Water Turbine

Abstract

The invention relates to a water turbine or water pump or other hydraulic machine that comprises a stationary and a revolving component. The invention also comprises a sealing gap that is disposed between the stationary and revolving components, which is sealed by a labyrinth seal and through which a leakage flow for cooling or lubricating the seal will flow during operation of the hydraulic machine. The invention also provides a connection on the sealing gap for its evacuation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water turbine comprising:
 a stationary component and a revolving component;   a sealing gap disposed between the components, through which a leakage flow for cooling and lubricating will flow during operation of a hydraulic machine; and   at least one connection is provided for a complete or partial evacuation of an entire blade wheel region or at least one of a sealing gap in work-free phases of the water turbine.   
     
     
         2 . The water turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the sealing gap is arranged as a
 labyrinth seal and comprises a plurality of annular chambers and channels   which are shaped in a manner of an annular gap and which connect said   plurality of annular chambers in a conductive manner with each other; and   wherein the stationary component is displaceably held in an axial direction relative to the revolving component between an operating position and a non-operating position in a direction of the leakage flow for setting a gap width of the channels shaped in the manner of the annular gap.   
     
     
         3 . The water turbine of  claim 2 , wherein an axial extension of the plurality of annular chambers in a direction of displacement of the stationary component is larger than an axial extension of the channels shaped in the manner of the annular gap. 
     
     
         4 . The water turbine of  claim 3 , wherein mutually facing boundary surfaces of the stationary and revolving components form the labyrinth seal, and are disposed on a cylinder or cone jacket surface, and both stationary and revolving components are arranged concentrically with respect to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The water turbine of  claim 4 , wherein the stationary component is arranged as a split ring and comprises a displacing device or is connected to a displacing device, wherein the displacing device displaces the split ring between the operating position and the non-operating position. 
     
     
         6 . The water turbine of  claim 5 , wherein the displacing device for displacing the split ring can be actuated magnetically, electrically, electromagnetically, pneumatically, hydraulically or mechanically. 
     
     
         7 . The water turbine of  claim 5 , wherein the displacing device comprises a piston which is formed by the split ring and the piston at least partly delimits a first piston chamber and a second piston chamber, with both piston chambers being pressurizable in an alternating manner via a pneumatic or hydraulic pressure supply. 
     
     
         8 . The water turbine of  claim 7 , wherein various labyrinth seals can be brought to the operating position or non-operating position independently from one another or together with one another. 
     
     
         9 . The water turbine of  claim 8 , wherein a vacuum connection is arranged in or on a suction pipe or a pressure pipe of the hydraulic machine. 
     
     
         10 . The water turbine of  claim 9 , wherein the vacuum connection is arranged in a region of a guide wheel ring or a housing cover. 
     
     
         11 . The water turbine of  claim 10 , further comprising a device for activating an evacuation depending on the operating state of the hydraulic machine. 
     
     
         12 . The water turbine of  claim 11 , further comprising a device for automatically blocking the sealing gap after applying the vacuum connection.