Variable guide bearing
AssigneeAndritz Hydro Canada Inc.
InventorsSarmad Elahi, Shawn Wale, Ryan Byrne, Andrew Wodoslawsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guide bearing system including a pad adjuster to traverse at least one bearing in a direction to adjust a radial clearance. The system can further include a sensor for measuring deviations in the radial clearance. In some embodiments, the guide bearing system includes a controller that receives a distance signal from the sensor measuring the radial clearance and signals the pad adjuster to traverse the at least one bearing to compensate for the deviations in the radial clearance.
Claims15
A method for maintaining a radial clearance between a variable guide bearing and a shaft of a turbine comprising:
- measuring, a baseline radial clearance between the variable guide bearing and the shaft of the turbine;
- engaging a pad adjuster system to the variable guide bearing, the pad adjuster system includes a prime mover in communication to the variable guide bearing through a transmission, wherein the pad adjuster system is actuated by a motive force from the prime mover traversing the variable guide bearing in a direction to adjust the radial clearance, and wherein the pad adjuster system includes a threaded pad adjuster in contact with a back surface of the variable guide bearing, and an active gear in communication with the threaded pad adjuster in a non-collinear fashion relative to a length of the pad adjuster;
- measuring radial clearance deviations between the variable guide bearing and the shaft of the turbine;
- calculating a difference between the radial clearance deviations and the baseline radial clearance;
- and
- actuating the prime mover to adjust the variable guide bearing to compensate for the difference between the radial clearance deviations and the baseline radial, clearance.
A guide bearing system comprising:
- a pad adjuster system including a pad adjuster and a prime mover assembly configured to produce a motive force to traverse a bearing in a direction to adjust a radial clearance, wherein the radial clearance is a dimension between an outermost shaft end of a bearing pad and an outermost perimeter of a shaft assembly, the pad adjuster system further comprising a gearing system, the pad adjuster engaging the gearing system, wherein the pad adjuster has a first end and a pad end distally separated from the first end by a length, wherein the length defines a first plane, and wherein the pad end engages a bearing pad assembly including the bearing, the bearing pad assembly comprising the bearing pad having an outermost shaft end, the prime mover assembly engaging the gearing system on a second plane, wherein the second plane is not coextensive with the first plane;
- a sensor for measuring deviations in the radial clearance;
- and
- a control system configured to receive a distance signal from the sensor measuring the radial clearance and configured to signal the pad adjuster to traverse the bearing to compensate for said deviations in the radial clearance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.