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US 10,502,057 B2Granted
System and method for blade access in turbomachinery
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsQiang Li, Toby George Darkins, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a turbomachine with a plurality of blades, a casing disposed about the rotor and the plurality of blades, an access opening disposed in the casing, and an access panel selectively coupled to the access opening, such that the access opening is sized to enable repair or replacement of at least one blade of the plurality of blades.
Claims22
A system, comprising:
- a turbomachine, comprising:
- a rotor comprising a plurality of blades;
- a casing disposed about the rotor and the plurality of blades, wherein the casing comprises a wall of the turbomachine, wherein the casing is segmented into a first casing section and a second casing section, and the first and second casing sections are coupled together and form an interface at a split connection;
- an access opening disposed in the casing, wherein a casing mounting frame including mounting brackets extends completely around the access opening;
- and
- an access panel selectively coupled to the access opening with a plurality of fasteners, wherein the access panel includes a panel mounting frame including a plurality of panel mounting brackets, wherein the casing mounting frame and panel mounting frame are selectively coupled together with the plurality of mounting brackets and the plurality of panel mounting brackets, wherein the access panel is sized smaller than each of the first and second casing sections, the access opening is sized to enable repair or replacement of at least one blade of the plurality of blades, wherein the access opening and the access panel are disposed directly at the split connection between the first and second casing sections, and the access opening and the access panel comprise a portion of the interface at the split connection, wherein at least one panel mounting bracket extends along the interface.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a turbomachine access panel configured to selectively couple to an access opening in a casing disposed about a rotor having a plurality of blades of a turbomachine, wherein the casing comprises a wall of the turbomachine and is segmented into a first casing section and a second casing section, and the first and second casing sections are coupled together at a split connection, wherein the turbomachine access panel is sized smaller than each of the first and second casing sections, the access panel is sized to enable repair or replacement of at least one blade of the plurality of blades, wherein a casing mounting frame including mounting brackets extends completely around the access opening, wherein the access panel includes a panel mounting frame including a plurality of panel mounting brackets, wherein the casing mounting frame and panel mounting frame are selectively coupled together with the plurality of mounting brackets and the plurality of panel mounting brackets, wherein the access panel is disposed directly at the split connection between the first casing section of the casing and the second casing section of the casing, and wherein at least one panel mounting bracket extends along the split connection.
A method of servicing, comprising:
- selectively accessing at least one blade of a plurality of blades coupled to a rotor of a turbomachine via an access panel coupled to an access opening in a casing of the turbomachine with a plurality of fasteners, wherein the casing comprises a wall of the turbomachine and is segmented into a first casing section and a second casing section, the first and second casing sections are coupled together at a split connection, the access panel is sized smaller than each of the first and second casing sections, wherein a casing mounting frame including mounting brackets extends completely around the access opening, wherein the access panel includes a panel mounting frame including a plurality of panel mounting brackets, wherein the casing mounting frame and panel mounting frame are selectively coupled together with the plurality of mounting brackets and the plurality of panel mounting brackets, and the access panel is disposed directly at the split connection between the first casing section of the casing and the second casing section of the casing, and wherein at least one panel mounting bracket extends along the split connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.