US 2019/0195084 A1 · SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING ECCENTRICITY OF TURBINE SHELL RELATIVE TO TURBINE ROTOR

Abstract

A system for determining eccentricity of a turbine shell and a turbine rotor of a gas turbine includes a laser module with a microprocessor having coupled thereto a wireless network chip, a laser sensor, an inclination sensor, and a power supply. The laser sensor transmits a laser toward the turbine shell as the rotor spins at slow speed and to receive a reflected laser from the turbine shell, thereby defining a path length indicative of a distance between the laser module and the turbine shell for each of a series of points disposed circumferentially around the turbine shell. The system further includes a bracket configured to hold the laser module proximate to a turbine blade; a base station that produces a wireless network near the turbine shell and that receives distance measurements from the laser module for each of the series of points; and a server for processing the distance measurements into an eccentricity plot.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for determining eccentricity of a turbine shell relative to a turbine rotor of a gas turbine, the system comprising:

a first laser module comprising a housing and contained within the housing a microprocessor having coupled thereto a wireless network chip, a laser sensor, an inclination sensor, and a power supply, wherein the laser sensor is configured to transmit a laser beam toward the turbine shell as the turbine rotor spins at a slow speed and to receive a reflected laser beam from the turbine shell, thereby defining a path length indicative of a distance between the laser module and the turbine shell for each of a first series of points disposed circumferentially around the turbine shell;
an early-stage bracket configured to hold the laser module proximate to an early-stage turbine blade connected to the turbine rotor, the early-stage turbine blade being disposed in a first turbine stage or a second turbine stage;
a base station configured to produce a wireless local area network near the turbine shell and to receive distance measurements from the laser module for each of the first series of points;
and
a server for processing the distance measurements into an eccentricity plot of the first turbine stage or the second turbine stage.

2 more elements

A method for determining eccentricity of a turbine shell relative to a turbine rotor of a gas turbine, the method comprising:

(a) installing a first bracket to an early-stage turbine blade connected to the turbine rotor and installing a first laser module to the first bracket;
(b) establishing, via a base station having a wireless chip, a wireless local area network proximate to the turbine shell;
(c) spinning the turbine rotor at a slow speed to cause rotation of the turbine blade;
(d) taking a first series of measurements of respective distances between the first laser module and the turbine shell by repeatedly directing a laser beam from a laser sensor of the first laser module toward the turbine shell as the turbine rotor spins and receiving a reflected laser beam from the turbine shell, thereby defining a path length indicative of a respective distance between the first laser module and the turbine shell for each of a first series of points disposed circumferentially around the turbine shell;
(e) transmitting the respective distance for each of the first series of points to a server, the server performing calculations and generating an eccentricity plot for an early turbine stage, the early turbine stage being the first turbine stage or the second turbine stage;
and
(f) delivering the eccentricity plot for the first turbine stage to a remote computing device for review to determine if the eccentricity is within a predetermined specification.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for measuring eccentricity of turbine shell relative to turbine rotor

Life of this patent

System and method for measuring eccentricity of turbine shell relative to turbine rotor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20