TURBINE SHAFT AND METHOD OF ITS COOLING Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: steam turbines. SUBSTANCE: steam turbine shaft passing along main axis has cylindrical sections of shaft arranged axially one after the other along main axis. Sections of shaft along common connecting axis are provided with hole through which bracing member passes. Axial clearance is formed between bracing member and at least one shaft section and two axially spaced radial channels are provided. These channels, being hydraulically connected with axial clearance, come to external surface. Axial clearance is hydraulically connected with working medium flow setting turbine shaft into rotation through two radial channels at two different levels. Method of shaft cooling comes to the following: cooling steam is introduced through first radial channel into axial clearance between bracing member and shaft section and is let out from turbine shaft through second radial channel. Cooling steam flow branched from working steam flow passes through first radial channel into axial clearance wherefrom it gets again into working steam flow through second radial channel. EFFECT: improved efficiency of cooling. 9 cl, 1 dwg