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The invention recites a power turbine assembly including a turbine rotor and a plurality of turbine blades mounted to said rotor and adapted to rotate said rotor in response to a flow of hot gas over said blades. A support structure having a journal bearing and at least one other bearing supports sa

The invention recites a power turbine assembly including a turbine rotor and a plurality of turbine blades mounted to said rotor and adapted to rotate said rotor in response to a flow of hot gas over said blades. A support structure having a journal bearing and at least one other bearing supports said rotor for rotation, said journal bearing having a proximal end and a distal end with respect to said turbine blades. A supply of lubricant communicates with said journal bearing to provide lubricant between said rotor and an inner surface of said journal bearing, said lubricant damping rotational frequencies of said rotor and creating a temperature gradient from greater than about 1000° F. at said blades to less than about 350° F. at said distal end.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A power turbine assembly comprising:a turbine rotor;a plurality of turbine blades mounted to said rotor and adapted to rotate said rotor in response to a flow of hot gas over said blades;a support structure having a journal bearing and at least one other bearing supporting said rotor for rotation

1. A power turbine assembly comprising:a turbine rotor;a plurality of turbine blades mounted to said rotor and adapted to rotate said rotor in response to a flow of hot gas over said blades;a support structure having a journal bearing and at least one other bearing supporting said rotor for rotation, said journal bearing having a proximal end and a distal end with respect to said turbine blades; anda supply of lubricant communicating with said journal bearing to provide lubricant between said rotor and an inner surface of said journal bearing, said lubricant damping rotational frequencies of said rotor and creating a temperature gradient from greater than about 1000° F. at said blades to less than about 350° F. at said distal end;wherein the at least one other bearing is a single duplex bearing, the journal bearing and duplex bearing providing the only support for the turbine rotor. 2. A power turbine assembly comprising:a turbine rotor;a plurality of turbine blades mounted to said rotor and adapted to rotate said rotor in response to a flow of hot gas over said blades;a support structure having a journal bearing and at least one other bearing supporting said rotor for rotation, said journal bearing having a proximal end and a distal end with respect to said turbine blades; anda supply of lubricant communicating with said journal bearing to provide lubricant between said rotor and an inner surface of said journal bearing, said lubricant damping rotational frequencies of said rotor and creating a temperature gradient from greater than about 1000° F. at said blades to less than about 350° F. at said distal end;wherein the turbine rotor is supported such that its first bending mode frequency is greater than the operating frequency of the turbine rotor. 3. The power turbine assembly of claim 2, wherein the journal bearing is a tilting-pad journal bearing and wherein the at least one other bearing comprises only non-journal-type bearings. 4. The power turbine assembly of claim 2, wherein the turbine rotor rotates at a speed above about 25,000 RPM. 5. The power turbine assembly of claim 2, further comprising a sleeve connected to the turbine rotor, the sleeve including a drive gear adapted to engage a driven gear. 6. The power turbine assembly of claim 5, wherein the drive gear is at least an AGMA class 12 gear. 7. The power turbine assembly of claim 5, wherein the sleeve is press-fit onto the turbine rotor. 8. The power turbine assembly of claim 5, further comprising a nut threaded onto the rotor adjacent a second end of the sleeve and retaining the sleeve. 9. A power turbine assembly comprising:a turbine rotor;a plurality of turbine blades mounted to said rotor and adapted to rotate said rotor in response to a flow of hot gas over said blades;a support structure having a journal bearing and at least one other bearing supporting said rotor for rotation, said journal bearing having a proximal end and a distal end with respect to said turbine blades;a supply of lubricant communicating with said journal bearing to provide lubricant between said rotor and an inner surface of said journal bearing, said lubricant damping rotational frequencies of said rotor and creating a temperature gradient from greater than about 1000° F. at said blades to less than about 350° F. at said distal end;a retainer supporting the second bearing against thrust load and further providing a lubricant flow path and a lubricant outlet jet adjacent the lower portion of the second bearing; anda spring member cooperating with the retainer to apply a predictable thrust preload to the second bearing. 10. A power turbine assembly comprising:a high-speed turbine rotor having a turbine end;a plurality of turbine blades mounted to the turbine end of the rotor and adapted to rotate said rotor in response to a flow of hot gas over said blades;a sleeve connected to the rotor;a journal bearing supporting the turbine end of the rotor; anda suppl y of lubricant communicating with the journal bearing to provide lubricant between the rotor and the journal bearing, the lubricant and journal bearing cooperating to substantially dampen the vibration of the turbine rotor;wherein the sleeve is press-fit onto the turbine rotor. 11. The power turbine assembly of claim 10, further comprising a second bearing supporting a second end opposite the turbine end of the turbine rotor. 12. The power turbine assembly of claim 11, wherein the second bearing is not a journal bearing and the second bearing supports the thrust load of the turbine rotor. 13. The power turbine assembly of claim 10, wherein the turbine rotor rotates at a speed above about 25,000 RPM. 14. The power turbine assembly of claim 10, wherein the rotor and sleeve together define a composite shaft having a stiffness greater than that of the rotor alone such that the composite shaft has a higher first bending mode frequency than the operating frequency of the rotor. 15. The power turbine assembly of claim 10, wherein the sleeve further includes a drive gear adapted to engage a driven gear. 16. The power turbine assembly of claim 15, wherein the drive gear is at least an AGMA class 12 gear. 17. The power turbine assembly of claim 10, further comprising a nut threaded onto the rotor adjacent the sleeve, the nut being tightened to retain the sleeve. 18. The power turbine assembly of claim 11, further comprising a retainer supporting the second bearing against thrust load and further providing a lubricant flow path and a lubricant outlet jet adjacent a lower portion of the second bearing. 19. The power turbine assembly of claim 18, further comprising a spring member cooperating with the retainer to apply a predictable thrust preload to the second bearing. 20. A structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor for rotation above about 25,000 RPM, and to support the rotor for thrust, the structure comprising:a housing defining a first support, a second support, and a lubrication flow path, the lubrication flow path receiving a flow of lubricant from an inlet and distributing the flow of lubricant to the first and second supports;a journal bearing connected to the first support to support a first end of the turbine rotor for rotation; anda second bearing connected to the second support to support a second end of the turbine rotor for rotation and to support the thrust load of the rotor. 21. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the second bearing is a non-journal type bearing. 22. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the journal bearing is a tilting-pad journal bearing and the second bearing is a duplex ball bearing. 23. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, further comprising a retainer supporting the second bearing against thrust load and further providing a lubricant flow path and a lubricant outlet jet adjacent the lower portion of the second bearing. 24. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 23, further comprising a spring member cooperating with the retainer to apply a predictable thrust preload to the second bearing. 25. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the housing is formed from an integrally cast single piece. 26. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the lubricant inlet further includes a first inlet supplying lubricant flow to the journal bearing and a second inlet providing lubricant flow to the drive gear and the second bearing. 27. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the second bearing is a duplex ball bearing. 28. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, further comprising a sleeve including a drive gear, the sleeve connected to the turbine rotor, wherein the drive gear is at least an AGMA class 12 gear. 29. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the housing defines a water jacket having an inlet and an outlet, and wherein a coolant flow enters the water jacket through the inlet, flows through the water jacket and out the outlet to provide cooling to the housing. 30. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the journal bearing separates the hot turbine components from cool lubricated components. 31. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, further comprising a sleeve including a drive gear, the sleeve connected to the turbine rotor, wherein the sleeve is press-fit onto the turbine rotor such that the rotor and sleeve together define a composite shaft having a stiffness greater than that of the rotor alone such that the composite shaft has a higher first bending mode frequency than the operating frequency of the rotor. 32. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 31, further comprising a nut threaded onto the rotor adjacent the sleeve, the nut being tightened to retain the sleeve. 33. The structure for supporting a combustion turbine rotor of claim 20, wherein the housing includes a plurality of lubricant jets, each jet aimed at one of the journal bearing, the drive gear, and the second bearing, the jets receiving a flow of lubricant and discharging it toward the aforementioned components. 34. A speed reducing cartridge for interfacing between a high-speed rotating turbine rotor and a lower speed rotating element, the cartridge comprising:a power turbine cartridge including a journal bearing and a second bearing axially aligned with the journal bearing, the bearings supporting the turbine rotor for rotation about a first axis, the power turbine cartridge supported by the speed reducing cartridge;a drive gear connected to the turbine rotor;a driven gear connected to the lower speed rotating element;a driven component housing supporting the lower speed rotating element for rotation about a second axis, the driven component housing supported by the speed reducing cartridge such that the drive gear and driven gear engage one another with a backlash; andan adjusting assembly interconnecting the power turbine cartridge and the speed reducing cartridge, the adjusting assembly movable to adjust the backlash between the drive gear and the driven gear. 35. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the adjusting assembly includes an eccentric ring. 36. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the second bearing is a non-journal type bearing. 37. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the journal bearing is a tilting-pad journal bearing and the second bearing is a duplex ball bearing. 38. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, further comprising a retainer supporting the second bearing against thrust load and further providing a lubricant flow path and a lubricant outlet jet adjacent the lower portion of the second bearing. 39. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 38, further comprising a spring member cooperating with the retainer to apply a predictable thrust preload to the second bearing. 40. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the housing is formed from an integrally cast single piece. 41. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the power turbine cartridge further comprises a first inlet supplying lubricant flow to the journal bearing and a second inlet providing lubricant flow to the drive gear and the second bearing. 42. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the second bearing is a duplex ball bearing. 43. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the drive gear is at least an AGMA class 12 gear. 44. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the housing defines a water jacket having an inlet and an outlet, and wherein a coolant flow enters the water jacket through the inlet, flows through the water jacket and out the outlet to provide cooling to the housing. 45. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the first axis is parallel to the second axis. 46. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, further comprising a sleeve press-fit onto the turbine rotor such that the rotor and sleeve together define a composite shaft having a stiffness greater than that of the rotor alone such that the composite shaft has a higher first bending mode frequency than the operating frequency of the rotor. 47. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 46, further comprising a nut threaded onto the rotor adjacent the sleeve, the nut being tightened to retain the sleeve. 48. The speed reducing cartridge of claim 34, wherein the housing includes a plurality of lubricant jets, each jet aimed at one of the journal bearing, the drive gear, and the second bearing, the jets receiving a flow of lubricant and discharging it toward the aforementioned components. 49. A method of controlling heat flow between a high-temperature region and a precision aligned region of a high-speed rotating shaft, the method comprising:providing a housing including a journal bearing support;supporting the high-speed shaft for rotation using the journal bearing such that the high-temperature region is adjacent the journal bearing; andintroducing a flow of lubricant to the journal bearing to provide lubrication between the bearing and the shaft and to provide cooling to the bearing and the shaft;maintaining the precision aligned region of the high-speed rotating shaft below 350° F. 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the journal bearing defines a proximal end and a distal end relative to the high-temperature region and wherein the high-temperature region operates at about 1000° F. or higher while the distal end is maintained at about 350° F. or lower. 51. The method of claim 49, wherein the housing further defines a water jacket therein and the method further includes the act of passing a flow of fluid through the water jacket to cool the housing. 52. A method of supporting and aligning a high-speed turbine rotor having a drive gear with a lower speed rotor having a driven gear such that the high-speed turbine rotor is able to drive the lower speed rotor, the method comprising the acts of:providing a speed reducing cartridge;supporting the high-speed turbine rotor within a housing for rotation about a first axis, the housing including a journal bearing and a non-journal bearing supporting the turbine rotor for rotation;supporting the lower speed rotor within the speed reducing cartridge such that the lower speed rotor is rotatable about a second axis;interconnecting the housing and the speed reducing cartridge with-an adjusting member such that the first axis is offset a distance from the second axis;engaging the drive gear and the driven gear such that a backlash between the gears is present; andadjusting the adjusting member to change the distance between the first axis and the second axis to achieve a desired backlash. 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the first and second axes are arranged parallel to one another.