Method and apparatus for installing and removing components of an air preheater

An access system for installing and removing rotor components of an air preheater, the rotor components including air preheater baskets and rotor compartments, the air preheater including a rotor and a housing surrounding the rotor, the rotor having a horizontally extending rotor post defining an axis, the housing having oppositely disposed axial end portions, at least one of the axial end portions defining an access opening, the access system comprising:

• a plurality of component lugs adapted for mounting to the rotor component;
• a lifting beam assembly including a lifting beam and a pulley, the lifting beam having oppositely disposed proximal and distal end portions, the pulley being rotatably mounted to the lifting beam adjacent to the proximal end portion, the proximal end portion and pulley being adapted for insertion through the access opening into the rotor;
• a plurality of radially spaced internal lifting beam supports adapted for connection to the rotor post, a one of the internal lifting beam supports supporting the proximal end portion of the lifting beam;
• an external lifting beam support adapted for installation externally to the housing, the external lifting beam support supporting the distal end portion of the lifting beam;
• a tugger cable carried on the pulley and extending along the lifting beam from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end of the tugger cable being adapted for connection to the rotor component;
• and
• a lifting saddle mounted to the proximal end of the tugger cable, the lifting saddle being mountable to the component lugs.

An access system for installing and removing rotor components of an air preheater, the rotor components including air preheater baskets and rotor compartments, the air preheater including a rotor and a housing surrounding the rotor, the rotor having a horizontally extending rotor post defining an axis, the housing having oppositely disposed axial end portions, at least one of the axial end portions defining an access opening, the access system comprising:

• a plurality of component lugs adapted for mounting to the rotor component, each of the component lugs defining an opening, the openings of the component lugs defining an axis;
• a lifting beam assembly including a lifting beam and a pulley, the lifting beam having oppositely disposed proximal and distal end portions, the pulley being rotatably mounted to the lifting beam adjacent to the proximal end portion, the proximal end portion and pulley being adapted for insertion through the access opening into the rotor;
• a plurality of radially spaced internal lifting beam supports adapted for connection to the rotor post, a one of the internal lifting beam supports supporting the proximal end portion of the lifting beam;
• an external lifting beam support adapted for installation externally to the housing, the external lifting beam support supporting the distal end portion of the lifting beam;
• a tugger cable carried on the pulley and extending along the lifting beam from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end of the tugger cable being adapted for connection to the rotor component;
• and
• a lifting saddle mounted to the proximal end of the tugger cable, the lifting saddle including a plurality of saddle lugs and a pin, each of the saddle lugs defining an opening, the openings of the saddle lugs defining an axis, the axis of the saddle lugs being alignable with the axis of the component lugs and the pin being insertable through the openings of the component and saddle lugs to connect the rotor component to the tugger cable.