Adjustable support for steam turbine diaphragms
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsThomas Patrick Russo, Kenneth J. Robertson, Steven Sebastian Burdgick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a steam turbine that has upper and lower halves of diaphragm. The steam turbine of the present invention also provides an adjustable support bar attached to at least the upper half or the lower half of the diaphragm. The adjustable support bar of the present invention has a screw therein such that the adjustable support bar can raise or lower the upper half or the lower half of the diaphragm without removing each half of the diaphragm. Also provided are methods for adjusting and supporting a vertical position of the upper half and the lower half of the diaphragm at a horizontal split line in a steam turbine.
Claims20
A steam turbine, comprising:
- a diaphragm having an upper half and a lower half;
- and
- an adjustable support bar attached to the diaphragm;
- a threaded aperture formed through the adjustable support bar;
- and
- a threaded screw positioned in the threaded aperture, the threaded screw supporting the adjustable support bar against a casing, the threaded screw engaging the threaded aperture such that the adjustable support bar can raise or lower with reference to the casing.
A method for adjusting and supporting a vertical position of a diaphragm against a casing, said method comprising:
- attaching an adjustable support bar to the diaphragm;
- supporting the adjustable support bar above the casing with an adjustable screw, the adjustable screw having screw threads that engage aperture threads on an aperture formed through the adjustable support bar;
- adjusting the screw to adjust the position of the diaphragm above the casing;
- and
- locking the screw to lock the position of the adjustable support bar.
A system for adjustably coupling a diaphragm of a steam turbine to a casing of the steam turbine, the system comprising:
- an adjustable support bar associated with the diaphragm;
- and
- a screw supporting the adjustable support bar above the casing, the screw engaging an aperture through the support bar, the screw being adjustable to adjust the position of the adjustable support bar above the casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.