System for laterally moving industrial machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054253-B2
Application number	US-201514737524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A system for laterally moving an industrial machine is provided. The system includes a pair of rail elements configured to be positioned laterally below and support the industrial machine, the rail elements allowing the industrial machine to be moved laterally from a first operative position to a second, maintenance position; and a pair of linear actuators configured to laterally move the industrial machine as from the first, operative position to the second, maintenance position. The rail elements may include a first skid configured to couple laterally to an underside of the industrial machine at a first axial position; and a second skid configured to couple laterally to an underside of the industrial machine at a second axial position. First and second segmented support rails are positioned in sliding, aligned contact with the first and second skid, respectively, and are configured to be supported on a respective machine foundation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for laterally moving an industrial machine for maintenance, the system comprising:
a pair of rail elements configured to be positioned laterally below and support the industrial machine, the pair of rail elements allowing the industrial machine to be moved laterally from a first operative position to a second, maintenance position,
wherein the pair of rail elements include:
a first skid configured to couple laterally to an underside of the industrial machine at a first axial position;
a second skid configured to couple laterally to an underside of the industrial machine at a second axial position;
a first segmented support rail for positioning in sliding, aligned contact with the first skid and configured to be supported on a first machine foundation; and
a second segmented support rail for positioning in sliding, aligned contact with the second skid and configured to be positioned on a second machine foundation, each segmented support rail extending a distance beyond a periphery of the industrial machine on at least one end; and

a pair of linear actuators, each linear actuator mounted directly to one of the pair of rail elements, the pair of linear actuators capable of applying a force directly to each of the skids of the pair of rail elements to cause lateral movement of the industrial machine from the first, operative position to the second, maintenance position by causing a sliding interaction of each skid along a respective rail element of the pair of rail elements,
wherein the pair of linear actuators are configured to laterally move the industrial machine as each skid slides along a respective segmented support rail, and
each segment of the segmented support rails includes at least one removable skid plate.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a support rail extender for temporary coupling to a first segment of a selected segmented support rail for spanning a gap between a pair of opposing piers of one of the machine foundations during installation of the selected segmented support rail.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one segment of a selected segmented support rail has a different length than at least one other segment of the selected segmented support rail.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each skid includes:
a beam; and
a skid member at each end of the beam, each skid member including a mount for coupling the skid member to a foot of the industrial machine and an opposing, skid plate for sliding engagement with a respective segmented support rail.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein each skid member further includes an actuator coupling for selective coupling to one of the pair of linear actuators.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of linear actuators include a first linear actuator coupled between the first segmented support rail and the first skid, and a second linear actuator coupled between the second segmented support rail and the second skid, and wherein the first and second linear actuator are synchronized with one another.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of climbing jacks for raising the industrial machine in a synchronized manner to a raised position above the first and second machine foundations, allowing installation of the first and second skids and the first and second segmented support rails.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising cribbing for supporting the industrial machine during raising of thereof to the raised position.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each machine foundation includes a pair of opposing piers on opposing sides of the industrial machine, each support rail spanning a space between a respective pair of opposing piers in operation.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a support member for coupling opposing feet of the industrial machine together.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a support rail for supporting a portion of a respective support rail extending beyond a respective machine foundation.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the skids and the segmented support rails includes a channel into which the other one of the skid and the segmented support rail is engaged.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein each segment of the segmented support rails includes a plurality of lift rings or eyes.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the segments of each segmented support rail includes a plurality of fastener openings for coupling the at least one segment to a respective machine foundation.

15. A system for laterally moving an industrial machine for maintenance, the system comprising:
a pair of rail elements configured to be positioned laterally below and support the industrial machine, the pair of rail elements allowing the industrial machine to be moved laterally from a first operative position to a second, maintenance position, the pair of rail elements including:
a first skid configured to couple laterally to an underside of the industrial machine at a first axial position;
a second skid configured to couple laterally to the underside of the industrial machine at a second axial position;
a first segmented support rail for positioning in sliding, aligned contact with the first skid and configured to be supported on a first machine foundation;
a second segmented support rail for positioning in sliding, aligned contact with the second skid and configured to be positioned on a second machine foundation, each segmented support rail extending a distance beyond a periphery of the industrial machine on at least one end; and

a pair of linear actuators configured to laterally move the industrial machine from the first, operative position to the second, maintenance position, and the pair of linear actuators are configured to laterally move the industrial machine as each skid slides along a respective segmented support rail,
wherein the pair of linear actuators include a first linear actuator coupled between the first segmented support rail and the first skid, and a second linear actuator coupled between the second segmented support rail and the second skid, and wherein the first and second linear actuator are synchronized with one another,
wherein each segmented support rail includes a plurality of spaced teeth extending along a length thereof, and each linear actuator including a linear actuating mechanism and a stepper sequentially engaging with the plurality of teeth to step the linear actuator along the segmented support rail.

16. A system for laterally moving an industrial machine of a power plant for maintenance, the system comprising:
a first skid configured to couple laterally to an underside of the industrial machine at a first axial position;
a second skid configured to couple laterally to the underside of the industrial machine at a second axial position;
a first segmented support rail for positioning in sliding, aligned contact with the first skid and configured to be supported on a first machine foundation;
a second segmented support rail for positioning in sliding, aligned contact with the second skid and configured to be positioned on a second machine foundation, each segmented support rail extending a distance beyond a periphery of the industrial machine on at least one end; and
a pair of linear actuators, each linear actuator mounted directly to one of the first segmented support rail or the second segmented support rail, the pair of linear actuators capable of applying a force directly to the pair of skids to cause lateral movement of the industrial machine by causing sliding interaction

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Davi Michael Alan
• Dryden Max
• George Jayan Kaadaapuram
• Mallory Jonathan Peter
• Martin Matthew Robert
• O'Meara Sean Cornelius
• Segeren Cornelis Antonius Fransiscus
• Yagielski John Russell

Classifications

• H02K15/02

  of stator or rotor bodies · CPC title

• H02K15/00

  Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines · CPC title

• F16M1/00 Primary

  Frames or casings of engines, machines or apparatus; Frames serving as machinery beds · CPC title

• F01D25/28

  Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing · CPC title

• F16M7/00

  Details of attaching or adjusting engine beds, frames, or supporting-legs on foundation or base; Attaching non-moving engine parts, e.g. cylinder blocks (elastic or equivalent mounting for absorbing vibrations F16F, especially F16F15/04) · CPC title