Removable Steam Guide Segment for Turbine Hood Lift
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Solution Overview
Problem
The large and heavy upper exhaust hood of steam turbines requires significant lift height for maintenance access, leading to high facility costs due to the need to clear the rigid steam guide, which is a substantial height interference component.
Innovation Solution
A detachable upper steam guide segment is provided, which can be lifted jointly with the upper exhaust hood, reducing the necessary lift height by detaching from the fixed steam guide and supported by a steam guide support bracket attached to the butterfly plate, allowing the upper exhaust hood to be lifted over the remaining height limiting components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the rigid steam guide is kept fixed and complete, then the steam flow guidance function is maintained, but the lift height requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The steam guide is divided into an upper detachable segment and a lower fixed segment. The upper segment can be removed and attached to the exhaust hood for lifting, while the lower segment remains fixed to the turbine casing. This segmentation allows the exhaust hood to be lifted with reduced height requirement while maintaining complete steam flow guidance functionality when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper segment of the steam guide is extracted from the fixed structure and made detachable. This extracted segment is then coupled to the exhaust hood, allowing it to be lifted together with the hood. This extraction eliminates the interference of the complete fixed steam guide during lifting operations.
2Ease of operation
If the upper exhaust hood is made accessible for maintenance, then maintenance operations can be performed, but facility construction costs increase due to increased building height requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the steam guide into detachable upper and lower portions, the patent enables maintenance access to the exhaust hood without requiring the full height that would be needed if the complete steam guide remained fixed. The upper segment is removed during maintenance and reattached afterward, allowing cost-effective facility design.
3Length of stationary object
If the steam guide support bracket is attached to the butterfly plate, then the upper steam guide segment can be lifted with the exhaust hood, but the support structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The steam guide support bracket is merged with the existing butterfly plate structure. The bracket attaches to the butterfly plate, which is already part of the exhaust hood assembly. This merging approach provides the necessary support functionality without adding completely separate support structures, thereby reducing overall complexity while achieving the lift height reduction goal.
Data Source
AI summary
An upper steam guide segment may be a height limiting clearance for a lift of the upper exhaust hood of a steam turbine. The upper steam guide segment for a steam turbine is made detachable from a steam guide. The upper steam guide segment is bracketed to a butterfly plate fixedly attached to an upper exhaust hood of the steam turbine. The upper steam guide segment is supported by the butterfly plate when detached from the full steam guide. During a lift of the upper exhaust hood, the steam guide segment will also be lifted with the upper exhaust hood, resulting in a lower clearance height for the lift.