General Electric Company

Lynn Charles Gagne

Graham David Sherlock

Thomas Robbins Tipton

Kelvin Rono Aaron

Gregory Allan Crum

Brian Christopher Wheeler

Stewart William Beitz

William E Dixon

James Philip Stanley

Larry Paul Wencil

Shawn Gregory Genal

A method for forming an opening in two different turbine components is provided. The method includes coupling a clamp to a base and coupling the clamp to a clamp bar, wherein the clamp bar is moveable with respect to the base. A first bushing plate is selected based on a first turbine component being drilled and is removably coupled to the base. A bushing is removably coupled to at least one aperture extending through the first bushing plate. An opening is formed in the first turbine component. A second bushing plate is selected based on a second turbine component being drilled. The second turbine component is different from the first turbine component. The second bushing plate is removably coupled to the base. An opening is formed in the second turbine component.

Method and apparatus to secure a component in position for fabrication

A method for assembling a stator assembly for a turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing a blade with a base including an end wall having at least one hole defined therein and providing a shim having at least one aperture extending therethrough. The shim aperture is aligned with the end wall hole, and the shim is secured to the blade base end wall using a fastener. The fastener is inserted through the shim aperture in an interference fit within the end wall hole. The blade and the shim are coupled to a turbine casing.

Method and apparatus for assembling blade shims

An assembly is provided for cropping the trailing edge tip of a stator zero blade in-situ. The cropping assembly includes a base plate that is secured to the end of the compressor stator blade to be cropped; a removable, rotational guide block; and a drill that is mounted to the guide block and rotatable relative to the base plate to crop the trailing edge tip of a stator blade.

In-situ compressor blade tip cropping assembly and method

A method is provided for attaching a shim to at least one of a base of a stator vane unit and a ring segment of a ring segment assembly in a gas turbine compressor. The method includes providing a shim shaped to conform to an engaging face of the base of the stator vane unit or the segment ring of the segment ring assembly, with a predetermined thickness dimension; boring at least one hole, normal to the face of the shim and extending fully through the thickness dimension of the shim; positioning the shim on the engaging face of the at least one of the base of the stator vane unit and the segment ring of the segment ring assembly; and welding the shim to the engaging face of the at least one of the base of the stator vane unit and the ring segment of the stator ring assembly.

Stator shim welding

A gage assembly for measuring a distance d from an end edge of a blade segment to a center location of a groove formed in the segment comprising a gage body having at least two reference surfaces adapted to engage edges of the segment; a dial indicator gage having a dial and a stem, the stem passing through a portion of the gage body; and a slide gage adapted for insertion into the groove, the slide gage fitted with an element that, in use, aligns with the stem of the dial indicator gage.

Gage for milled blade ring segments

A method of replacing an inlet guide vane from a lower inlet casing of a compressor, the lower inlet casing adapted to be secured to an upper inlet casing at a horizontal joint, and after removal of the upper half of the inlet casing but with a rotor of the compressor remaining in place, wherein the inlet guide vane is supported between radially inner and outer walls of the lower inlet casing, and further wherein the inlet guide vane is formed with an integral stem that extends radially through the outer wall and supports a drive gear on its outer end that engages an annular gear rack, the method including a) removing the gear on the radially outer end of the integral stem of the inlet guide vane; b) shearing the inlet guide vane into two cut portions; c) removing the cut portions from inside the lower inlet casing; and d) replacing the inlet guide vane by a modified inlet guide vane having a two-piece stem assembly that enables installation without removal of the rotor. A new inlet guide vane assembly is provided for replacing the vane. The new assembly includes a vane having a cylindrical stub at a radially inner end thereof and a relatively short integral stem at a radially outer end thereof; a jack shaft adapted for connection at a radially inner end thereof to a radially outer end of the integral stem such that torque applied to the jack shaft is transmitted to the vane, a radially outer end of the jack shaft adapted to receive a drive gear. An outer stem piece is seated on the jack shaft and welded to the drive gear to complete a torque transmission path from the drive gear to complete a torque transmission path from the drive gear to the vane.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Lynn Charles Gagne