Description:AN ARRANGEMENT IN HYDRO GENERATOR / MOTOR SHAFT TO PREVENT BEARING OIL RISE

FIELD OF INVENTION:
[001] The invention is related to an arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise along the surface of the spinning shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
[002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[003] Hydro generators are large (and usually vertical) machines. A vertical hydro generator/motor has one thrust bearing and one or two guide bearings. The turbine shaft may have an additional guide bearing. The bearings are of the fluid dynamic tilting-pad type, i.e., the load on the bearing is supported by a thin film of oil (fluid), which is formed when oil is pressurized into a wedge between the bearing and journal surfaces by the rotation of the rotor. In tilting pad bearings, the pads are free to rotate about a pivot.

[004] The bearings are either fully or partially submerged in an oil bath. Usually, a thrust bearing and one guide bearing share an oil bath. The oil cools the bearing(s) during operation and it is in turn cooled by water. This is done using plug-in coolers or an external cooling system.

[005] A frequent problem faced in hydro generators/motors is the excessive rise of oil along the surface of the spinning shaft. This often results in oil leakage through the oil vapour seal provided at the top of bearing housing. If the oil leakage goes unnoticed for long enough, it may lead to a significant drop in the oil level in the bearing housing, which could result in damage to the bearing pads. The leaked oil is also a major safety issue for maintenance workers.

[006] In view of the above, the present invention has been devised so as to obviate the aforesaid shortcomings and serve the purpose effectively.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
[007] Primary object of the invention is to provide an arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise along the surface of the spinning shaft.

[008] Another objective of developing a new arrangement is to provide a more effective solution to issue of excessive oil rise in vertical shaft hydro generators and motors, which is simple in construction.

[009] Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise, which is user friendly.

[0010] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of the present invention is illustrated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
[0011] One or more drawbacks of conventional systems and process are overcome, and additional advantages are provided through the apparatus/composition and a method as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be part of the claimed disclosure.

[0012] According to the invention, there is provided an arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise, wherein guide pads (102) are circumferentially mounted on the shaft (103) and an oil vapour seal (104) is placed around the shaft (103), in which a circumferential groove (105) is provided on the shaft (103), wherein an Oil baffle (106) is fitted into the groove (105) with O-rings (107) positioned between said shaft (103) and oil baffle (106).

[0013] The Oil baffle (106) includes two semi-circular segments with flanges on each end.

[0014] The oil baffle (106) has flange (106A) so as to connect both halves (two semi-circular segments) together, wherein said oil baffle (106) is having holes (106B) for coupling bolts.

[0015] The circumferential groove (105) is provided on the surface of the shaft (103) above the bearing journal (G) to fix the baffle (106) and the circumferential O-ring (107).

[0016] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

[0017] It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
[0019] The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and processes that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein:-

Figure 1 shows: Arrangement prior to assembly of oil baffle.
Figure 2 shows: Proposed arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise according to the present invention.
Figure 3 shows: Circumferential Groove provided in the arrangement of the invention.
Figure 4 shows: Section of semicircular segment of oil baffle designed to fit in the groove of Figure 3.

[0020] The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:

[0021] While the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof have been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0022] The present invention makes a disclosure regarding a technology pertaining to invention directing to an arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise.

[0023] In the present invention, there is provision of an arrangement of providing a groove on the shaft of a vertical hydro generator/motor that enables the fixing of an oil baffle to prevent the undesirable rise of oil along the surface of spinning shaft during operation.

[0024] Now, reference may be made to figure 1. The proposed arrangement is related to vertical shaft hydro generators and motors equipped with tilting pad type bearings. The tilting pad bearing is enclosed in a fabricated structure called as housing (101). Based on the location of bearing i.e. above rotor or below rotor, the guide bearings are also called as Top guide bearing or bottom guide bearing respectively. Guide bearing located on turbine is called as turbine guide bearing. The guide bearings comprise of guide pads (102), which are circumferentially mounted on the shaft (103). Said Shaft is rotating part and guide pads (102) are stationary part. When shaft (103) is rotating, a very thin film of oil is developed between shaft and guide pads (102). When shaft rotates due to friction the temperature of oil rises. With increase in temperature of oil, oil vapours are formed. These oil vapour rises upwards, and to prevent its escape an annular sealing arrangement is provided all around shaft, called as oil vapour seal (104). The Oil vapour seal is a static part. Oil inside housing rises along the surface of shaft on spinning. Many times the rise in oil is so high that it leaks from the oil vapour seal (104).

[0025] The proposed application deals with an arrangement to prevent this leakage of oil when shaft is rotating.

[0026] In the proposed invention, the circumferential groove (105) (as shown in figure 3) is provided on the shaft (103). Two semicircular segments with flanges on each end are made. These semicircular segments are called as Oil baffle (106) as best seen in Figure 4. Each oil baffle (106) has flange (106A) so as to connect both halves together, wherein said oil baffle (106) is having holes (106B) for coupling bolts. Inner radius of Oil baffle (106) is made in such a way that it fits into the groove (105) made on the shaft (103). Suitable O-rings (107) are placed between said shaft (103) and oil baffle (106).

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION:
• The new design ensures that the oil doesn’t rise along the surface of the shaft beyond the oil baffle fitted in the groove;
• The new design can be easily implemented in existing machines where oil rise problem occurs;
• The new design is user friendly;
• The new design serves the purpose effectively.

[0027] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases, it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.

[0028] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.

[0029] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particulars claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogues to “at least one of A, B and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B”.

[0030] The above description does not provide specific details of manufacture or design of the various components. Those of skill in the art are familiar with such details, and unless departures from those techniques are set out, techniques, known, related art or later developed designs and materials should be employed. Those in the art are capable of choosing suitable manufacturing and design details.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into other systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the following claims.

[0032] The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.

[0033] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
, Claims:WE CLAIM:

1. An arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise, wherein guide pads (102) are circumferentially mounted on the shaft (103) and an oil vapour seal (104) is placed around the shaft (103), in which a circumferential groove (105) is provided on the shaft (103), wherein an Oil baffle (106) is fitted into the groove (105) with O-rings (107) positioned between said shaft (103) and oil baffle (106).

2. The arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise as claimed in claim 1, wherein the Oil baffle (106) includes two semi-circular segments with flanges on each end.

3. The arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise as claimed in claim 2, wherein the oil baffle (106) has flange (106A) so as to connect both halves (two semi-circular segments) together, wherein said oil baffle (106) is having holes (106B) for coupling bolts.

4. The arrangement in Hydro generator / motor shaft to prevent bearing oil rise as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circumferential groove (105) is provided on the surface of the shaft (103) above the bearing journal (G) to fix the baffle (106) and the circumferential O-ring (107).