Steam Turbine Seal Ring Wedge Clamping for Precise OD Finishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing finishing apparatus and methods for steam turbine seal rings face challenges in securely clamping and machining oversized seal rings with angled surfaces, leading to installation delays, material waste, and extended turbine outages due to difficulty in achieving precise diameter reductions.
Innovation Solution
A finishing apparatus with angled plates forming a wedge-shaped cavity securely clamps the seal ring, ensuring centering and uniform compressive force, allowing for precise machining of the outer diameter to match the valve casing inner diameter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If known finishing apparatus are used to machine oversized seal rings, then the outer diameter can be reduced to match the valve casing inner diameter, but the seal ring is difficult to secure in position for machining due to its overall size and angled surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The finishing apparatus is divided into multiple modular components including a head assembly, support assembly, and plate assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be independently positioned and adjusted, making it easier to handle and secure large oversized seal rings during the finishing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus includes preliminary positioning features such as centering mechanisms and alignment guides that are built into the structure. These features perform preliminary centering and alignment of the seal ring before the actual finishing operation begins, eliminating the difficulty of securing the ring in position during machining.
2Manufacturing precision
If known finishing methods are used on seal rings with angled surfaces, then the outer diameter can be reduced, but the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The finishing apparatus incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the cutting tool and support structures to move and adapt during the finishing operation. This enables continuous machining without frequent stops for repositioning or tool changes, significantly improving productivity while maintaining precision on angled surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus is designed to maintain continuous contact between the cutting tool and the seal ring surface throughout the finishing operation. The support assemblies and positioning systems ensure uninterrupted machining action, eliminating idle time and labor-intensive interruptions that characterize traditional methods.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional finishing machinery is used for seal rings, then the outer diameter can be machined, but the process requires extended turbine outages and incurs higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
The finishing apparatus is designed to be self-contained and portable, allowing it to be installed and operated directly at the turbine site without requiring removal of the seal ring or extensive disassembly of turbine components. This self-service capability enables finishing operations to be performed quickly during brief outages, minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus utilizes a vertical or radial approach to accessing the seal ring, rather than requiring horizontal removal or complex positioning. By working from another dimensional perspective (radially inward or vertically), the system can finish the seal ring in place during minimal outage time without requiring the seal ring to be completely removed from the turbine assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A finishing apparatus enables an outer diameter of a seal ring to be reduced. The finishing apparatus includes a first plate including a first peripheral angled surface, and a second plate including a second peripheral angled surface. The second peripheral angled surface is spaced a distance from the first peripheral angled surface when the finishing apparatus is assembled. The first and second peripheral angled surfaces define at least a portion of a wedge-shaped receiving cavity that is shaped complementary to a shape of an inner diameter of the seal ring to facilitate securing the seal ring in position relative to the finishing apparatus while the outer diameter of the seal ring is finished to a pre-determined size.