Patent Application
20120272496
The present subject matter relates generally to casings for industrial equipment such as turbines, generators, motors and compressors and, more particularly, to a system and method for lifting a first casing section relative to a second casing section.
Numerous types of industrial equipment include heavy casings surrounding moving and/or rotating components. For example, a typical gas turbine may include a turbine section having alternating stages of fixed nozzles and rotating buckets and a turbine casing generally surrounding the turbine section in order to contain the hot gases of combustion flowing past the various stages of nozzles and buckets.
When a maintenance operation needs to be performed on a gas turbine, it is often necessary that a section of the turbine casing be removed. For example, it is common to remove the upper half of a turbine casing to allow maintenance workers to inspect and/or replace nozzles/buckets and/or to perform various other scheduled maintenance operations. Typically, this requires the use of heavy lifting equipment, such as a crane. Unfortunately, even with the use of suitable heavy lifting equipment, the removal of the upper half of the turbine casing can still be a very dangerous undertaking In particular, due to the large mass of a typical casing section, the slightest lateral acceleration can create a tremendous amount of force. Thus, the occurrence of an unforeseen event, such as an earthquake, equipment failure and the like, can result in significant damage to the turbine and/or significant injuries to nearby maintenance workers.
Accordingly, a system and method for lifting a casing section that provides an enhanced degree of safety would be welcomed in the art.
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 aspect, the present subject matter discloses a system for lifting a first casing section relative to a second casing section. The system may generally include a guide member configured to be coupled to the second casing section so as to generally extend lengthwise in a lift direction of the first casing section and a sleeve member movably disposed on the guide member. The sleeve member may be configured to be coupled to the first casing section such that the sleeve member is displaced in the lift direction as the first casing section is lifted. Additionally, the system may include a retention device configured to be coupled to the guide member at differing locations along a length of the guide member.
In another aspect, the present subject matter discloses a system for lifting a first casing section relative to a second casing section. The system may generally include a guide member configured to be coupled to the second casing section so as to generally extend lengthwise in a lift direction of the first casing section and a sleeve member configured to be coupled to the first casing section. The sleeve member may be movably disposed on the guide member such that the sleeve member is displaced along a length of the guide member as the first casing section is lifted in the lift direction.
In a further aspect, the present subject matter discloses a method for lifting a first casing section relative to a second casing section. The method may include coupling a sleeve member to the first casing section, coupling a guide member to the second casing section, wherein the sleeve member is movably disposed on the guide member, lifting the first casing section relative to the second casing section in a lift direction and coupling a retention device to the guide member as the sleeve member is displaced in the lift direction.
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.
In general, the present subject matter is directed to a system for lifting a first casing section relative to a second casing section. In particular, the present subject matter discloses a support assembly configured to limit the non-vertical displacement (e.g., the axial and/or lateral displacement) of the first casing section as it is lifted relative to the second casing section. For example, in one embodiment, the support assembly may include mating male and female components configured to be attached to the first and second casing sections so as to guide the first casing section in the vertical direction. As such, the potential for any non-vertical displacements of the first casing section due to an unforeseen event, such as an earthquake, may be minimized. Additionally, the support assembly may also be configured to vertically support the weight of the first casing section in the event of equipment failure, thereby preventing the first casing section from falling and damaging/injuring the second casing section and/or nearby workers.
Referring now to the drawings,
It should be appreciated that the casing assembly 10 may generally be configured as the casing for any suitable industrial equipment. However, in several embodiments of the present subject matter, the casing assembly 10 may be configured as the turbine casing for a gas turbine, such as by being be configured to surround or encase any rotating components of the turbine rotor (e.g., a plurality of turbine buckets extending from a plurality of rotor wheels). In such embodiments, the first casing section 12, for example, may comprise a casing section of the upper half of the turbine casing and the second casing section 14 may comprise a casing section of the lower half of the turbine casing. As such, when the turbine is operating, the first casing section 12 may be coupled to the second casing section 14 to contain the hot gases of combustion flowing past the rotating components of the turbine rotor.
Referring now to
As shown, the system 30 generally includes at least one lifting mechanism 32 for lifting the first casing section 12 in a vertical or lift direction (indicated by arrow 36) relative to the second casing section 14. In general, the lifting mechanism 32 may comprise any suitable device, mechanism and/or structure configured to permit the first casing section 12 to be lifted to a useful height for performing maintenance operations within the casing assembly or for installing one or more support members 38, 40, 42, 44 (
Additionally, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, two raising devices 48 may be installed on one side of the first and second casing sections 12, 14 and, although not shown, two raising devices 48 may also be installed on the other side of the casing sections 12, 14. However, in alternative embodiments, any other suitable number of raising devices 48 may be installed on each side of the casing sections 12, 14. For example, in one embodiment, a single raising device 48 may be installed on each side of the casing sections 12, 14. Alternatively, more than two raising devices 48 may be installed on each side of the casing sections 12, 14.
Moreover, it should be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the lifting mechanism 32 may comprise any other suitable device, mechanism and/or structure for lifting the first casing section 12 relative to the second casing section 14. For instance, the lifting mechanism 32 may comprise a crane or any other suitable type of lifting equipment.
Referring still to
As shown in the illustrated embodiment, a single support assembly 34 may be installed on one side of the first and second casing sections 12, 14 and, although not shown, another support assembly 34 may be installed on the other side of the casing sections 12, 14. However, it should be appreciated that, in alternative embodiments, more than one support assembly 34 may be installed on each side of the casing sections 12, 14.
The guide and sleeve members 60, 62 of the support assembly 34 may generally have any suitable shape and/or configuration that permits the sleeve member 62 to be movably disposed and/or received on the guide member 60. Thus, in several embodiments, the sleeve member 62 may be configured to surround or encase a portion of the guide body 60. For example, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, both the guide and sleeve members 60, 62 may have tubular configuration and may each define a generally circular cross-sectional shape. In such an embodiment, the outer diameter of the guide member 60 and the inner diameter of the sleeve member 62 may generally be chosen so that the sleeve member 62 may be displaced relative to the guide member 60 as the first casing section 12 is lifted. For instance, the diameters may be chosen so that a small clearance gap (not shown) is defined between the guide member 60 and sleeve member 62. As such, the sleeve member 62 may be received or installed at one end of the guide member 60 (e.g., a top end 66 of the guide member 60) and may be freely moved in the lift direction along the length 64 of the guide member 60.
In other embodiments, the guide and sleeve members 60, 62 may have any other suitable shape that permits the sleeve member 62 to be movably disposed and/or received on the guide member 60. For instance, instead of the circular cross-sectional shape described above, the guide and sleeve members 60, 62 may both define corresponding triangular, rectangular or other suitable cross-sectional shapes. Additionally, in further embodiments, the sleeve member 62 need not be configured to encase or surround the guide member 60, but may generally have any other suitable configuration that allows the sleeve member 60 to be movably disposed and/or received on the guide member 60 as the first casing section 12 is lifted. For example, in one embodiment, the sleeve member 62 may include a plurality of wheels, rollers or other suitable rotational devices configured to engage and/or fit into portions of the guide member 60 (e.g., grooves, slots and/or channels defined in the guide member 60) as the first casing section 12 is lifted relative to the second casing section 14.
Referring still to
Alternatively, the sleeve flange 68 may be indirectly coupled to the first casing section 12. For instance, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, a first mounting plate 70 may be installed between the sleeve flange 68 and the first casing section 12. In general, the first mounting plate 70 may comprise any suitable rigid support/structural member configured to be attached to both the first casing section 12 and the sleeve flange 68. For example, as shown in
Similarly, the guide member 60 may be configured to be coupled to the second casing section 14 using any suitable means. Thus, in several embodiments, a circumferential guide flange 74 may extend outwardly from the outer perimeter of the guide member 60 and may be configured to be coupled to a portion of the second casing section 14. For example, in one embodiment, the guide flange 74 may be directly coupled to the second casing section 14, such as by securing the guide flange 74 to the horizontal flange 22 of the second casing section 14 using bolts or other suitable fasteners or by welding the guide flange 74 to the horizontal flange 22.
Alternatively, the guide flange 74 may be indirectly coupled to the second casing section 14. For instance, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, a second mounting plate 76 may be installed between the guide flange 74 and the second casing section 14. In general, the second mounting plate 76 may comprise any suitable rigid support/structural member configured to be attached to both a portion of the second casing section 14 and the guide flange 74. For example, as shown in
It should be appreciated that, in several embodiments, the sleeve and guide flanges 68, 74 may be formed integrally with the sleeve and guide members 60, 62, respectively, such as by casting or machining such features as a single component. Alternatively, the sleeve and guide flanges 68, 74 may comprise separate components and may be configured to be separately attached to the sleeve and guide members 60, 62, respectively. For example, in one embodiment, the sleeve and guide flanges 68, 74 may be welded to the sleeve and guide members 60, 62. In such an embodiment, the sleeve and guide flanges 68, 74 may include suitable weld preparation features to enhance capability of transferring loads at the welded attachment. For instance, the sleeve and guide flanges 68, 74 may include one or more tapered or chamfered surfaces (not shown) configured to extend adjacent to the outer perimeters of the sleeve and guide members 68, 74, respectively, so that a groove weld may be created between such components.
Additionally, it should also be appreciated that, in embodiments in which the sleeve and guide flanges 68, 74 are to be attached to the first and second mounting plates 70, 76, respectively, using bolts 72 and/or other suitable fasteners, the support assembly 34 may also include one or more spacer rings 78, 80 configured to be similarly attached to the mounting plates 70, 76. For example, as shown in
Referring particularly to
For instance, in one embodiment, the retention device 82, 84 may comprise one or more shear pins, such as a first shear pin 82 and a second shear pin 84, configured to be received in and/or through portions of the guide member 60 as the first casing section 12 is lifted. Specifically, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of openings 86, 88 may be defined in the guide member 60 for receiving the shear pins 82, 84. The openings 86, 88 may generally be defined in the guide member 60 so as to be spaced apart in the lift direction along the guide member's length 64. Additionally, in a particular embodiment of the present subject a matter, at least a portion of the openings 86, 88 may be circumferentially offset from another portion of the openings 86, 88. For instance, as shown in
By spacing the openings 86, 88 apart along the length 64 of the guide member 60, it should be appreciated that the position of the shear pins 82, 84 may be adjusted as the sleeve member 62 is vertically displaced along the guide member 60. For example, in one embodiment, the position of the shear pins 82, 84 may be continuously adjusted as the sleeve member 62 is displaced vertically so that the first and second shear pins 82, 84 are always located in the two openings disposed closest to a bottom end 90 of the sleeve member 62. In other words, the shear pins 82, 84 may be continuously leap-frogged as the first casing section 12 is lifted to maintain their position adjacent to the bottom end 90 of the sleeve member 62. One of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that, by using at least two shear pins 82, 84, it can be ensured that a shear pin 82, 84 is always installed within the guide member 60 as the first casing section 12 is lifted. However, in alternative embodiments, the support assembly 34 may simply include a single shear pin configured to be inserted in and/or through the openings 86, 88.
It should also be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the retention device 82, 84 may comprise any other suitable device configured to be coupled to the guide member 60 at differing locations along its length 64 in order to provide a means for supporting the weight of the first casing section 12 in the event of failure of the lifting mechanisms 32. For instance, the retention device 82, 84 may comprise one or more collars, rings, sleeves, brackets, fasteners and/or any other suitable structure that may be coupled to the guide member 60 along its length 64 to provide vertical support for the first casing section 12.
Referring now to
In general, the support members 38, 40, 42, 44 may comprise any suitable structural members (e.g., I-beams or other suitable support beams) and may be arranged in any suitable manner that permits the supports members 38, 40, 42, 44 to function as described herein. For instance, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, a pair of aft vertical supports 38 may be mounted between the aft vertical flange 26 of the first casing section 12 and a portion of an adjacent aft casing section 18 and a forward vertical support 40 may be mounted between the forward vertical flange 24 (
Referring now to
It should be appreciated that, in several embodiments, the illustrated travel beam 46 may be configured to be installed after the support members 38, 40, 42, 44 described above with reference to
Additionally, in several embodiments, it should be appreciated that a suitable translation device or mechanism 98 may be disposed at the interface defined between the first casing section 12 and the travel beam 46 to facilitate translating the first casing section 12 along the length of the travel beam 46. For example, in one embodiment, a linear bearing may be disposed at the interface between the first casing section 12 and the travel beam 46. Alternatively, one or more rollers may be disposed between the first casing section 12 and the travel beam 46 to allow the casing section 12 to be displaced axially across the travel beam 46.
Referring now to
Additionally, in one embodiment, the method 100 may include adjusting a position of the retention device 82, 84 on the guide member 60 as the sleeve member 62 is displaced in the lift direction.
Moreover, in another embodiment, the method 100 may include inserting at least a portion of the retention device 82, 84 within one of the plurality of openings 86, 88 defined in the guide member 60 as the sleeve member 62 is displaced in the lift direction. In such an embodiment, the method 100 may also include moving the retention device 82, 84 to one of plurality of openings 86, 88 disposed adjacent to the bottom end 90 of the sleeve member 62 as the sleeve member 62 is displaced in the lift direction.
In a further embodiment, the method 100 may include mounting at least one support member 38, 40, 42, 44 between the first casing section 12 and an adjacent casing section 14, 16, 18.
Additionally, in another embodiment, the method 100 may include installing a travel beam 46 for translating the first casing section 12 in the axial direction.
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.
