FR2962485A1 - COMPRESSIBLE SUPPORTS FOR TURBINE ENGINES - Google Patents

Abstract

A system comprising a first turbine alignment piece (88) for a turbine engine, a shim (90) made of a metal foam. The shim (90) mounts between a first surface of the first turbine alignment piece (88) and a second surface of a second turbine alignment piece (86).

Description

B11-2585EN 1 Compressible supports for turbine engines

The present disclosure relates to turbine engines and, more particularly, to the assembly, support and alignment of turbine engine parts. In some applications, turbines may have various sections to be assembled during installation. Each turbine can be wrapped in a turbine casing and its bearings can be supported by an "upright" (also called "foot") or an exhaust frame. The turbine casings may comprise arms or other extensions that may be supported by the upright, in particular by means of a vertical support on the upright itself. Turbine shells can also be supported vertically by branches that attach to the ground. A bearing housing covers and globally protects the bearings of the turbine. During installation, the bearing housing is placed so that the rotor is concentric to the turbine casing to prevent interference with other parts. Supports on the exhaust frame may engage a support piece on the bearing housing to support and vertically and / or horizontally align the bearing housing. Games may increase or decrease during operation, depending on the support provided by the exhaust frame and bearing housing support piece. These variations in play may introduce uncertainty as to the position of the bearing relative to the fixed parts and may cause friction or interference between these parts. The turbine casing covers and globally protects the rotating parts of the turbine. During installation, the turbine casing is generally aligned with the rotating parts to avoid interference with the parts. Ground supports can cooperate with a support piece present on the turbine casing to align and support vertically and / or horizontally the turbine casing. It may be difficult to obtain the desired play due to the thermal expansion of the support piece and / or the support of the uprights. For example, the games may increase or decrease during operation depending on the configuration of the support of the upright and the support piece. These variable clearances may introduce uncertainty as to the position of the turbine casing relative to the rotating parts and may ultimately cause friction or interference between these parts.

Some embodiments whose purpose is similar to that of the invention originally claimed are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but on the contrary these embodiments are only intended to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the invention. The invention can certainly cover various forms that may be similar to the embodiments, presented hereinafter or different therefrom. In one embodiment, a system includes a turbine engine having a turbine shell, a support assembly adapted to support the turbine engine, the support assembly having a keyway defined by at least a first and a second second projections, a counter-key extending from the turbine casing and adapted to mate with the keyway and a first shim disposed between the keyway and one of the first projections, the first shim of thickness being composed of a metal foam. In a second embodiment, a system includes a first turbine alignment piece for a turbine engine and a metal foam shim, the shim being mounted between a first surface of the first piece of foam turbine alignment and a second surface of a second turbine alignment part. In a third embodiment, a system comprises a support device for a turbine engine comprising a keyway having a bottom, a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a key adapted to fit into the groove keying and provide lateral alignment of a turbine engine turbine casing, and a first shim disposed in the keyway between the key and the first side, and a second shim disposed between the key and the second side, the first shim and the second shim being made of metal foam. The invention will be better understood on studying the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a system of combined cycle power generation comprising a gas turbine, a steam turbine and a heat recovery steam generator system (HRSG); Figure 2 is a perspective view of a turbine post and a turbine casing according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a turbine support device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a stress / strain curve of a metal foam according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a keyway protrusion of the turbine support device of Figure 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a keyway protrusion of the turbine support device of Figure 3 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all the details of a concrete implementation can not be described in the specification. It should be emphasized that in the development of any such concrete implementation, as in any study or design project, many decisions specific to implementation must be made to achieve the specific objectives of its promoters. including compliance with system-related and economic constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. In addition, it should be emphasized that such development work could be complex and time consuming, but nevertheless would be an ordinary undertaking of design, development and manufacture for ordinary specialists benefiting from the present invention. Referring to elements of various embodiments of the present invention, it is understood that indefinite and definite articles and the term "said" and its variants mean that there is one or more of the elements. It is understood that the terms "comprising", "comprising" and "having" are inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the enumerated elements. Embodiments of the present invention include a shim of flexible thickness (e.g., a metal foam shim) for aligning turbine parts such as turbine shells, steam turbine or gas turbine, which are supported. by a turbine support such as an amount. The metal foam shim may be installed as a shim between a keyway of a turbine part and a counter-key of a turbine carrier. In operation, the metal foam shim can be compressed in response to the thermal expansion of the hot turbine part to ensure that the desired clearances remain between the keyway and the keyway. In some embodiments, a wear plate, for example a stellite wear plate, may be disposed between the metal foam shim and the keyway to support any shear force exerted by the counter-key. and / or the keyway. In some embodiments, the thickness, relative density, and material for the metal foam shim may be chosen to ensure that the metal foam shim has the desired linear elasticity and a long life. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a combined cycle electricity generator system 10 having a gas turbine 12, a steam turbine 22 and at least one recovery steam generating system. The system 10 may employ one or more support devices for aligning various parts in the gas turbine 12, the steam turbine 22 and / or the HRSG 32. As discussed below, Support includes one or more flexible shims (eg, shims made of metal foam) to maintain proper clearance despite thermal expansion of hot turbine parts.

The system 10 may include the gas turbine 12 for driving a first load 14. The first load 14 may, for example, be an electrical generator for generating electricity. The gas turbine 12 may comprise a turbine 16, a combustion chamber 18 and a compressor 20. The system 10 may also comprise the steam turbine 22 for driving a second load 24. The second load 24 may also be an electric generator serving to produce electricity. However, the first and second charges 14, 24 may be other types of charges that may be driven by the gas turbine 12 and the steam turbine 22. In addition, although the gas turbine 12 and the turbine 12 Vapor 22 can cause separate charges 14 and 24, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the gas turbine 12 and the steam turbine 22 can also be used in tandem to drive a single load via an axis. unique. In the illustrated embodiment, the steam turbine 22 may include a low pressure section 26 (LP ST), a medium pressure section 28 (IP ST) and a high pressure section 30 (HP ST). However, the specific configuration of the steam turbine 22, as well as that of the gas turbine 12, may be specific to their implementation and may comprise any combination of sections. Each section of the steam turbine 22, for example the low pressure section 26, the medium pressure section 28 and the high pressure section 30, can generally be supported and separated by intermediate posts 29 (for example, feet). Similarly, end posts 31 (for example, feet) can generally support the ends of the high pressure section 30 and the low pressure section 26. The uprights 29 and 31 can be arranged on the axis of the turbine 22 and may include various parts such as supports, sensors and piping between the sections 26, 28 and 30 of the turbine. As described in detail below, the uprights 29 and 31 may also allow lateral (i.e. horizontal) alignment of the turbine casings of sections 26, 28 and 30, by cooperation of a counter-key with a keyway. The cooperation between the key and the keyway can be adjusted with the metal foam shims described here. It should be emphasized that the gas turbine 12 may also comprise a similar arrangement of one or more sections and one or more uprights, and that the gas turbine 12 may also utilize a counter-key, a keyway and metal foam shims for lateral alignment, as explained later. The system 10 may also include multistage HRSG 32. The HRSG 32 parts of the illustrated embodiment are a simplified presentation of the HRSG 32 and are not intended to be limiting. The illustrated HRSG 32 is instead introduced to show the general operation of such HRSG systems. The heated exhaust gases 34 from the gas turbine 12 may be transferred into the HRSG 32 and be used to heat the steam used to operate the steam turbine 22. The steam discharged from the low pressure section 26 of the The steam turbine 22 can be directed into a condenser 36. The condensate from the condenser 36 can in turn be directed into a low pressure section of the HRSG 32, using a condensate pump 38. The condensate can then pass through a low-pressure economizer 40 (LPECON), a device designed to heat feed water with gases, which can be used to heat the condensate. From the low-pressure economizer 40, a portion of the condensate can be directed into a low-pressure evaporator 42 (LPEVAP), while the remainder can be pumped to a medium-pressure economizer 44 (IPECON). The vapor coming from the low pressure evaporator 42 can be sent into the low pressure section 26 of the steam turbine 22. Similarly, since the medium-pressure economizer 44, part of the condensate can be directed into a medium-pressure evaporator 46 (IPEVAP) while the rest can be pumped to a high-pressure economizer 48 (HPECON). The vapor coming from the medium pressure evaporator 46 can be sent into the medium pressure section 28 of the steam turbine 22. Here again, the connections between the economizers, the evaporators and the steam turbine 22 may vary from one embodiment to another. to another, since the illustrated embodiment only serves to present the general operation of an HRSG system that can employ proprietary aspects of the present embodiments. Finally, the condensate from the high-pressure economizer 48 can be directed into a high-pressure evaporator 50 (HPEVAP). The vapor exiting the high pressure evaporator 50 can be directed into a high pressure primary superheater 52 and a high pressure finishing superheater 54, where the steam is superheated and finally sent to the high pressure section 30 of the steam turbine 22. The steam discharged from the high pressure section 30 of the steam turbine 22 may in turn be directed into the medium pressure section 28 of the steam turbine. The steam discharged by the medium pressure section 28 of the steam turbine 22 can be directed into the low pressure section 26 of the steam turbine 22.

An interstage desuperheater 56 may be installed between the high pressure primary superheater 52 and the high pressure finishing superheater 54. The interstage desuperheater 56 may provide further control over the temperature of the steam discharged by the high pressure finishing superheater 54. In particular, the inter-stage desuperheater 56 may be designed to control the temperature of the vapor exiting the high pressure finishing superheater 54 by injecting colder feed water sprayed into the superheated steam upstream of the high finishing superheater. pressure 54 whenever the temperature of the steam discharged at the outlet of the high-pressure finishing superheater 54 exceeds a predetermined value. In addition, the steam discharged from the high pressure section 30 of the steam turbine 22 can be directed into a primary heater 58 and a secondary heater 60 where it can be heated before being directed into the medium pressure section 28 of the the steam turbine 22. The primary heater 58 and the secondary heater 60 may also be associated with a desuperheater 62 between stages to control the temperature of the steam discharged by the heaters. In particular, the interstage desuperheater 62 may be designed to control the temperature of the vapor exiting the secondary heater 60 by injecting colder feed water sprayed into the superheated steam upstream of the secondary heater 60 whenever the temperature is exceeded. steam discharged at the outlet of the secondary heater 60 exceeds a predetermined value. In combined cycle systems such as the system 10, the hot exhaust gas 34 can flow from the gas turbine 12 and pass through the HRSG 32 and can be used to produce very hot steam at high pressure. The steam produced by the HRSG 32 can then be passed through the steam turbine 22 to produce electricity. In addition, the steam produced may also be supplied to any other processes in which superheated steam may be employed. The cycle of the gas turbine 12 is often referred to as "upstream cycle", while the production cycle of the steam turbine 22 is often referred to as "downstream cycle". By combining these two cycles as illustrated in FIG. 1, the combined cycle power generation system 10 can help improve the efficiency of both cycles. In particular, the heat resulting from the upstream cycle can be intercepted and used to produce steam for use in the downstream cycle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a turbine upright 70, for example an intermediate upright 29 or an end upright 31, supporting a turbine shell 72, for example an envelope of the low pressure section 26, of the medium section 28 or the high pressure section 30. The post 70 may comprise an upper half 74 and a lower half 76, and the turbine shell 72 may comprise an upper half turbine casing 78 or a turbine casing 80 half lower. The turbine casing 72 may be generally supported and aligned by a support device disposed on the upright 70, in particular in the zone indicated by the arrow 79. The support device can align and support laterally the turbine casing 72 according to the invention. X axis, especially in the directions indicated by arrows 81, through the cooperation of a counter-key and a keyway and the setting of one or more shims metal foam. As indicated above, the gas turbine 12 may also use a support device to laterally align, in a similar manner, one or more gas turbine casings with uprights. Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a turbine support device 82 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the turbine support device 82 may comprise a keying groove 84 on the post 70 and a projection, for example a counter-key 86 (also called a "key"), extending from the half lower 80 of the turbine casing. The keyway 84 may be defined by projections 88 extending from the post 70. The space 83 between the projections 88 may define the keyway 84. In some embodiments, the projections may be machined from the amount 70, soldered on the 70-pillar or manufactured by any suitable technique. The counter-key 86 is designed to mate with the keyway 84 and to align and support the turbine shell 72 on the X axis. The clearance between the keyway 84 and the counterbore Key 86 can be set "cold", for example when the turbine section is not running and is below operating temperatures. For example, some lateral clearance may be provided between the projections of the keyway 84 and the keyway 86 to prevent damage to the keyway 86. In operation, when the turbine section and In the turbine shell 72, the keyway 86 may expand under the effect of heat within the keyway 84. To provide the desired fit between the keyway 86 and the keyway 84 one or more flexible shims (e.g., metal foam shims) 90 may be disposed between the keyway 86 and each of the projections 88 which define the keyway 84. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, a first metallic foam shim 90A may be inserted between a first side of the counter-key 86 and the projection 88, and a second shim 90B of metal foam may be inserted between a second side of the counter-key 86 and the projection 88. As the casing 70 of the turbine heats and the counter-key 86 expands in the keyway 84, the shims 90 of metal foam may compressing to maintain the desired clearance between the keyway 86 and the sides of the keyway 84.

As described in more detail below, the shims 90 of metal foam may consist of FeCrAlY foams, stainless steel foams, copper foams, Inconel foams, nickel foams, aluminum foams or any suitable foam, and the thickness, relative density and material for the metal foam may be selected to ensure that the metal foam retains a linear elasticity in response to the forces exerted thereby. Furthermore, the metal foam shims 90 may be sufficiently flexible to prevent damage to the counter-key 86 and / or the keyway 84 during the expansion of the counter-key. 86 under the effect of heat, while maintaining sufficient rigidity to maintain a desired lateral alignment between the cross-key 86 and the keyway 84 and, thus, maintain the alignment. ent of the turbine casing 70. The metal foam advantageously allows the adjustment of the cold support device to facilitate assembly. In addition, the metallic foam shim 90 present in the support device substantially eliminates or limits any lateral positional uncertainty when hot or cold and provides tighter play between the stationary and rotating parts of the turbine. . As indicated above, the metal foam may be chosen so as to provide the desired linear elasticity, in particular by choosing a metal foam having a yield strength or a desired Young modulus. As will be understood, the yield strength and the Young's modulus may be a function of the relative density. FIG. 4 shows a stress / strain curve 94 for an example of metal foam, for example a FeCrAlY metal foam with a relative density of 15%. As shown in FIG. 4, the X axis corresponds to the stresses (lbf / in2) of the metal foam for a given deformation (in / in) on the X axis. The linear zone 96 corresponds to the parts of the stress curve. deformations of FeCrAlY metal foam which exhibit linear elasticity. For example, in the linear zone shown in FIG. 4, the Young's modulus of a FeCrAlY metal foam can be about 422 MPa (61259 psi). Other zones may comprise a plateau zone 98 in which the stresses of the metal foam do not change with respect to the deformations, and a densification zone 99 in which the metal foam acquires a greater density and the stresses increase rapidly. in response to deformations. Thus, when selecting a metal foam to be used as a wedge in the manner described above, the metal foam may be chosen to ensure that the metal foam has a linear elasticity to the deformation that is expected to occur. see being induced in the metal foam wedge during the operation of the turbine and the expansion of the turbine shell 70. As noted above, the metal foam may be made of FeCrAlY foams, stainless steel foams, copper foams, Inconel foams, nickel foams, aluminum foams or any suitable metal foam. On the other hand, the metal foam may be open cell foams or closed cell foams. In addition, the metal foams employed may have a relative density greater than about 5%, especially at least about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40% or more. For example, considering the keyway 86 and the keyway 84 described above with reference to FIG. 3, for a keyway 86 having a width of about 152 millimeters (6 inches) a height of about 203 millimeters (8 inches) and a length of about 508 millimeters (20 inches), and for a steady-state undercutting temperature of 318 and 139 ° C (600 ° F and 300 ° F), the stresses generated in a FeCrAlY metal foam at a relative density of 15% is about 7.48 MPa (about 860 psi) and in the area of linear elasticity 96 shown in Fig. 4. In addition, for such an embodiment, the lateral force total generated on the metal foam is 62 415 kgf (137,600 lbf). In some embodiments, the metal foam shim 90 may be used with additional pieces. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the keyway projection 88 having a wear plate 100 and a guard plate 102, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the projection 88 of FIG. keyway groove without the guard plate 102. As shown in FIG. 5, the wear plate 100 can absorb all or part of the shear force, indicated by the arrow 104, exerted by the counter-key 86 on the projection 88 of keying groove. As shown in FIG. 6, the wear plate 100 may be disposed between the metallic foam shim 90 and the counter-key 86. In some embodiments, the wear plate 100 may be in stellite, steel or any other suitable material or combination thereof. The guard plate 102 may serve to retain the metal foam shim 90 and the wear plate 100 in alignment with the keyway projection 88. For example, the guard plate 102 may retain the wear plate 100 against any shear force exerted on the plate in the direction illustrated by the arrow 104. As shown also in FIGS. 5 and 6, the plate 100 may be mechanically fastened to the metallic foam shim 90 by one or more fasteners 106 such as nails, screws, bolts, rivets or any other suitable fastener. In other embodiments, the wear plate 100 may be joined to the metal foam shim 90 by brazing, welding, gluing, or any other suitable method. Thus, in some embodiments, the wear plate 100 and metal foam shim 90 may be joined together to form a single piece while in other embodiments Wear plate 100 may constitute a separate piece, distinct from the metal foam shim 90. In other embodiments, the wear plate 100 may be absent and the metal foam shim 90 may be the only piece disposed between the keyway 86 and the keyway projection 88. Similarly, the guard plate 102 may be mechanically fastened to the keyway projection 88 by one or more fasteners 108 such as nails, screws, or other suitable fasteners. As also shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 88 may include a housing 110 designed for placing and / or receiving the shim 90 in a specific area of the protrusion 88. This housing 110 may be defined by one or more indentations in the surface of the protrusion 88 by extensions of the inner surface of the protrusion 88. In some embodiments, one or more protrusions 88 defining the keyway 84 may include a housing. In this way, the projection 88 defines a first side of the keyway 84 having a first housing 110 adapted to receive a first shim 90A. Another projection 108 defining a second side of the keyway may also include a second housing 110 adapted to receive the second shim 90B. More generally, the keyway 84 may have a bottom, a first side and a second opposite side to the first side, the first side having a first housing 110 adapted to receive a first wedge of thickness 90A and the second side comprising a second housing 110 designed to receive a second block of thickness 90B. The IO system may include a first wear plate 100 disposed between the first shim 90A and the key 86 and a second wear plate I00 disposed between the second shim 90B and the key 86. As mentioned in the description of FIG. 5, each of the first plate 100 and the second plate 100 may be designed to receive shear forces exerted by the key 86 in the keyway 84. The first plate 100 is preferably assembled with the first plate of thickness 90A, and the second plate 100 is preferably assembled with the second plate of thickness 90B. It should be understood that in other embodiments the keyway may be located on the turbine shell 70 and the keyway 86 may be located on the turbine post.

In such embodiments, the metallic foam shim 90 may be used to create desired gaps between the keyway and the keyway as described above. Furthermore, it should be understood that the soft-shims (eg, foamed shims) described above may be used in other support devices having, for example, first and second aligners , male and female alignment devices, etc. It should be noted that the support assembly 70 may be constituted by at least one of a bearing, an lubrication system and a rotor at one end of a turbine stage of the turbine engine.

List of benchmarks 10 12 22 32 14 16 18 20 24 26 28 30 29 31 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 70 72 74 electricity generation system gas turbine steam turbine first HRSG system load turbine combustion chamber compressor second load section low pressure section medium pressure section high pressure intermediate uprights end uprights exhaust gas heated condenser condensate pump saver low pressure evaporator low pressure economizer medium pressure evaporator medium pressure economizer high pressure evaporator high pressure superheater high pressure superheater high pressure desuperheater interstage primary heater secondary heater desuperheater interstage turbine upright turbine shell half upper 76 half lower 78 turbine shell half upper 80 turbine shell half lower 79 boom 81 arrows 82 f turbine support 83 space 84 keyway 86 keyway 88 protrusions 90 metal foam shims 94 strain / strain curve 96 linear region 98 plateau region 99 densification region 100 wear plate 102 guard plate 104 arrow 106 fasteners 108 fasteners 110 housing

Claims (13)

REVENDICATIONS1. A system (10), comprising: a turbine engine (12) comprising a shell (72); a support assembly (70) adapted to support the turbine engine (12), the support assembly (70) including a keyway groove (84) defined by at least first and second projections (88); a counter-key (86) extending from the turbine casing (72) and adapted to mate with the keyway (84); and a first shim (90A) disposed between the counter-key (86) and the first projection (88), the first shim (90A) being made of a metal foam. The system of claim 1, wherein the metal foam is composed of at least one of FeCrAlY, stainless steel, copper, nickel and aluminum. The system of claim 1, wherein the metal foam has a relative density of at least about 5%. The system of claim 1, wherein the support assembly (70) reduces or prevents lateral displacement of the turbine casing (72). 5. System according to claim 1, comprising a second shim (90B) disposed between the counter-key (86) and the second projection (88), the second shim (90B) being composed of the metal foam . The system according to claim 1, wherein the support assembly (70) is constituted by at least one of a bearing, a lubrication system and a rotor, at one end (31) of a stage (26, 28, 30) of the turbine engine (12). A system (10), comprising: a support device (82) for a turbine engine (12), comprising: a keyway (84) having a bottom, a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a key (86) adapted to fit into the keyway (84) and provide lateral alignment of a turbine casing (72) of the turbine motor (12); and a first shim (90A) disposed in the keyway groove (84) between the key (86) and the first side, and a second shim (90B) disposed in the keyway (84) between the key (86) and the second side, the first shim (90A) and the second shim (90B) being composed of a metal foam. The system of claim 7, wherein the first side has a first housing (110) adapted to receive the first shim (90A) and the second side has a second housing (110) adapted to receive the second shim thickness (90B). The system of claim 8 including a guard plate (102) adapted to retain the first shim (90A) in the first housing (110) and a second guard plate (102) for retaining the second shim of thickness (90B) in the second housing (110). The system of claim 8, comprising a first wear plate (100) disposed between the first shim (90A) and the key (86) and a second wear plate (100) disposed between the second shim of thickness (90B) and the key (86). The system of claim 8, wherein the first plate (100) and the second plate (100) are adapted to receive shear forces exerted by the key (86) in the keyway (84). The system of claim 8, wherein the first plate (100) is assembled with the first shim (90A) and the second plate (100) is assembled with the second shim (90B). The system of claim 8, wherein the metal foam is composed of FeCrAlY, stainless steel, copper, nickel or aluminum.