System and method for aligning casing wall of turbomachine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023313708-A1
Application number	US-202217709389-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2022
Priority date	Mar 30, 2022
Publication date	Oct 5, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system includes a casing alignment system configured to align an inner wall with an outer wall of a multi-wall casing of a turbomachine having a rotor. The casing alignment system includes a first alignment positioner configured to bias a first lip of the inner wall in a direction of rotation of the rotor disposed within the multi-wall casing. The alignment positioner may include a spring, a fluid-driven alignment positioner, an electric-driven alignment positioner, or a combination thereof. The alignment positioner may be configured to bias the first lip within a first recess adjacent a first flanged coupling between first and second wall sections of the outer wall.

First claim

1 . A system, comprising:
a casing alignment system configured to align an inner wall with an outer wall of a multi-wall casing of a turbomachine having a rotor, wherein the casing alignment system comprises:
a first alignment positioner configured to bias a first lip of the inner wall in a direction of rotation of the rotor disposed within the multi-wall casing.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment positioner comprises a spring.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the spring comprises one or more Belleville washers.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment positioner comprises a fluid-driven alignment positioner.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment positioner comprises an electric-driven alignment positioner.

7 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a second alignment positioner configured to bias the first lip of the inner wall in the direction of rotation of the rotor disposed within the multi-wall casing, wherein the first and second alignment positioners are different from one another.

8 . The system of claim 1 , comprising the inner wall of the multi-wall casing, wherein the inner wall comprises a second lip, the first and second lips are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the inner wall relative to a first plane extending through a rotational axis of the rotor, the first and second lips extend radially outward from the inner wall, and load faces of the first and second lips are disposed on opposite sides of the first plane.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first plane is a substantially horizontal plane.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first lip has an upper surface disposed along the first plane, and the second lip has a lower surface disposed along the first plane.

11 . The system of claim 1 , comprising the multi-wall casing having the outer wall disposed about the inner wall, wherein the outer wall comprises first and second wall sections coupled together at a first flanged coupling, and the first lip of the inner wall extends radially into a first recess in the outer wall adjacent the first flanged coupling.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first alignment positioner comprises a biasing adjuster disposed in the first recess.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first alignment positioner comprises a biasing adjuster disposed outside of the first recess.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first alignment positioner comprises a shaft extending from the biasing adjuster to a crowned shim in contact with the first lip inside the first recess.

15 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a turbomachine having the multi-wall casing and the casing alignment system.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the turbomachine comprises a compressor, a turbine, or both.

17 . A method, comprising:
aligning an inner wall with an outer wall of a multi-wall casing of a turbomachine via a casing alignment system, wherein the aligning comprises biasing, via a first alignment positioner of the casing alignment system, a first lip of the inner wall in a direction of rotation of a rotor of the turbomachine disposed within the multi-wall casing.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein biasing the first lip comprises applying a force on the first lip within a first recess at a first flanged coupling between first and second sections of the outer wall.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein biasing the first lip comprises rotating the inner wall in the direction of rotation in response to a downward vertical movement of the inner wall relative to the outer wall of the multi-wall casing.

20 . A system, comprising:
a turbomachine comprising a rotor disposed within a multi-wall casing having an outer wall disposed about an inner wall, wherein the outer wall comprises first and second wall sections coupled together at a first flanged coupling, the inner wall comprises first and second lips extending radially outward from the inner wall on diametrically opposite sides of the inner wall relative to a first plane extending through a rotational axis of the rotor, load faces of the first and second lips are disposed on opposite sides of the first plane, and the first lip extends radially into a first recess in the outer wall adjacent the first flanged coupling; and a casing alignment system comprising a first alignment positioner configured to bias the first lip of the inner wall in a direction of rotation of the rotor disposed within the multi-wall casing.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mote Kyle Vanceton
• Taylor Zachary James
• Manchikanti Maruthi Prasad
• Benson Kyle Eric
• Black Kenneth Damon

Classifications

• F01D25/28 Primary

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

• F01D25/243

  Flange connections; Bolting arrangements (F01D25/265 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2230/644

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

• F05D2260/31

  Retaining bolts or nuts · CPC title

• F05D2260/38

  by a spring, i.e. spring loaded or biased towards a certain position · CPC title