Internal alignment of rotating and stationary components within a steam

Abstract

An automated data taking and analysis system is used during maintenance overhaul of steam or gas turbines to determine the required position of internal flowpath parts so that the parts may be properly reassembled with appropriate spacing to prevent internal rubbing and resultant wear or damage to the turbine that may affect unit operation or performance. Data is taken by electronic position transducers mounted on a rotatable tube, with the transducers being installed at selected axial locations along the tube where setpoint hard bores and seals reside on flowpath components. The transducers include radially projecting surface-riding portions for contacting the cylindrical flowpath component hard bore or seal. For use with large utility or industrial turbines, the transducers have a linear range greater than 0.80 inch to accommodate relatively large amounts of component ellipticity, tube sag, component misalignment and/or variation. The system includes a programmed laptop computer that receives data from the transducers by a serial chain with appropriate communications electronics. The operation of the invention involves creation of a computer model for the tube and the respective hard bore and seal locations where measurements are taken; automatic input of data generated by top off, top on/top off, ellipticity and joint offset measurements; generation of intermediate output reports for position output, variation output, vertical position and horizontal position; and, ultimately, generation of a required move report describing the roll or non-roll move required at each hard bore or seal location.