1. Guardian & Vortex Shedder Sealing System Presentation

2. Advanced Sealing Technology For Steam Path Efficiency Improvement
Above OEM Design

3. Steam Deflectors (Spill Strips)
Bucket Tip Leakage
Steam Deflectors (Spill Strips)
Stationary Diaphragm
Design Steam Path
Stationary Blade
Rotating Blade
Packing Ring
Rotor Wheel
Packing Leakage
Turbine Rotor
Typical Impulse Steam Path (i.e. GE, Hitachi, Toshiba, etc.)

4. Conventional Spill Strip
Reduced Bucket Tip Leakage form the Vortex Shedder
Vortex Shedder Shape Applied to the Spill Strip only on the 1st up stream tooth
Stationary Diaphragm
Design Steam Path
Stationary Blade
Rotating Blade
Guardian Packing Ring
Rotor Wheel
Reduced Packing Leakage
Turbine Rotor
Typical Impulse Steam Path With TPL’s Advanced Seals

5. Typical Reaction Steam Path (i. e
Typical Reaction Steam Path (i.e. Westinghouse, ABB, Mitsubishi, Kraftwork Union) uses inserted Seal Strips
Stationary Cylinder
Steam
Flow
Rotor

6. Typical Efficiency Losses per Stage for General Electric Turbines

7. What Can Cause Rub’s
Misalignment, Alignment is Critical for all current seal Designs
Balancing
Thermal Distortion
Harmonics
Bearing Oil Whip
Steam Whirl
Generator Transients
Incorrect Operation of the Boiler, Condenser, Generator, or Extractions
Improper Starting and Loading Procedures for the Turbine Generator

8. What Occurs During Rubs For Other then Guardian Designed Seals
Practical Application Concerns
If a rub does occur there is a permanent loss of seal efficiency
Springs do afford very little give or release if a rub conditions does happen
Conventional tooth material has a relative high coefficient of friction.
A rub can result in a hot spot which could lead to rotor bluing, scoring, or cutting. Worst case a bowed rotor.
Hard and prolonged contact of the seal in a rub can result in a heat effected zone on the rotor increasing the possibility of a hydrogen embrittled area.
Conventional tooth material mushrooms increasing the discharge area of the seal. This adds to a greater efficiency loss

9. Guardian Packing

10. Guardian Seals Theory Behind Design
Prevents damage to conventional seal in any rub situation
No stationary fit modifications required
Works in any OEM designed turbine
Will not cause bowed rotors
Works in any Labyrinth Seal Ring
Location or Application
Works in any steam condition
Works in any Pressure condition
Extends Seal Efficiency Life
Extends unit Heat Rate between
Overhauls
Improves unit reliability
Limits seal degradation

11. Guardian Seals Practical Application
Lighter coil springs lessen radial forces only during startup
The Guardian Post contacts the rotor first and prevents damage to the conventional teeth
When rubs do occur with the Guardian they do not grow in intensity as with conventional materials or Brush Seals
Conventional teeth still maintain factory radial Clearance during and after the rub occurs
Guardian Post Material with its low coefficient of friction and long wearing characteristics prevents damage to the rotor body even during extreme rub conditions.
Rubs during startup are proven not to cause rotor instability and/or higher bearing vibration
Long term rubs due to misalignment have been proven not to cause any adverse effects in turbine operations.
The Guardian Seal Can Not remain in a Retracted position. Thus eliminates this potential for major efficiency losses due to this situation

12. Laboratory Hard Rub Test
Standard Tooth
Guardian with Standard Teeth
Note the discoloration cased by hard rubbing which generated intense heat at the tooth tips
Note only light contact because of the Guardian Seal Protection
Test Procedure : Rotor Spinning at 3600 RPM, Seal pushed downward against the rotor with 5,000 lbs. of force for 40 minutes

13. Test Rotor Before Cleaning After Partial Cleaning
Guardian transferred a protective layer of Proprietary Material to the rotor.
Proprietary Material rubbing on Proprietary Material has an extremely low coefficient of friction.
Low coefficient of friction means very little heat generated by contact
No Scoring or Grooving on rotor where the Guardian seal contacted the rotor.
No heat effected zone where the Guardian Seal contacted the rotor.
No change in rotor hardness where the Guardian seal contacted the rotor

14. BRG # 2 HP-IP
Turbine ran without oil, there was ≈ 1/8” of babbit prior to accident. The rotor dropped straight down and ran on the seals

15. This gland is adjacent to the #2 Bearing in the previous slide
N3 Grv 5
HP-IP
This gland is adjacent to the #2 Bearing in the previous slide

16. N3 Grv5
N3 Grv6
HP-IP
Note Oil Deflector damage to rotor, No damage where the Guardian Posts made contact to rotor, it only polished the rotor. Even the conventional teeth did not cause any damage because of the protection provided by the Guardian Posts

17. Guardian Post Conventional Teeth
N3 Grv 6 HP-IP
This is the bottom center segment from N3 Grv 6, Note the minor damage to the Guardian Post and conventional teeth. The packing ended up supporting the weight of the rotor during the accident.

18. Bottom Segment
Bottom center segment view, Note minimal damage to Guardian Post and conventional teeth

19. Opposite end view of the bottom center segment
N3 Grv 6 HP-IP
Opposite end view of the bottom center segment
NOTE: Where all conventional packing rings were installed in the unit, the rotor required machining to remove heat effected zones created from the sever rubs at these locations. No rotor machining required where Guardian Rings were installed.

20. Conventional Spill Strips

21. Design Applications
Seals by providing pressure drops using relative tight radial clearances (same principle as a nozzle)
Stationary
Typically Material selection based on Stage operating temperatures
Spring backed NOT Spring loaded. This design allows for ease of installation only.

22. Vortex Shedder
Efficiency Improver

23. Design Applications
Reduces axial flow or leakage in a CFD modeling by 5.7% when compared to a conventional straight shape.
This savings translates into % turbine steam path efficiency improvement above design
The reduction in flow is accomplished by creating vortices at the tip of the seal. These vortices act as a pressure barrier thus reducing the pressure drop across the seal.
Lower flow means higher efficiency.
Lower flow also means less wear.
All tip seals are manufactured from a non-sulferized 12Cr material
Uses OEM design Radial Clearances

24. Typical Reaction Steam Path using inserted Seal Strips
Radial Seal Height must be at least inches in order to effectively install the Vortex Shedder
Stationary Cylinder
Only one tooth on the steam admission side gets the Vortex Shedder
Steam
Flow
Rotor