and
the rotor blade, wherein the rotor blade is coupled to the hub.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first removable sleeve comprises a first seal configured to be disposed between the first removable sleeve and a housing of the turbine.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the second removable sleeve is configured to decrease the second width when disposed in the turbine such that the decreased second width is sufficient to prevent contact between the tip of the rotor blade and the second movable sleeve during operation of the turbine.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Chochua Gocha
• Harms Kent D

Classifications

• F03B13/02

  Adaptations for drilling wells · CPC title

• F01D1/04

  traversed by the working-fluid substantially axially · CPC title

• E21B4/02

  Fluid rotary type drives · CPC title

• F01D17/10 Primary

  Final actuators (valves in general F16K {; blades with variable camber F01D5/148}) · CPC title

• E21B41/0085 Primary

  Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes · CPC title