Patent Application
20170356338
The present subject matter relates generally to a gas turbine and more particularly to an installation tool and a method for installing an annular liner or sleeve such as a combustion liner or flow sleeve into a combustor of a gas turbine.
Gas turbines typically include a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. The combustion section generally includes an annular array of combustors arranged about an axis of the gas turbine. Each combustor includes a combustion liner which at least partially defines a combustion chamber of a respective combustor. In certain configurations, a flow sleeve may at least partially surround the combustion liner and define a flow path to a head end of the combustor.
When installing a combustion liner and/or a flow sleeve into a combustor, a significant amount of force is often required to overcome friction at an interface between the combustion liner and the transition duct and/or friction at an interface defined between the flow sleeve and an impingement sleeve that surrounds the transition duct. For example, a hula or spring-type seal is typically disposed at one or both of the interfaces. The hula seal must be compressed in order to permit the combustion liner to slide into the transition duct or for the flow sleeve to slide into the impingement sleeve. This often requires several hundred pounds of axial installation force.
Typically, a hammer may be used to provide the axial force needed to compress the hula seal(s). However, striking the respective forward ends of the combustion liner and/or the flow sleeve may result in uneven axial forces which may result in the combustion liner being improperly aligned in the combustion casing and/or not fully seated within the transition duct and/or the flow sleeve being improperly aligned in the combustion casing and/or not fully seated within the impingement sleeve.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one embodiment, the present subject matter is directed to an installation tool for assembling a combustor. The installation tool includes a push bar having a forward side, an aft side and a first end portion laterally opposed from a second end portion. A first alignment block is adjustably coupled to the push bar and a second alignment block is adjustably coupled to the push bar. The second alignment block is laterally spaced from the first alignment block. A first threaded rod extends through the forward side and the aft side of the push bar proximate to the first end portion. A second threaded rod extends through the forward side and the aft side of the push bar proximate to the second end portion. The first alignment block and the second alignment block extend outwardly from the aft side of the push bar between the first threaded rod and the second threaded rod. A first nut is threaded onto the first threaded rod. Rotation of the first nut applies an axial force to the push bar. A second nut is threaded onto the second threaded rod. Rotation of the second nut applies an axial force to the push bar.
In another aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a system for installing a combustion liner into a combustor of a gas turbine. The system comprises a push bar including a first end portion and a second end portion. The push bar extends across an opening defined in a combustor casing. The opening is sized for inserting a combustion liner therethrough. The first end portion extends over a first fastener hole defined in the combustor casing and the second end portion extends over a second fastener hole defined in the combustor casing. A first alignment block is adjustably coupled to the push bar and a second alignment block is adjustably coupled to the push bar. A forward end of the combustion liner is supported between a contact surface of the first alignment block and a contact surface of the second alignment block. An aft end of the combustion liner extends at least partially into an opening of a transition duct which is disposed within the combustor casing. A first threaded rod extends through the push bar proximate to the first end portion. An end portion of the first threaded rod is threaded into the first fastener hole of the combustor casing. A first nut is threaded to the first threaded rod and rotation of the first nut results in a force against the push bar which advances the combustion liner into the transition duct opening. A second threaded rod extends through the push bar proximate to the second end portion. An end portion of the second threaded rod is threaded into the second threaded hole of the combustor casing. A second nut is threaded to the second threaded rod and rotation of the second nut results in a force against the push bar which advances the combustion liner into the transition duct opening.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Generally, the present subject matter is directed to an installation tool and system for installing combustion liners and/or flow sleeves into a combustor of a gas turbine. Installation is accomplished by securing or attaching the installation tool to the combustor and pushing a push bar against the combustion liner or flow sleeve to force the liner into an opening of a transition duct or impingement sleeve disposed within the combustor. An axial force is exerted against the combustion liner or flow sleeve via the push bar by tightening two or more nuts threaded to two or more threaded rods which are screwed into fastener openings defined by a combustor casing, thereby pushing the combustion liner or flow sleeve into place within the combustor.
From description herein, it should be appreciated that the installation tool of the present subject matter is simple to use and permits a combustion liner or flow sleeve to be fully installed within a combustor within a relatively short period of time. Moreover, due to its simple design, the installation tool may be relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Further, depending on the materials chosen, the installation tool may be lightweight. As such, the tool can be carried, positioned on the combustor and otherwise used to install a combustion liner by a single maintenance worker. Thus, the installation tool of the present subject matter may replace complex and dangerous power tools and/or heavy installation tools that otherwise require a crane or similar lifting equipment to position the tool with respect to the combustion liner.
Referring to the drawings,
Referring to
The combustor 20 may also include a flow sleeve 32 and a combustion liner 34 substantially concentrically arranged within the flow sleeve 32. Both the flow sleeve 32 and the combustion liner 34 may extend, at their downstream ends, to a double walled transition piece assembly, including an impingement sleeve 36 and a transition duct 38 disposed within the impingement sleeve 36. It should be appreciated that the impingement sleeve 36 and/or the flow sleeve 32 may be provided with a plurality of air supply holes over a portion of their surfaces, thereby permitting pressurized air from the compressor section 12 to enter a radial space or annular passage 40 defined between the combustion liner 34 and the flow sleeve 32 and/or between the transition duct 38 and the impingement sleeve 36.
The combustion liner 34 may generally define a substantially cylindrical combustion chamber 42, wherein fuel and air are injected and combusted to produce hot gases of combustion. Additionally, the combustion liner 34 may be coupled at its downstream end 44 to the transition duct 38 such that the combustion liner 34 and the transition duct 38 generally define a flow path 46 for the hot gases of combustion flowing from each respective combustor 20 to the turbine section 16 of the gas turbine 10.
In one embodiment, shown in
The combustion liner 34 may also include one or more male liner stops 50 that engage one or more female liner stops 52 secured to the flow sleeve 32 or, in combustors 20 without a flow sleeve 32, the combustion casing 22. In particular, the male liner stops 50 may be adapted to slide into the female liner stops 52 as the combustion liner 34 is installed within the combustor 20 to indicate the proper installation depth of the combustion liner 34 as well as to prevent rotation of the liner 34 during operation of the gas turbine 10. Additionally, the liner stops 50, 52 may ensure proper circumferential alignment of the liner 34 within the combustor 20.
In one embodiment, the female liner stops 52 may be substantially “U-shaped” and the male liner stops 50 may be substantially rectangular in cross-section such that the male liner stops 50 slides into and engages with the female liner stops 52. However, it should be appreciated that the liner stops 50, 52 may generally have any shape and/or configuration to assist in installation of the combustion liner 34 and/or prevent rotation of the combustion liner 34 during operation. Moreover, it should be appreciated that, in alternative embodiments, the male liner stops 50 may be disposed on the flow sleeve 32 or combustion casing while the female liner stops 52 are disposed on the combustion liner 34.
Generally, when installing a combustion liner 34 within a combustor 20, the combustion liner 34 may initially be pushed into the combustor 20 by hand. However, as the combustion liner 34 is pushed into the combustor 20, a point may be reached where hand-force is insufficient to achieve proper installation depth into an upstream opening or end 54 of the transition duct 38. For example, in embodiments utilizing a hula seal 48 to seal the interface between the combustion liner 34 and the transition duct 38, a significant amount of axial force may be required to compress the hula seal 48 and thereby properly position the combustion liner with respect to the transition duct 38. Such axial force, as will be described below, may be provided by an installation tool 100 of the present subject matter to ensure that the combustion liner 34 is fully and properly installed within the combustor 20 particularly within the upstream opening 54 of the transition duct 38.
In accordance with an aspect of the present subject matter,
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The present subject matter is also directed to a method of installing a combustion liner 34 within a combustor 20, which will be described with reference to the embodiment illustrated in
In one embodiment, the push bar 102 may generally be pushed against the combustion liner 34 until the input toque required on the first and second nuts 132, 134 sharply increases, indicating that the male liner stops 50 of the combustion liner 34 have fully engaged the female liner stops 52 disposed on the flow sleeve 32 or combustion casing 22. Additionally, it should be appreciated that, in one embodiment, the male liner stops 50 of the combustion liner 34 may need to be circumferentially aligned with corresponding female liner stops 52 in order to properly install the combustion liner 34 within the combustor 20. This may be achieved by a maintenance worker visually aligning the male liner stops 50 with the female liner stops 52 as the combustion liner 34 is initially inserted within the combustor 20. Alternatively, the installation tool 100 of the present subject matter may be used in conjunction with an alignment guide configured to guide each male liner stop 50 into its corresponding female liner stop 52.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
