Tool for aligning sealing segments

Abstract

An alignment tool comprising a mounting flange, a support leg fixedly coupled to the mounting flange and cooperating with the mounting flange to define a partial annular ring extending through an arc between 190 degrees and 350 degrees, and a second number of jack bolt pairs movably coupled to the support leg, each jack bolt pair arranged to engage one of a first number of seal segments. A third number of mounting fasteners positioned to fixedly attach the mounting flange to an inner housing.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Turbines, including gas turbines, may contain internal sealing assemblies that are difficult to align properly. To address this, inferior seal designs are often employed. These designs make assembly easier because they have no radial interference and therefore allow axial movement. In this case, a full labyrinth seal cannot be used. Summary of the Invention

[0002] In one configuration, an alignment tool is described for assembling a central seal having a first number of sealing sections. The central seal is arranged to form a seal between an inner housing and a rotor. The alignment tool includes a mounting flange, support legs, and a second number of jacking bolt pairs. The support legs are fixedly connected to and engage with the mounting flange to define a partially annular ring extending in an arc between 190 degrees and 350 degrees. The second number of jacking bolt pairs are movably connected to the support legs, each jacking bolt pair being arranged to engage one of the first number of sealing sections. A third number of mounting fasteners are positioned to securely attach the mounting flange to the inner housing.

[0003] In another configuration, a method of attaching a central seal having a first number of sealing segments to an inner housing to form a seal between the inner housing and a rotor includes attaching a partial annular ring to the inner housing, the partial annular ring defining an opening at an upper portion of the inner housing. The method further includes engaging a first sealing segment of the first number of sealing segments to the inner housing within the opening of the partial annular ring, such that the first sealing segment is slidable about the rotor, and sliding the first sealing segment within an arc defined by the partial annular ring. The method also includes engaging a first jacking bolt and a second jacking bolt with the first sealing segment, adjusting the positions of the first jacking bolt and the second jacking bolt to position the first sealing segment in a desired radial position, and attaching the first sealing segment to the inner housing.

[0004] In another configuration, a device is arranged to form a seal between an inner housing and a rotor. The device includes multiple sealing sections, each arranged to define a partial arc extending about a portion of the rotor's axis of rotation and including a first hook portion having an opening facing the axis of rotation and arranged to engage a second hook portion connected to the inner housing. The device also includes an alignment tool removably connected to the inner housing, the alignment tool including a partially annular ring extending in an arc between 190 and 350 degrees. Multiple pairs of jacking bolts are movably connected to the alignment tool. Each pair of jacking bolts is arranged to engage one of the multiple sealing sections to position the sealing section relative to the rotor in a desired radial position, and multiple fasteners are arranged to removably connect each of the multiple sealing sections to the inner housing. Attached Figure Description

[0005] To facilitate identification of any discussion of a particular element or action, the highest digit in the reference numerals indicates the figure number in which the element is first introduced.

[0006] Figure 1 It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the gas turbine engine 100 taken along a plane containing the longitudinal axis or central axis.

[0007] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a gas turbine, which better illustrates one of the burners in the combustor.

[0008] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a gas turbine, which better illustrates the central seal.

[0009] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The center seal includes a cross-sectional view of the alignment tool.

[0010] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the central seal, wherein, Figure 4 The alignment tool is attached to the inner housing.

[0011] Figure 6 It describes the use of Figure 3 The flowchart of the alignment process of the center seal 600. Detailed Implementation

[0012] Before explaining any embodiment of the invention in detail, it should be understood that the invention, in its application, is not limited to the details of the construction and arrangement of the components set forth in this specification or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention can have other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in various ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting.

[0013] Various techniques relating to systems and methods will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference numerals always represent similar elements. The drawings discussed below in this patent document, as well as the various embodiments used to describe the principles of this disclosure, are merely exemplary and should in no way be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged device. It should be understood that functions described as being performed by certain system elements can be implemented by multiple elements. Similarly, for example, elements can be configured to implement functions described as being implemented by multiple elements. Numerous inventive teachings of this application will be described with reference to exemplary, non-limiting embodiments.

[0014] Furthermore, it should be understood that, unless explicitly limited in some examples, the words or phrases used herein should be interpreted broadly. For example, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including,” and their derivatives, mean non-restrictive inclusion. Unless otherwise explicitly indicated by the context, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms. Additionally, the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items. Unless otherwise explicitly indicated by the context, the term “or” is inclusive, meaning and / or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated with,” and their derivatives, can mean including, being included in, interconnected with, containing, contained within, connected to or linked to, coupled to or connected with, able to communicate with, cooperate with, interleaved, juxtaposed, proximate, combined to or combined with, having, possessing the characteristics of, etc. Furthermore, although this document may describe multiple embodiments or configurations, any features, methods, steps, components, etc., described with respect to one embodiment are equally applicable to other embodiments unless otherwise specifically stated otherwise.

[0015] Furthermore, although the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., may be used herein to refer to various elements, information, functions, or actions, these elements, information, functions, or actions should not be limited by these terms. Rather, these numerical adjectives are used to distinguish different elements, information, functions, or actions from one another. For example, a first element, first information, first function, or first action may be referred to as a second element, second information, second function, or second action, and similarly, a second element, second information, second function, or second action may be referred to as a first element, first information, first function, or first action, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0016] Additionally, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term "adjacent to" can mean that an element is relatively close to another element but not in contact with that other element, or that an element is in contact with other parts. Furthermore, unless otherwise clearly indicated, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "at least partially based on". The terms "approximately" or "substantially" or similar terms are intended to cover variations within the normal industrial manufacturing tolerance range used for that dimension. In the absence of an available industry standard, unless otherwise stated, twenty percent of the variation will fall within the meaning of these terms.

[0017] Figure 1 An example of a gas turbine engine 100 is illustrated, which includes a compressor section 108, a combustion section 104, and a turbine section 112 arranged along a central axis 126. The compressor section 108 includes a plurality of compressor stages 114, each compressor stage 114 including a set of rotating blades 130 and a set of stationary blades 128 or adjustable guide impellers. A rotor 132 supports the rotating blades 130 for rotation about the central axis 126 during operation. In some configurations, a single, one-piece rotor 132 extends along the length of the gas turbine engine 100 and is supported for rotation by bearings located at both ends. In other configurations, the rotor 132 is assembled from a plurality of individual spools attached to each other, or may include a plurality of disc sections attached via one or more bolts.

[0018] The compressor section 108 is in fluid communication with the inlet section 120 to allow the gas turbine engine 100 to draw atmospheric air into the compressor section 108. During operation of the gas turbine engine 100, the compressor section 108 draws in atmospheric air and compresses it for delivery to the combustion section 104. The illustrated compressor section 108 is an example of a compressor section 108; other arrangements and designs are also possible.

[0019] In the illustrated configuration, the combustion section 104 includes a plurality of individual burners 200, each burner operating to mix a fuel stream with compressed air from the compressor section 108 and burn the air-fuel mixture to produce a stream of high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gas or exhaust gas 122. Of course, many other arrangements of the combustion section 104 are possible.

[0020] Turbine section 112 includes multiple turbine stages 116, each turbine stage 116 including multiple rotating turbine blades 106 and multiple stationary turbine impellers 110. Turbine stages 116 are arranged to receive exhaust gas 122 from combustion section 104 at turbine inlet 118 and expand the exhaust gas, thereby converting thermal and pressure energy into rotational or mechanical work. Turbine section 112 is connected to compressor section 108 to drive compressor section 108. For a gas turbine engine 100 used for power generation or as a prime mover, turbine section 112 is also connected to a generator, pump, or other device to be driven. Other designs and arrangements of turbine section 112, like compressor section 108, are also possible.

[0021] The exhaust section 102 is located downstream of the turbine section 112 and is arranged to receive the expanded flow of exhaust gas 122 from the final turbine stage 116 in the turbine section 112. The exhaust section 102 is arranged to effectively guide the exhaust gas 122 away from the turbine section 112 to ensure the efficient operation of the turbine section 112. Many variations and design differences are possible in the exhaust section 102. Therefore, the exhaust section 102 shown in the figure is merely one example of these variations.

[0022] The control system 124 is coupled to the gas turbine engine 100 and operates to monitor various operating parameters and control various operations of the gas turbine engine 100. In a preferred configuration, the control system 124 is typically microprocessor-based and includes memory devices and data storage devices for collecting, analyzing, and storing data. Additionally, the control system 124 provides output data to various devices, including monitors, printers, indicators, etc., that allow users to interact with the control system 124 to provide input or adjustment. In the example of a power generation system, the user can input a power output setpoint, and the control system 124 can adjust various control inputs to achieve that power output efficiently.

[0023] The control system 124 can control various operating parameters, including but not limited to variable inlet guide impeller position, fuel flow rate and pressure, engine speed, valve position, generator load, and generator excitation. Of course, other applications may have fewer or more controllable devices. The control system 124 also monitors various parameters to ensure the proper functioning of the gas turbine engine 100. Some of the monitored parameters may include inlet air temperature, compressor outlet temperature and pressure, burner outlet temperature, fuel flow rate, generator power output, bearing temperature, etc. Many of these measurements are displayed to the user and recorded for later review.

[0024] As discussed, the combustion section 104 may include a plurality of burners 200 to provide the combustion required by the gas turbine engine 100. Figure 2 A more detailed illustration shows the area of ​​the combustion section 104 that includes one of the burners 200. As illustrated, an outer housing 204 surrounds and encloses the burner 200, while an inner housing 206 at least partially surrounds the rotor 132 so that the rotor 132 does not come into direct contact with the compressed air exiting the compressor section 108 at the compressor outlet 212 or the exhaust gas 122 entering the turbine stage 116 at the turbine inlet 118.

[0025] A central housing 208 is provided to enhance the protection of the rotor 132 from the exhaust gas 122. The central housing 208 includes a plurality of sealing sections 214, each of which is fixedly attached to the inner housing 206 and cooperates with an adapter 210, which is part of the rotor 132, to form a seal 202 between the sealing section and the adapter.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the area surrounding seal 202, which better illustrates the various components. As shown, each seal segment 214 includes a planar leg 310 and an axial leg 312. The planar leg 310 defines a generally planar portion of the seal segment 214, and the axial leg 312 extends from the planar leg 310 in an axial or generally axial direction. Thus, each seal segment 214 resembles an angular or L-shaped member in cross-section. The planar leg 310 includes a seal segment hook 306 arranged to engage an inner housing hook 308 formed as part of the inner housing 206. The seal segment hook 306 engages the inner housing hook 308 to vertically support the seal segment 214. The planar leg 310 also defines a plurality of holes, each arranged to receive a fastener 304. Fasteners 304 are arranged to thread into the inner housing 206 to securely attach each sealing section 214 to the inner housing 206.

[0027] Axial legs 312 extend along the axial length of adapter 210 and support a series of sealing teeth 302 arranged in a desired pattern. The sealing teeth 302 of the axial legs 312 mate with sealing teeth 302 formed on or mounted in adapter 210. In the illustrated configuration, the sealing teeth 302 are arranged to define a full labyrinth (the sealing teeth 302 interfere in the radial direction), wherein the sealing teeth 302 form an interlocking pattern. Of course, other patterns or arrangements, such as an open labyrinth, can be used if desired.

[0028] Figure 4 The illustration shows a sealing section 214 that engages with the inner housing 206, forming a seal 202 with the adapter 210. Additionally, an alignment tool 402 is attached to the inner housing 206 for proper positioning and alignment of the sealing section 214, as will be discussed in more detail. The alignment tool 402 includes a partially annular ring 404 defined by a support leg 406 and a mounting flange 408 arranged in an L-shaped cross-section; other shapes and arrangements are also possible. In the illustrated configuration, the support leg 406 and the mounting flange 408 are formed as a single piece and are inseparable without damaging the partially annular ring 404. However, other configurations may include a partially annular ring 404 formed by removably attaching the support leg 406 to the mounting flange 408.

[0029] For example, regarding Figure 5 As discussed in detail, the mounting flange 408 is arranged to abut against the inner housing 206 and includes a plurality of holes for securely attaching the alignment tool 402 to the inner housing 206. Additionally, the support leg 406 includes a plurality of holes, each arranged to receive a lifting bolt 410. In a preferred configuration, the holes are threaded, and in a more preferred configuration, fine threads are used to allow for minor adjustments to the lifting bolt 410, as will be discussed in more detail below.

[0030] Each jacking bolt 410 includes a mating end 414 arranged to engage the outer surface of the sealing section 214. An optional locking collar 412 may be threadedly engaged to each jacking bolt 410 and may be used to lock the position of the associated jacking bolt 410 if needed.

[0031] Continue to refer to Figure 4An arrangement of the seal 202 formed between the rotor 132 or adapter 210 and each sealing segment in the sealing segment 214 is illustrated as a non-perspective labyrinth seal. As illustrated, the adapter 210 includes a plurality of radially extending rotor seal tips 420, each rotor seal tip 420 being axially spaced from adjacent rotor seal tips 420. Each rotor seal tip 420 defines a rotor tip diameter 416. A similar arrangement of segment seal tips 422 is positioned on or formed as part of each sealing segment in the sealing segment 214. The segment seal tips 422 extend radially to define a segment tip diameter 418 and are axially spaced from each other. The rotor tip diameter 416 of at least one rotor seal tip 420 is larger than the segment tip diameter 418 of at least one segment seal tip 422 to define a non-perspective labyrinth seal. The rotor seal tip 420 and the section seal tip 422 are also arranged alternately to define alternating leakage paths, which results in a more effective seal 202.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the alignment tool 402 attached to the inner housing 206. As can be observed, a portion of the annular ring 404 extends in an arc between 190 degrees and 350 degrees, with an arc of approximately 240 degrees being preferred. The size of the arc is not important, as long as the gap or opening portion 508 is large enough to allow one of the sealing segments 214 to pass through. Thus, in a construction comprising six sealing segments 214 to achieve a 360-degree seal 202, for example in Figure 5 In the illustrated configuration, the gap or opening 508 should be at least 60 degrees. In the illustrated configuration, the opening 508 is large enough for the two sealing sections 214 such that the arc is approximately 240 degrees (+ / - 10 degrees).

[0033] Multiple mounting fasteners 504 securely connect a portion of the annular ring 404 to the inner housing 206, such that the opening 508 faces the vertically upward direction 506. Preferably, the opening 508 is centrally positioned at the top stop, as indicated by the arrow showing the vertically upward direction 506.

[0034] The lifting bolt 410 engages with a portion of the annular ring 404 and is divided into multiple pairs of lifting bolts 502. The multiple pairs of lifting bolts 502 are arranged such that each lifting bolt 410 in a pair of lifting bolts 502 engages one end of the sealing section 214. In this way, each lifting bolt 410 in a pair of lifting bolts 502 can be adjusted to radially position (i.e., radially away from the central axis 126) each end of the sealing section 214 associated with that pair of lifting bolts 502.

[0035] The operation and use of alignment tool 402 will refer to Figure 6 The following description is provided. During the alignment process 600, the first step using the alignment tool 402 is to attach a portion of the annular ring 404 to the inner housing 206 at the desired radial position, wherein the opening portion 508 faces upward. A first sealing section 214 is slidably attached to the inner housing 206 (frame 604) by engaging the sealing section hook portion 306 with the inner housing hook portion 308 in the opening portion 508 of the portion of the annular ring 404. More specifically, the first sealing section 214 may be positioned at a top dead center position, where the engaged sealing section hook portion 306 and the inner housing hook portion 308 support the sealing section 214. The opening 508 of the partial annular ring 404 allows the sealing section 214 to be positioned in or very close to a desired axial position (i.e., along the central axis 126) and allows the sealing section 214 to move radially until the sealing section hook 306 engages with the inner housing hook 308. The arrangement of the sealing section hook 306 and the inner housing hook 308 provides support for the sealing section 214 only when it is positioned in the upper portion of the arc, but allows the sealing section 214 to slide about the arc. The user then rotates the sealing section 214 toward its desired operating position. As the sealing section 214 moves toward and into the lower portion of the arc, the engaged sealing section hook 306 and inner housing hook 308 cease to provide sufficient support for the sealing section 214. However, at this point, the sealing section 214 is within, or at least partially within, the annular ring 404, such that the jacking bolts 410 can engage the outer surface of the sealing section 214 and support the sealing section 214 at or near its desired radial position (see frames 606 and 608). The annular ring 404 is positioned and the jacking bolts 410 are arranged such that each pair of jacking bolts 502 supports one and only one sealing section 214 when the sealing section 214 is in its operating position. It is important to note that more than two jacking bolts 410 can be used to support and position each sealing section 214 if needed.

[0036] As outlined in box 610, the user then adjusts each of the pair of jacking bolts 502 supporting the sealing section 214 to radially position the sealing section 214. Rotating each jacking bolt 410 operates to position the associated end of the sealing section 214 radially closer to or further away from the central axis 126. By employing fine threads, minute adjustments to the radial position can be made by rotating the jacking bolts 410. Additionally, a depth micrometer can be used as a jacking bolt 410 or separately to allow precise measurement of the position of the sealing section 214 or changes in its position.

[0037] Once the sealing section 214 is in the desired radial position, some or all of the fasteners 304 can be tightened to securely attach the sealing section 214 to the inner housing 206. As shown in box 614, the alignment process 600 continues by repeating the steps of boxes 604 to 612 for the other sealing section 214.

[0038] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, alternatives, variations and improvements disclosed herein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the broadest form of the disclosure.

[0039] Nothing in the description of this application should be construed as implying that any particular element, step, action, or function is a necessary element to be included within the scope of the claims: the scope of the patent subject matter is defined only by the permitted claims. Furthermore, unless the exact phrase "means for…" is followed by a participle, these claims are not intended to invoke a means-plus-function claim structure.

Claims

1. An alignment tool for assembling a central seal having a first number of sealing sections, the central seal being arranged to form a seal between an inner housing and a rotor, the alignment tool comprising: Install flange; Support leg, the support leg being fixedly connected to the mounting flange and engaging with the mounting flange to define a partial annular ring extending in an arc between 190 degrees and 350 degrees; A second number of jacking bolt pairs are movably connected to the support leg, each jacking bolt pair being arranged to engage one of the first number of sealing sections. as well as A third number of mounting fasteners, the third number of mounting fasteners being positioned to securely attach the mounting flange to the inner housing.

2. The alignment tool according to claim 1, wherein, The arc is 240 degrees.

3. The alignment tool according to claim 1, wherein, The first quantity is 6, and the second quantity is 4.

4. The alignment tool according to claim 1, wherein, The inner housing includes a first hook-shaped portion, and each of the sealing sections includes a second hook-shaped portion arranged to engage the first hook-shaped portion.

5. The alignment tool according to claim 1, wherein, Each jacking bolt engages with the support leg via a thread.

6. The alignment tool of claim 1 further includes a depth gauge selectively coupled to the partial annular ring to measure the radial position of each sealing section.

7. A method of attaching a central seal having a first number of sealing sections to an inner housing to form a seal between the inner housing and a rotor, the method comprising: A partial annular ring is attached to the inner housing, the partial annular ring defining an opening at the upper portion of the inner housing; The first sealing segment of the first number of sealing segments is connected to the inner housing in the opening portion of the partial annular ring, such that the first sealing segment can slide around the rotor; The first sealing section is slid into the arc defined by the partial annular ring; Engage the first jacking bolt and the second jacking bolt with the first sealing section; Adjust the positions of the first jacking bolt and the second jacking bolt to position the first sealing section in the desired radial position; as well as The first sealing section is attached to the inner housing.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising threading a plurality of fasteners to attach the partial annular ring to the inner housing.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising engaging a first hook portion of the inner housing with a second hook portion of the first sealing section.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising repeating the connection step and the sliding step for the second sealing section.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising engaging the third jacking bolt and the fourth jacking bolt with the second sealing section.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting the positions of the third jacking bolt and the fourth jacking bolt to position the second sealing section in a desired radial position; and The second sealing section is attached to the inner housing.

13. An apparatus arranged to form a seal between an inner housing and a rotor, the apparatus comprising: Multiple sealing sections, each sealing section being arranged to define a partial arc extending around a portion of the central axis of the rotor and including a first hook portion having an opening facing the central axis and being arranged to engage with a second hook portion connected to the inner housing; An alignment tool, which is removably connected to the inner housing, the alignment tool comprising a partially annular ring extending in an arc between 190 degrees and 350 degrees; Multiple jacking bolt pairs are movably connected to the alignment tool, each jacking bolt pair being arranged to engage one of the multiple sealing sections to position the sealing section relative to the rotor in a desired radial position. as well as A plurality of fasteners are arranged to removably connect each of the plurality of sealing sections to the inner housing.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein, The arc is 240 degrees.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein, The plurality of sealing sections comprises six individual sealing sections, and the plurality of jacking bolt pairs comprises four jacking bolt pairs arranged to support only four of the six sealing sections.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein, The two sealing sections, which are not supported by one of the jacking bolt pairs, are at least partially supported by the engagement of the first hook portion and the second hook portion.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein, Each lifting bolt engages with the alignment tool via a thread.

18. The device of claim 13, further comprising a depth gauge selectively coupled to the partial annular ring to measure the radial position of each sealed section.

19. The device according to claim 13, wherein, The rotor includes a plurality of radially extending rotor sealing tips spaced apart from each other, a first rotor sealing tip defining a first diameter, and wherein each sealing segment defines a plurality of radially extending segment sealing tips spaced apart from each other, a first segment sealing tip defining a second diameter.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein, The radially extending plurality of rotor seal tips and the radially extending plurality of segment seal tips are arranged axially in an alternating manner, such that each rotor seal tip is spaced apart from the segment seal tip in the axial direction, and wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter to define an opaque labyrinth seal between the rotor and the sealing segment.

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