CLASSIFICATIONBYPOWERUSAGE

Therearebasicallythreetypesofgasturbinesinuse.Theyarethesingleshaft,splitshaft,andtwinspool.Of
these,thesingleshaftandsplitshaftarethemostcommoninnavalvessels.Wementionthetwinspooltype
becausetheU.S.CoastGuardHamiltonclasscuttersusethetwinspoolgasturbine.

IncurrentU.S.Navyservice,thesingleshaftengineisusedprimarilyfordrivingship'sservicegenerators.
Thesplitshaftengineisusedformainpropulsion.

Figure613isablockdiagramofasingleshaftgasturbine.Thepoweroutputshaftisconnecteddirectlyto
thesameturbinerotorthatdrivesthecompressor.Inmostcases,thereisaspeeddecreaserorreductiongear
betweentherotorandthepoweroutputshaft.However,thereisstillamechanicalconnectionthroughoutthe
entireengine.ThearrangementshownistypicalforthegasturbinegeneratorsetsaboardDD963andCG47
classships.

Inthesplitshaftgasturbinefig614,thereisnomechanicalconnectionbetweenthegasgeneratorturbine
andthepowerturbine.Thepowerturbineisthecomponentthatdoestheusablework.Thegasgenerator
turbineprovidesthepowertodrivethecompressorandaccessories.Withthistypeofengine,theoutput
speedcanbevariedbyvaryingthegasgeneratorspeed.Also,undercertainconditions,thegasgeneratorcan
runatareducedrpmandstillprovidemaximumpowerturbinerpm.Thisgreatlyimprovesfueleconomyand
alsoextendsthelifeofthegasgeneratorturbine.Thearrangementshownin(fig615)istypicalfor
propulsiongasturbinesaboardtheDD963,FFG7,CG47,andPHM1classships.

ENGINECONSTRUCTION

Recallthatagasturbineengineiscomposedoffourmajorsections~:(1)compressor,(2)combustor,(3)
turbine,and(4)accessory.Wewillbrieflydiscusstheconstructionandfunctionofeachofthesesections.We
willusetheLM2500gasturbineasanexample.TheLM2500isasplitshaftgasturbine.

Figure615.Typicalgasturbine.
Figure616.Compressorcase,LM2500engine.

Compressor

Therotorandstatorsareenclosedinthecompressorcase(fig616).Modernenginesuseacasethatis
horizontallydividedintoupperandlowerhalves.Thehalvesarenormallyboltedtogetherwitheitherdowel
pinsorfittedbolts.Thesepartsensureproperalignmenttoeachotherandinrelationtootherengine
assembliesthatbolttoeitherendofthecompressorcase.

Onsomeolderengines,thecaseisaonepiececylinderopenonbothends.Theonepiececompressorcaseis
simplertomanufacturehowever,anyrepairordetailedinspectionofthecompressorrotorisimpossible.The
enginemustberemovedandtakentoashopwhereitcanbedisassembledforrepairorinspectionoftherotor
orstators.Onmanysplitcaseengines,eithertheupperorlowercasecanberemovedformaintenanceand
inspectionwiththeengineinplace.
Thecompressorcaseisusuallymadeofaluminumorsteel.Thematerialusedwilldependontheengine
manufacturerandtheaccessoriesattachedtothecase.Thecompressorcasemayhaveexternalconnections
madeaspartofthecase.Theseconnectionsarenormallyusedtobleedairduringstartingandaccelerationor
atlowspeedoperation.

PrecedingthestatorsandthefirststageofthecompressorrotorisarowofIGVs.ThefunctionoftheIGVs
variessomewhat,dependingonthesizeoftheengineandairinletconstruction.Onsmallerengines,theair
inletisnottotallyinlinewiththefirststageoftherotor.TheIGVsstraightentheairflowanddirectittothe
firststagerotor.Onlargeengines,theIGVscanbemovedtodirecttheairflowattheproperangletoreduce
dragonthefirststagerotor.

Smallandmediumengineshavestationarystators.Onlargeengines,thepitchofthevanesonseveralstators
canbechanged.Forexample,intheLM2500enginefig.616thefirstsixstatorsofthe16stagerotorare
variable,

Rotorbladesfig.617areusuallymadeofstainlessorironbased,superstrengthalloys.Methodsof
attachingthebladesintherotordiskrimsvaryindifferentdesigns,buttheyarecommonlyfittedintodisks
byeitherbulb(fig617viewA)orfirtree(fig617viewB)typeroots.Thebladesarethenlockedwithgrub
screws,peening,lockwires,pins,orkeys.

Thestatorvanesprojectradiallytowardtherotoraxisandfitcloselyoneithersideofeachstageoftherotor.
Thestatorshavetwofunctions.

Theyreceiveairfromtheairinletductorfromeachprecedingstageoftherotorandthendelivertheairto
thenextstageortocombustorsataworkablevelocityandpressure.Theyalsocontrolthedirectionofairto
eachrotorstagetoobtainthemaximumcompressorbladeefficiency.Thestatorvanesareusuallymadeof
steelwithcorrosionanderosionresistantqualities.Frequently,thevanesareshroudedbyabandofsuitable
materialtosimplifythefasteningproblem.Thevanesareweldedintotheshrouds,andtheoutershroudsare
securedtotheinnerwallofthecompressorcasebyretainingscrews.

CombustionChambers

Therearethreetypesofcombustionchambers:(1)cantype,(2)annulartype,and(3)canannulartype.The
cantypechamberisusedprimarilyon
Figure617.Rotorblades.

enginesthathaveacentrifugalcompressor.Theannularandcanannulartypesareusedonaxialflow
compressors.

Thecombustionchambershavepresentedoneofthebiggestproblemsingasturbines.Theextremestresses
andtemperaturesencounteredarenotexperiencedinothertypesofinternalcombustionengines.Theliners
aresubjectedtotemperaturesashighas4000Finamatterofseconds.

Thecombustionchambermustoperateoverawiderangeofconditions.Itmustwithstandhighratesof
burning,haveaminimumpressuredrop,belightinweight,andhaveminimumbulk.

Theinnerandouterlinersorshroudsareperforatedwithmanyholesandslotsthroughouttheirlength.Airis
admittedthroughtheseholestoprotectthelinerandtocoolthegasesatthechamberoutlet.

Thethroughflowpassagesareusedinpracticallyallmodernenginecombustionchambers.Inthethrough
flowpath,thegasespassthroughthecombustionsectionwithoutachangeindirection.

Theannularcombustorliner(fig618)isusuallyfoundonaxialflowengines.Itisprobablyoneofthemost
popularcombustionsystemsinuse.Theconstructionconsistsofahousingandliner.

Onlargeengines,thelinerconsistsofanundividedcircularshroudextendingallthewayaroundtheoutside
oftheturbineshafthousing.Alargeonepiececombustorcasecoversthelinerandisattachedattheturbine
sectionanddiffusersection.

Thedomeofthelinerhassmallslotsandholestoadmitprimaryairandtoimpartaswirlingmotionfor
betteratomizationoffuel.Therearealsoholesinthedomeforthefuelnozzlestoextendthroughintothe
combustionarea.Theinnerandouterlinersformthecombustionspace.Theouterlinerkeepsflamefrom
contactingthecombustorcase,andtheinnerlinerpreventsflamefromcontactingtheturbineshafthousing.

Largeholesandslotsarelocatedalongthelinersto(1)admitsomecoolingairintothe

Figure618.Combustorliner.

combustionspacetowardstherearofthespacetohelpcoolthehotgasestoasafelevel,(2)centertheflame,
and(3)admitairforcombustion.Thegasesarecooledenoughtopreventwarpageoftheliners.

Thespacebetweenthelinersandthecaseandshafthousingformsthepathforsecondaryair.Thesecondary
airprovidesfilmcoolingofthelinersandthecombustorcaseandshafthousing.Attheendofthe
combustionspaceandjustbeforethefirststageturbinenozzle,thesecondaryairismixedwiththe
combustiongasestocoolthemenoughtopreventwarpingandmeltingoftheturbinesection.

Theannulartypecombustionchamberisaveryefficientsystemthatminimizesbulkandcanbeusedmost
effectivelyinlimitedspace.Therearesomedisadvantages,however.Onsomeengines,thelinersareone
pieceandcannotberemovedwithoutenginedisassembly.

Turbines

Intheory,design,andoperatingcharacteristics,theturbinesusedingasturbineenginesarequitesimilarto
theturbinesusedinasteamplant.Thegasturbinediffersfromthesteamturbinechieflyin(1)thetypeof
bladingmaterialused,(2)themeansprovidedforcoolingtheturbineshaftbearings,and(3)thelowerratio
ofbladelengthtowheeldiameter.

Thetermsgasgeneratorturbineandpowerturbineareusedtodifferentiatebetweentheturbines.Thegas
generatorturbinepowersthegasgeneratorandaccessories.Thepowerturbinepowerstheship'spropeller
throughthereductiongearandshafting.

Theturbinethatdrivesthegasgeneratorislocateddirectlybehindthecombustionchamberoutlet.This
turbineconsistsoftwobasicelements:thestatorornozzleandtherotor.Partofastator
Figure619.Statorelementofturbineassembly.

elementisshowninfigure619.Arotorelementisshowninfigure620.

Therotorelementoftheturbineconsistsofashaftandbladedwheel(s).Thewheel(s)areattachedtothe
mainpowertransmittingshaftofthegasturbineengine.Thejetsofcombustiongasleavingthevanesofthe
statorelementactupontheturbinebladesandcausetheturbinewheeltorotateinaspeedrangeof3,600to
42,000rpm,dependinguponthetypeofengine.Thehighrotationalspeedimposesseverecentrifugalloads
ontheturbinewheel.Atthesametime,thehightemperature(1050to2300F)resultsinaloweringofthe
strengthofthematerial.Consequently,theenginespeedandtemperaturemustbecontrolledtokeepturbine
operationwithinsafelimits.Theoperatinglifeoftheturbinebladingusuallydeterminesthelifeofthegas
turbineengine.

Theturbinewheelisadynamicallybalancedunitconsistingofbladesattachedtoarotatingdisk.Thedisk,in
turn,isattachedtotherotorshaftoftheengine.Thehighvelocityexhaustgasesleavingtheturbinenozzle
vanesactonthebladesoftheturbinewheel.Thiscausestheassemblytorotateatahighrateofspeed.This
turbinerotation,inturn,causesthecompressortorotate.
Figure620.Rotorelementofturbineassembly.

Figure621.Powerturbine.

Thepowerturbinefig.621isamultistageunitlocatedbehindthegasgeneratorturbine.Thereisno
mechanicalconnectionbetweenthetwoturbines.Thepowerturbineisconnectedtoareductiongearthrough
aclutchmechanism.Acontrollablereversiblepitch(CRP)propellerisusedtochangedirectionofthevessel.

Accessories

Becausetheturbineandthecompressorareonthesamerotatingshaft,apopularmisconceptionisthatthe
gasturbineenginehasonlyonemovingpart.Thisisnotso.Agasturbineenginerequiresastartingdevice,
somekindofcontrolmechanism,andpowertakeoffsforlubeoilandfuelpumps.Theaccessorydrive
section(fig615)ofthegasturbineenginetakescareofthesevariousaccessoryfunctions.Theprimary
purposeoftheaccessorydrivesectionistoprovidespaceforthemountingoftheaccessoriesrequiredforthe
operationandcontroloftheengine.Theaccessorydrivesectionalsoservesasanoilreservoirand/orsump
andhousestheaccessorydrivegearsandreductiongears.

Thegeartrainisdrivenbytheenginerotorthroughanaccessorydriveshaftgearcoupling.Thereduction
gearingwithinthecaseprovidessuitabledrivespeedsforeachengineaccessoryorcomponent.The
accessorydrivesaresupportedbyballbearingsassembledinthemountingboresoftheaccessorycase.

Accessoriesusuallyprovidedintheaccessorydrivesectionincludethefuelcontrol(withitsgoverning
device),thehighpressurefueloilpumporpumps,theoilsump,theoilpressureandscavengingpumpor
pumps,theauxiliaryfuelpump,andastarter.Additionalaccessories,whichmaybeincludedintheaccessory
drivesectionorwhichmaybeprovidedelsewhere,includeastartingfuelpump,ahydraulicoilpump,a
generator,andatachometer.Mostoftheseaccessoriesareessentialfortheoperationandcontrolofanygas
turbineengine.However,theparticularcombinationandarrangementandlocationofenginedriven
accessoriesdependontheuseforwhichthegasturbineengineisdesigned.

Thethreecommonlocationsfortheaccessorysectionareonthesideoftheairinlethousing,underthe
compressorfrontframe,orunderthecompressorrearframe.