JOHN C GROENENDAAL JR
Engineers in Casselberry, FL

5024579, Jun 18, 1991

Jul 18, 1990

7/553517

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL
Randy T. Rudy - Orlando FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 2526

415108

A fully-floating inlet flow guide for a double-flow steam turbine includes a pair of partially overlapping, generally cylindrical sealing rings circumscribing a turbine rotor adjacent a steam inlet with each of the bands being coupled to a respective one of a pair of first stage nozzle rings positioned on opposite sides of the inlet for directing steam into an axial flow path. The rings are provided with an annular seal at their overlapping portions such that axial expansion and contraction is accommodated without steam leakage through the seal. Radial expansion and contraction of the sealing rings is accommodated by attachment of each ring to a respective nozzle using a circumferential groove in a radially inner surface of each nozzle ring diaphragm and a tongue on each of the rings which fits into a respective groove. Each tongue has a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots and a block slidingly positioned in each of the slots. A pin extends through the blade diaphragm at each slot and extends through the corresponding block so that the blocks are fixed with respect to the diaphragm.

5110256, May 5, 1992

Feb 11, 1991

7/653573

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 904, F01D 302

415190

Improved methods and apparatus for retrofitting longer last row rotational blade assemblies in steam turbines are disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention permits the exhaust flow guide to be mounted directly to modified last row stationary turbine blades. In a preferred embodiment, the outer blade ring of the last row of stationary blades in a steam turbine is modified by machining two grooves which permit a modified blade assembly outer ring and integral blade ring extension to be mounted in the turbine. The extension section is configured to accept connecting means, such as bolts, which permit the direct attachment of an exhaust flow guide to the modified outer blade ring at each end of the turbine. The present invention simplifies the attachment of such flow guides and can improve the harmonic characteristics of the turbine by lowering the natural frequency of the assembly and include the mass of the flow guide in the mass of the stationary blade assemblies. Methods of modifying steam turbines to add longer last row blades are also disclosed.

5222862, Jun 29, 1993

Jul 31, 1992

7/923285

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL
Kuo P. Huang - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 2524

415 9

A pressure relief diaphragm is associated with a turbine housing and is operable to relieve excessive pressure within the turbine housing to prevent damage to turbine blades. The pressure relief diaphragm includes a safety housing having a mounting flange thereon arranged to mate with a turbine flange so that the safety housing is positioned over a relief opening in the turbine housing. A first solid, frangible solid disc covers the relief opening in the turbine housing and has a peripheral portion interposed between the mounting flange on the safety housing and the turbine flange. A second solid disc is positioned in the relief opening in the turbine flange in abutting contact with the first solid disc. A first plurality of bolts secures the mounting flange on the safety housing to the turbine flange. Spring washers associated with the first plurality of bolts maintain the positional relationship between the safety housing and the turbine flange.

5133640, Jul 28, 1992

Jun 21, 1990

7/542492

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL
David M. Parker - Oviedo FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 508

415177

A thermal shield for a steam turbine inner cylinder surrounding a plurality of turbine blade stages and having an outer cylinder substantially enclosing the inner cylinder. A steam inlet is connected to the inner cylinder through an outer cylinder for admitting high temperature steam into the inner cylinder to effect rotation of the turbine blade stages and a steam exit emits cooled steam from the inner cylinder into a space between the inner and outer cylinders. The shield reduces thermal stress on the inner cylinder from contact on an inner surface with the high temperature steam and contact on an outer surface with the cooled steam. The thermal shield is attached to the outer surface of the inner cylinder and spaced therefrom by a predetermined spacing. The thermal shield extends about all surfaces of the inner cylinder and forms a substantially closed inner space between the shield and the inner cylinder to prevent the flow of the cooled steam over the outer surface of the inner cylinder.

4863341, Sep 5, 1989

May 13, 1988

7/194650

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 302

415103

A turbine having structure for reducing thermal deformation caused by thermally created loads directed parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, which structure includes a stator assembly, positioned within a casing and about said rotor, wherein the casing has an inlet defined by sidewalls, the stator assembly having an inlet for directing a flow of steam, wherein the inlet is defined by first blade rings connected to the casing sidewalls and having a stationary annular row of blades connected to each of the blade rings and operatively positioned in relation to the rotor blades for directing a flow of steam onto the rotor blades and having a number of ribs disposed within said stator assembly about said rotor, wherein the ends of said ribs are spaced away from the sidewalls and the first blade rings. The sidewalls of the casing can also be disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation so that thermally created loads caused by heat transferred from said flow of steam to the sidewalls are directed primarily perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

6964554, Nov 15, 2005

Mar 31, 2003

10/403172

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL, US
Wilmott G. Brown - Winter Park FL, US

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation - Orlando FL

F01D001/02

415202, 4152092, 4152131, 415136

A drop-in nozzle block () formed in two 180° segments () that can be simply lowered into position within the nozzle chamber casing of a steam turbine (). An entire 180° segment can be lowered into position because an inner arcuate portion () of the nozzle block fits over and captures mating portions of the casing rather than having the casing capture the nozzle block as in the prior art. Elimination of a hook portion of the casing eliminates the necessity for the prior art procedure of rotating 90° segments into position through an arcuate-shaped slot. The drop-in installation allows closer tolerances to be maintained between the nozzle block and the casing, thereby eliminating the need for the expansion pins used in the prior art. The use of two 180° segments rather than the prior art 90° segments also eliminates the need for a dogleg joint between segments for turbines having eight steam inlet segments. An inner seal surface () is formed on an L-shaped hook portion () that opens radially outwardly to capture a radially inwardly projecting flange portion () of the turbine nozzle chamber casing ().

5494405, Feb 27, 1996

Mar 20, 1995

8/407204

Lewis Gray - Winter Springs FL
John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 2524

4152112

A steam turbine having improved stationary parts in which a moisture removal slot is formed in a blade ring cylinder immediately upstream of the last row of rotating blades. The slot has a reduced width inlet throat portion and an enlarged manifold portion. The manifold portion of the slot distributes the moisture collected to a plurality of radially oriented discharge holes formed in the blade ring. The inlet throat serves to insolate the manifold from the swirling steam flowing through the turbine, thereby preventing entrainment of the moisture droplets into the steam flow. The blade ring encircles the tips of the last row of rotating blades and the outer flow guide is integrally formed on the blade ring. The steam turbine also has a new inner flow guide that matches a new last row of rotating blades. The new inner flow guide is attached to the existing inner flow guide by welds.

4826395, May 2, 1989

Apr 8, 1988

7/179146

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 302

415101

A steam turbine having a seal, connected between the annular rows of stationary blades positioned proximate the turbine inlet, for preventing the circumvention of the flow of steam from the desired flow path and for preventing the transfer of thermal loads between the rows of stationary blades. The seal includes a band connected to one of the stationary annular row of blades and extending across the inlet, a support piece connected to the other stationary annular row of blades, and a resilient seal connected to the support piece and positioned to be in frictional engagement with the band.

4900223, Feb 13, 1990

Feb 21, 1989

7/312282

John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp - Pittsburgh PA

F01D 904, F01D 302

415190

A steam turbine has an outer blade ring supporting a row of stationary blades and an adjacent downstream row of long rotatable blades. The outer blade ring has a generally conical flow-guiding surface for outwardly guiding the steam as it flows through the row of stationary blades. The outer blade ring is supported by a radially juxtaposed carrier ring having a flow-guiding surface axially adjacent to and extending outwardly from the flow-guiding surface of the outer blade ring. A spacer ring is axially adjacent to the carrier ring and has a flow-guiding surface adjacent to and extending outwardly from the flow-guiding surface of the carrier ring. An exhaust flowguide is axially adjacent the spacer ring and radially adjacent the row of rotatable blades for guiding the steam from the rotatable blades.

5984628, Nov 16, 1999

Sep 13, 1996

8/712575

Lewis Gray - Winter Springs FL
John C. Groenendaal - Winter Springs FL

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation - Orlando FL

F01D 2532

4151694

A steam turbine having improved stationary parts in which a moisture removal slot is formed in a blade ring cylinder immediately upstream of the last row of rotating blades. The slot has a reduced width inlet throat portion and an enlarged manifold portion. The manifold portion of the slot distributes the moisture collected to a plurality of radially oriented discharge holes formed in the blade ring. The inlet throat serves to insolate the manifold from the swirling steam flowing through the turbine, thereby preventing entrainment of the moisture droplets into the steam flow. The blade ring encircles the tips of the last row of rotating blades and the outer flow guide is integrally formed on the blade ring. The steam turbine also has a new inner flow guide that matches a new last row of rotating blades. The new inner flow guide is attached to the existing inner flow guide by welds.