System and method for modifying a gas turbine engine in the field
AssigneeSolar Turbines Incorporated
InventorsThomas C. Schacht, David Rodriguez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for modifying a gas turbine engine in the field to drill a series of cooling holes in a turbine rotor disk made of a superalloy. A portable field repair system includes a stand configured to receive, support, and position a turbine rotor disk, a drill having a self-feeding spindle and configured to automatically drill a predetermined depth through a superalloy and to automatically stop upon completion, a drill guide configured to coordinate the drill with a plurality of radial axes associated with a precise hole pattern to be cut and a drill mount configured to mechanically couple the drill to the drill guide and to position the drill during the modification of the gas turbine engine turbine rotor disk.
Claims18
A system for modifying a gas turbine engine in the field, the system comprising:
- a stand configured to receive, support, and position a turbine rotor disk removed from the gas turbine engine, the turbine rotor disk made from a superalloy;
- a drill having a single drill axis;
- a drill guide including a plurality of radial access holes;
- a drill mount configured to mechanically couple the drill to the drill guide and to position the drill during drilling operations, the drill mount including
- a nose piece extension extending from the drill, the nose piece extension including a first end threaded into a face of the drill and a second end distal to the first end, and
- a locking collar proximal the second end;
- and
- a nose piece alignment bushing attached to the drill mount, the nose piece alignment bushing including a bushing interface that interfaces with the plurality of radial access holes to coordinate the single drill axis with a plurality of radial axes associated with the turbine rotor disk such that the single drill axis is prevented from departing one of the plurality of radial axes beyond design tolerances associated with a modification to be performed when drilling has been initiated.
A system for modifying a turbine rotor disk, made of a superalloy, in the field, the system comprising:
- a stand configured to receive the turbine rotor disk, the stand including an alignment ring to center the turbine rotor disk within the stand and posts to vertically position and support the turbine rotor disk within the stand;
- a drill having a self-feeding spindle, a nose piece alignment bushing, and an integrated cutter lubricant subsystem, the drill configured to automatically drill a predetermined depth through the superalloy along a single drill axis upon initiation and to automatically stop upon completion;
- a drill guide having a plurality of radial access holes configured to receive the nose piece alignment bushing, each of the plurality of radial access holes associated with a radial axis associated with a cooling hole to be machined in the turbine rotor disk;
- and
- a drill mount configured to mechanically couple the drill to the drill guide when the nose piece alignment bushing is fully engaged with one of the plurality of radial access holes, the drill mount including
- a nose piece extension including a first end mechanically coupled to the drill and a second end distal to the first end, and
- a locking collar extending radially outward relative to the single axis from the nose piece extension proximal the second end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.