Apparatus and method for supporting a vane segment in a gas turbine

In a gas turbine having a centrally disposed rotor and a stationary member, said stationary member having first and second ends, and a torque load applied to said stationary member, support means for supporting said stationary member at said first end, said support means comprising:

• (a) a cylinder encircling said rotor;
• (b) a first load bearing surface formed on said first end of said stationary member;
• (c) a plate affixed to said cylinder, said plate having an axially oriented face, and a first hole having a center line formed in said axially oriented face;
• (d) a cylindrical plug disposed in said first hole, means for rotating said cylindrical plug into any rotational position within said first hole, and a second hole formed in said cylindrical plug, the centerline of said second hole being parallel to but not coincident with the axis of said cylindrical plug;
• and
• (e) a rotatable pin disposed in said second hole, said pin having a second load bearing surface formed thereon, said cylindrical plug being rotatably mounted in said first hole and said pin being rotatably mounted in said second hole so that said second load bearing surface can be placed in contact with said first load bearing surface regardless of the circumferential orientation of said cylindrical plug in said first hole.

In a gas turbine having a blade ring and an inner cylinder, a plurality of vane segments, each of said vane segments having inboard and outboard ends, a slot being formed in said inboard end of each of said vane segments, a torque plate having a recess and a threaded hole formed therein, a threaded plug having an eccentric hole formed therein, a pin, and a nut, a method of installing said vane segments in said gas turbine comprising the steps of:

• (a) fixing said outboard ends of said vane segments to said outer cylinder;
• (b) attaching said torque plate to said inner cylinder so that said recess covers said slot;
• (c) threading said plug into said threaded hole;
• (d) inserting said pin into said eccentric hole and rotating said threaded plug into a rotational orientation within said threaded hole until said pin is aligned with said slot, the rotation of said threaded plug within said threaded hole being continuous and not limited to predetermined increments;
• (e) engaging said pin in said slot;
• and
• (f) threading said nut onto said threaded plug and tightening said nut against said torque plate.

In a gas turbine having a plurality of vane segments and an inner cylinder, each said vane segment having an inner shroud, a lug emnating radially inward from each said inner shroud, and a slot formed in each said lug, an apparatus for supporting and aligning said vane segments to said inner cylinder comprising:

• a) a plurality of plates affixed to said inner cylinder and having formed therein a threaded hole having a center line corresponding to each of said vane segments;
• b) a threaded plug disposed in each of said threaded holes, whereby said threaded plugs are capable of assuming any rotational position within said threaded holes, each of said threaded plugs having an eccentric hole formed therein;
• and
• c) a pin disposed in each of said eccentric holes, whereby rotation of said threaded plug within said threaded hole causes said pin to describe a circle around said center line of said threaded hole, said pin being capable of being disposed at any circumferential location around said circle.