Inlet guide vane alignment apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10801358-B2
Application number	US-201816043305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	Aug 22, 2017
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

An alignment apparatus for aligning inlet guide vanes in a turbine having a turbine axis includes a tool body, a positioning block secured to the tool body, and a plurality of alignment pieces secured to the tool body. The positioning block may be affixed to the tool body such that when the positioning block is engaged with a leading edge of one of the inlet guide vanes, at least a portion of the alignment pieces is parallel to the turbine axis. The alignment pieces may be manually displaceable from the OFF position to the ON position into engagement with the inlet guide vanes to align one or more of the inlet guide vanes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An alignment apparatus for aligning inlet guide vanes in a turbine having a turbine axis, the alignment apparatus comprising:
a tool body;
a positioning rod secured to the tool body; and
a plurality of eccentric pins secured to the tool body, each of the plurality of eccentric pins being displaceable between an OFF position and an ON position,
wherein the positioning rod is affixed to the tool body relative to the plurality of eccentric pins,
wherein the alignment apparatus is configured to: place each of the eccentric pins adjacent a respective inlet guide vane when the positioning rod is engaged with an adjacent inlet guide vane and with the eccentric pins in the OFF position,
align the eccentric pins parallel to the turbine axis, and
manually displace the eccentric pins from the OFF position to the ON position into engagement with the respective inlet guide vanes.

2. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a positioning block secured to the tool body, the positioning block defining an axial limit position for the tool body relative to a leading edge of the inlet guide vanes.

3. An alignment apparatus according to claim 2 , comprising two positioning blocks secured to the tool body and spaced from each other along a circumferential width of the tool body.

4. An alignment apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the positioning block comprises an upper positioning block and a lower positioning block secured to the tool body and spaced radially from each other.

5. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a base block secured to the tool body, the base block being securable to a turbine casing and including a magnetic dial for selectively activating and deactivating a magnetic coupling between the base block and the turbine casing.

6. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a spring member engaged with each of the plurality of eccentric pins, the spring members being positioned relative to the eccentric pins to bias the eccentric pins to the OFF position when the eccentric pins are disposed in the OFF position and to the ON position when the eccentric pins are disposed in the ON position.

7. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable dial coupled with each of the eccentric pins, wherein an axis of the eccentric pins is offset from a rotating axis of the rotatable dials.

8. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of tool bodies aligned end to end.

9. A method of aligning inlet guide vanes in a turbine having a turbine casing and a turbine axis using an alignment tool, the alignment tool including a tool body, a positioning rod secured to the tool body, and a plurality of eccentric pins secured to the tool body, each of the plurality of eccentric pins being displaceable between an OFF position and an ON position, the method comprising:
(a) with the eccentric pins in the OFF position, positioning the alignment tool by placing the alignment tool on the turbine casing and engaging the positioning rod with an adjacent inlet guide vane;
(b) securing the alignment tool to the turbine casing; and
(c) displacing the eccentric pins from the OFF position to the ON position and engaging the eccentric pins with leading and trailing edges of the inlet guide vanes.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the alignment tool includes a positioning block secured to the tool body, and wherein step (a) further comprises engaging the positioning block with one of the leading edges of the inlet guide vanes.

11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the alignment tool includes a plurality of positioning blocks secured to the tool body, and wherein step (a) further comprises engaging the positioning blocks with the leading edges of the inlet guide vanes.

12. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the alignment tool includes a base block secured to the tool body and including a magnetic dial for selectively activating and deactivating a magnetic coupling between the base block and the turbine casing, and wherein step (b) is practiced after step (a) by activating the magnetic coupling.

13. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the alignment tool includes a spring member engaged with each of the plurality of eccentric pins, the method further comprising positioning the spring members relative to the eccentric pins to bias the eccentric pins to the OFF position when the eccentric pins are disposed in the OFF position and to the ON position when the eccentric pins are disposed in the ON position.

14. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising aligning a plurality of tool bodies end to end.

15. A method according to claim 9 , wherein step (a) is practiced by positioning the alignment tool from an upstream side of the inlet guide vanes relative to airflow.

16. An alignment apparatus for aligning inlet guide vanes in a turbine having a turbine axis, the alignment apparatus comprising:
a tool body;
a positioning block secured to the tool body, the positioning block defining an axial limit position for the tool body relative to a leading edge of the inlet guide vanes; and
a plurality of alignment pieces secured to the tool body, each of the plurality of alignment pieces being displaceable between an OFF position and an ON position,
wherein the alignment apparatus is configured to: affix the positioning block to the tool body such that when the positioning block is engaged with a leading edge of one of the inlet guide vanes, at least a portion of the alignment pieces is parallel to the turbine axis, and
manually displaceable displace the alignment pieces from the OFF position to the ON position into engagement with the inlet guide vanes.

17. An alignment apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the alignment pieces comprise eccentric pins secured to the tool body.

18. An alignment apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the alignment pieces comprise a triangular bracket positionable between the inlet guide vanes, and wherein the at least one portion of the alignment pieces that is parallel to the turbine axis comprises one side of the triangular bracket.

19. An alignment apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising a rail and trolley for each of the plurality of triangular brackets, the triangular brackets being secured to a respective one of the trolleys, and the trolleys being displaceable circumferentially on the rails to displace the triangular brackets between the OFF and ON positions.

20. An alignment apparatus according to claim 19 , further comprising a spring plunger positioned adjacent each of the trolleys that maintains the trolleys in the OFF position.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wojciechowski Piotr Hubert
• Sajdak Lukasz
• Perkowski Szymon

Classifications

• F01D17/162 Primary

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2230/644

  for adjusting the position or the alignment, e.g. wedges or eccenters · CPC title

• F05D2230/64

  using positioning or alignment devices for aligning or centring, e.g. pins · CPC title

• F01D25/285

  Temporary support structures, e.g. for testing, assembling, installing, repairing; Assembly methods using such structures · CPC title