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Title: Overspeed protection for a gas turbine/steam turbine combined cycle

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5302673

This patent describes an improved combined cycle power plant and overspeed protection system of the type having a reheat steam turbine including a high pressure steam turbine section with at least one control valve, and a lower pressure steam turbine section. The improvement comprises: a valveless steam conduit connected between the outlet of the steam reheater section and the inlet of the lower pressure steam turbine section, a plurality of solid couplings serving to solidly couple the rotating members together as a single rotor, the rotor having a single thrust bearing, and control means for sensing a potential overspeed condition operatively connected to the control valves to prevent overspeed, whereby the steam in the steam reheater and in the valveless steam conduit may freely expand through the lower pressure steam turbine and potential overspeed of the rotor is resisted by the combined inertia of the coupled rotating members and by the braking torque of the air compressor, wherein the heat recovery steam generator includes a low pressure steam generating section connected to supply low pressure steam to the steam reheater section along with the steam exhausted from the high pressure steam turbine section.

Assignee:
General Electric Co., Schenectady, NY (United States)
Patent Number(s):
US 5099643; A
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-593389
OSTI ID:
5302673
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2 Oct 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English