# US 10,767,660 B2 · Support assembly for a turbomachine

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- Number: US 10,767,660 B2
- Document ID: US10767660B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/450,252
- Filed: 2017-03-06
- Published: 2017-06-22
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-08-29
- Assignees: Dresser-Rand Company
- Applicants: Dresser-Rand Company
- Inventors: William C. Maier; David J. Peer; Andrew Jason Ranz; Joel D. Johnson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767660B2

## CPC

- F04D 29/60: Mounting; Assembling; Disassembling {(F04D13/10 takes precedence)}
- F01D 25/24: Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045})
- F01D 25/28: Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing
- F02C 7/20: Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep
- F04D 17/12: Multi-stage pumps
- F04D 29/40: Casings; Connections of working fluid {(bleed or by-pass valves F04D15/0011, F04D27/0215)}
- F04D 29/4206: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- F04D 29/624: {especially adapted for elastic fluid pumps}
- F05D 2230/644: for adjusting the position or the alignment, e.g. wedges or eccenters
- F05D 2260/38: by a spring, i.e. spring loaded or biased towards a certain position
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A support assembly and method for supporting an internal assembly in a casing of a turbomachine are provided. The support assembly may include a support member that may be slidably disposed in a recess formed in the internal assembly and configured to engage an inner surface of the casing. A biasing member may be disposed in a pocket extending radially inward from the recess. The biasing member may at least partially extend into the recess and may be configured to apply a biasing force to the support member disposed therein.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A turbomachine, comprising:
a casing having an inner surface;
an internal assembly disposed within the casing and comprising a plurality of recesses formed in an outer surface of the internal assembly, each recess comprising a plurality of pockets extending radially inward from the respective recess; and
a plurality of support assemblies, each support assembly disposed at least partially within a respective recess of the plurality of recesses and comprising:
a support member slidably disposed in the respective recess and configured to engage the inner surface of the casing, and
a plurality of biasing members, each biasing member disposed within a respective pocket of the plurality of pockets of the respective recess and at least partially extending into the respective recess, and configured to apply a biasing force to the support member,
wherein each support member comprises a contact member and a backing member, the contact member being configured to engage the inner surface of the casing and the backing member being configured to be engaged by a respective plurality of biasing members, and further wherein the contact member of each support member has a protuberance configured to mate with a groove formed in a respective backing member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The turbomachine of claim 1, wherein each support member comprises an insulating material configured to electrically isolate the internal assembly from the casing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The turbomachine of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the contact member has a radius of curvature equal to a radius of curvature of the inner surface of the casing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The turbomachine of claim 1, wherein each contact member comprises an elastomeric material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The turbomachine of claim 1, wherein each support assembly further comprises a mechanical fastener, the mechanical fastener extending through at least a portion of the respective support member and being coupled with the internal assembly, the mechanical fastener configured to retain the respective support member within the respective recess while allowing the respective support member to be slidably disposed in the respective recess.

### Claim 6

A turbomachine, comprising:
a casing having an inner surface;
an internal assembly disposed within the casing and comprising a plurality of recesses formed in an outer surface of the internal assembly, each recess comprising a plurality of pockets extending radially inward from the respective recess; and
a plurality of support assemblies, each support assembly disposed at least partially within a respective recess of the plurality of recesses and comprising:
a support member slidably disposed in the respective recess and configured to engage the inner surface of the casing, and
a plurality of biasing members, each biasing member disposed within a respective pocket of the plurality of pockets of the respective recess and at least partially extending into the respective recess, and configured to apply a biasing force to the support member,
wherein each support member comprises a contact member and a backing member, the contact member being configured to engage the inner surface of the casing and the backing member being configured to be engaged by a respective plurality of biasing members,
wherein each support assembly further comprises a mechanical fastener, the mechanical fastener extending through at least a protion of the support member and coupled wuth the internal assembly, the mechanical fastener configured to retain the support member at least partially within the recess while allowing the support member to be slidably disposed in the recess wherein the mechanical fastener comprises:
a threaded portion configured to couple the mechanical fastener with the internal assembly;
a shoulder portion extending the respective backing member, the respective backing member configured to slide along the shoulder portion; and
a head portion configured to engage the backing member by direct contact therewith, thereby retaining the support member at least partially within the recess.
