April 27, 1965 R. s.

SPROULE 3,180,613
REMOVABLE FRANCIS TURBINE SEALS

Filed Nov. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

INVENTOR.
‘BOB EET S . SPBOULC

W4’ ATTOPNEY
 April 27, 1965 R. s. SPROULE 3,180,613
REMOVABLE FRANCIS TURBINE SEALS

Filed Nov. 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

IO

NI

INVENTOR
ROBERT \$. SPEOULE

7%w/agwz A TTOPA/EK
 3,13%;6l3
United States Patent 0 rice Patented Apr. 27, 1965

l 2
lar reference characters designate corresponding parts
3,189,613 throughout, the turbine includes an inlet 1, a runner gen
REMQVABLE FRANCIS TURBINE SEALS erally designated by 2, an outlet generally designated by
Robert S. Sproule, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to 3 and a shaft 4. The runner is formed with an upper
Dominion Engineering Works Limited shroud 5 integral with the runner crown 6; the runner is
Filed Nov. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 237,666 also provided with lower shroud 7 of which the lower
ll Gain}. (Cl. 253-26) extremity forms the runner band 8. Crown 6 is formed
This application is a continuation in part of my applica with a flange 9 which constitutes the rotary element of
tion Serial No. 114,877 ?led June 5, 1961 now abandoned. the crown seal. vHead cover ill is provided with stationary
This invention relates to turbines of the Francis type crown seal element ill, and the lower stationary structure
and has particular reference to a new and improved run 12 of the turbine is embedded in a concrete foundation
ner band seal for such turbines. shown generally at 13. Runner band 8 is provided with
For high head Francis turbines the preferred location rotary band seal element 14 which cooperates with sta
of the runner band seal is close to the runner discharge tionary band seal element 15 which is ?tted into static
and the preferred location of the runner crown seal, be 15 structure 12. Turbine outlet 3 is defined by the wall 16
tween the crown and cover, is at the same diameter as of the draft tube. Stationary crown seal element 10 is
held to head cover 11 by bolts 17. Stationary band seal
the band seal.
In order to obtain high eiliciency it is desirable to keep element 15 is held to static structure 12 by means of -
the seal clearance small and this small clearance intro weld 13. Where the rotary band seal element (as in
duces the danger of seal fouling and seizure. With the FIG. 2) is not an integral part of runner band 8, rotary
seals located in these preferred, but inaccessible posi band seal element 14 is held to runner band 8 by means
tions, dismantling of the turbine becomes very ditlicult if of weld 19.
the seals have seized, thus preventing dismantling in the In the event of seizure at the sealing interface of sta
normal way. This invention is designed to minimize the tionary band seal element 15, seal element 14 may readily
inconvenience of seized seals by permitting the normally 25 be freed from static structure 12 by removal of weld 18,
?xed portions of the seal to be readily detached from the after which seal element 15 may be withdrawn vertically
?xed portions of the turbine so that they may be removed along with runner 2 to which it has seized. This is to
with the turbine runner. say that, when weld 18 has been removed, runner 2 may
Prior methods include provision of dismantling means he lifted vertically as in normal dismantling procedure.
and passages in the foundations so that the turbine lower 30 If stationary crown seal element 10 has seized to ?ange
cover may be removed with the runner from below. 9 of runner crown 6, bolts 17 are withdrawn, permitting
The disadvantage of this method is the very high cost of removal of head cover Ill, leaving seal element 10 at
providing dismantling means and the spaces in the power tached by seizure to runner 2.
house. Furthermore, dismantling the runner and bottom When runner 2 has been vertically withdrawn with
cover together merely permits removal of a seized runner either seal element 15 or seal element 16, or both, seized
and bottom cover assembly to a more convenient place to it, the seals, which are much less costly than runner
to work on them and separating one from the other may 2 or static structure 12 or head cover ll, may be removed
still be a very difficult task and may involve further serious from runner 2 by machining or any other method, even
damage. If both the crown and band seals are seized estructive; replacement seals may then be quickly ?tted,
it may not be possible to remove any of the major turbine and runner 2 returned to service undamaged.
parts without doing serious damage to one or more of The arrangement of FIG. 2 is a modi?ed form of the
invention in which detachable rotary band seal element
them.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a 14 is attached to runner band it by weld 19. With this
new and improved runner band seal for a Francis type execution, it is possible to return the turbine to service,
turbine which seal is readily removable when seized to 45 following a seizure of the band seal elements, more rapid
the runner, though attached ?rmly to the stationary struc— ly than in the case of the execution shown in FIG. 1.
ture of the turbine when functioning normally. The spirit of the invention would be observed if the
Gther objects and advantages of the invention are that rotary band seal element were executed as shown in FIG.
a smaller seal clearance may be used which provides a 2 and the stationary band seal element were to form an
higher turbine eiiiciency. Also in the event of a seizure v integral part of static structure 12. With such an arrange
repairs can be made faster and more economically than ment it would still be possible to release the runner for
with prior constructions. In this connection it is pointed easy vertical withdrawal in the event of a band seal seizure.
out that the saving in repair time can be a factor of From the foregoing it will be seen that I have pro
great economical importance with a hydro-electric tur vided new and improved means for realizing the objects
bine. and advantages of the invention.
Another object is to provide a device of the type set I claim:
forth which eliminates the need for provision of dis In a vertically mounted Francis turbine including a sta
mantling facilities below the runner whereby a large tionary structure embedded in concrete, a rotating struc
saving in power house cost may be realized. ture comprising a runner secured to a shaft for rotation
Gther objects and advantages of the invention will be within said stationary structure, said runner having band
apparent from the following description taken in connec and crown elements, sealing means located between adja
tion with the accompanying drawings in which the pre cent portions of said band and said stationary structure,
ferred form of the invention has been shown by way of said sealing means comprising removable sealing elements
illustration only. secured to the stationary structure and the band segment
65 of the runner and adapted to be released from within
Referring to the drawing:
FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of high head Francis tur the con?nes of said stationary structure thereby facilitating
bines embodying the preferred form of the invention. withdrawal of the runner from the stationary structure in
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View showing a modi the event said sealing elements seize together.
' ?cd form of the invention.
Referring more particularly to the ?gures wherein simi (References on following page)
 3,180,613
4
Reé‘ea‘emes Cite? by the Examiner 2,818,227 12/57 Suss ________________ __' 253--26
UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,32%; 1/59 Copeland _.; _______ _'___. 103-102
12/59 Schelp ‘ ______________ __ 253-55
786,922 4/05 Smith et a1 __________ __ 103-114 1921333 1/60 Williams ___________ __ 103-103
971,850 10/10 KrOgh _____________ _.. 103—103 ‘5 3,066,612 12/62 Haentjens ___________ __ 103-112
1,114,238 10/14 Doble ______________ __ 103-114 1
1,238,731 9/17 Anderson __________ __, 103-108 FOREIGN PATENTS
1,525,884 2/25 Plummer __________ __ 253-773 1,134,269 11/56 France.
1,783,427 12/30 Jennings ____________ __ 103-112
1,820,150 8/31 Moody _____________ __ 253-117 10 KARL J. ALBRECHT, Primary Examiner.
2,475,316 7/49 Gan-away __________ __ 103-112
JOSEPH H. BRANSON, JR., Examiner.’ '