초록 ▼

A turbine rotor disassembly, handling and reassembly apparatus employs a feedback-controlled electric heating oven to rapidly heat a turbine wheel while the rotor shaft is in the horizontal position. An adapter interfaces the wheel to a handling spool whose outboard end is adjusted to slide on the r

A turbine rotor disassembly, handling and reassembly apparatus employs a feedback-controlled electric heating oven to rapidly heat a turbine wheel while the rotor shaft is in the horizontal position. An adapter interfaces the wheel to a handling spool whose outboard end is adjusted to slide on the rotor shaft and to provide a fulcrum for supporting the wheel. A handling trolley includes a soft hydraulic system for supporting the weight of the wheel to avoid damaging the precision machined surfaces of the shrink-fit area while the wheel is being withdrawn. The handling apparatus also provides means for upending, or rotating, the removed wheel through 90 degrees to place its axis vertical for facilitating handling. A sensor system senses a radial motion of the wheel to detect clearance and to establish an appropriate fluid pressure to just balance the weight of the wheel and attached parts. The handling system includes means for rotating the wheel slightly during reassembly to align keyways or the like. A technique is included for equalizing shaft heating during reassembly of a turbine rotor by cyclically elevating and lowering the wheel, by orbiting the wheel about the shaft or by holding the wheel in the center of its clearance about the shaft until a shrink fit is established.

대표청구항 ▼

A system for handling a turbine rotor of the type having a shaft and at least one turbine wheel shrunk fit on said shaft, comprising: an oven fittable over said wheel, said oven having an enclosure substantially surrounding said wheel and having at least one heating means positioned for localized he

A system for handling a turbine rotor of the type having a shaft and at least one turbine wheel shrunk fit on said shaft, comprising: an oven fittable over said wheel, said oven having an enclosure substantially surrounding said wheel and having at least one heating means positioned for localized heating of substantially the central portion of said wheel; means for controlling said oven effective to heat said wheel at a heating rate sufficient to produce an average temperature in said wheel sufficiently higher than an average temperature in said shaft that a shrink fit between said wheel and said shaft is released by a clearance established therebetween; means for supporting from below substantially all of the weight of said wheel independently of said shaft with axes of said shaft and said wheel substantially horizontal; and means for horizontally displacing said means for supporting and said wheel along said shaft at least until said wheel is free of a shrink fit area on said shaft.