Motorized Roller Support for Horizontal Rotor Welding Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Welding large and heavy rotor parts together in turbine generator systems poses challenges due to alignment and support requirements, necessitating a solution for efficient and uniform welding connections.
Innovation Solution
A supporting machine with motorized rollers for synchronized rotation of rotor parts in a horizontal position, combined with a welding machine featuring a plasma or submerged arc welding unit, and a method that includes preheating and controlled alignment to facilitate easy and uniform welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If rotor parts are oriented in vertical position for welding, then the welding machine can easily be moved around the rotor parts, but the alignment and support of large and heavy rotor parts becomes difficult and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional welding approach by rotating the rotor parts from vertical to horizontal position. This inversion allows the use of simple support structures (rollers) instead of complex vertical positioning systems, while the welding machine remains stationary. The horizontal orientation simplifies both support and welding operations simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces motorized rollers that can dynamically adjust the rotation speed of rotor parts to match each other during welding. This dynamic speed synchronization enables precise alignment and maintains the horizontal position throughout the welding process, resolving the complexity of supporting heavy rotating parts.
2Reliability
If rotor parts are fixed in vertical orientation for welding, then welding connection can be created, but the alignment precision and uniformity of welding quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the welding position from vertical to horizontal, the patent achieves better alignment precision. The horizontal position allows gravity to assist in maintaining uniform contact between rotor parts and support rollers, enabling more precise alignment and uniform welding quality compared to vertical orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic rotation of the rotor parts on motorized rollers during the welding process. This controlled periodic rotation ensures uniform distribution of welding heat and maintains consistent alignment throughout the welding operation, improving both precision and quality.
3Ease of manufacture
If a stationary welding machine is used for horizontal welding of rotor parts, then the welding process becomes simpler and more uniform, but the rotor parts must be rotated with precise synchronized speed control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses motorized rollers with dynamic speed control capabilities to rotate rotor parts at precisely matched speeds. This automation handles the complexity of synchronization, allowing the welding process itself to remain simple and uniform with a stationary welding machine.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment methods with motorized rotational control. The motorized rollers automatically synchronize the rotation of multiple rotor parts, substituting complex mechanical alignment operations with controlled rotational movement, thereby simplifying the overall welding process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and uniform welding of rotor parts by ensuring proper alignment and support, allowing for the use of stationary welding machines and achieving strong connections in a horizontal position, even for long and heavy rotor parts.
Implementation Method 1
The supporting machine is comprising at least one motorized roller for supporting the first rotor part and at least one motorized roller for supporting the at least one second rotor part, wherein the rotation of the at least one motorized roller of the first rotor part is aligned in such a way to the rotation of the at least one motorized roller of the at least one second rotor part that the rotor parts rotate with the same rotation speed
Implementation Method 2
welding machine featuring a plasma or submerged arc welding unit
Implementation Method 3
welding machine featuring a plasma or submerged arc welding unit
Implementation Method 4
a method that includes preheating and controlled alignment to facilitate easy and uniform welding
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention is related to a supporting machine (20) for supporting a first rotor part (12) and at least one second rotor part (13, 14) of a rotor (11), in particular a hollow rotor, in a horizontal position during welding the parts (12, 13, 14) together by a welding machine. Further the invention relates to a welding machine with such a supporting machine (20) and a method of supporting rotors parts (12, 13, 14) during welding.