Rotary flow machine and method for disassembling the same

Abstract

The invention refers to a rotary flow machine having a rotor unit, rotating about a rotational axis, around which in at least one partial axial area a stationary inner housing (IH) is provided at a radial distance. The stationary inner housing (IH) can be divided up along the rotational axis in an upper and a lower inner housing half which adjoin each other along a horizontal split plane. The inner housing (IH) is surrounded in at least one axial section by an outer housing (OH) which can be divided up along the rotational axis in one upper and one lower outer housing half. Further a method for disassembling of a rotary flow machine is disclosed. The lower inner housing half provides support means which support the inner lower housing half on the lower outer housing half. The support means are detachably mounted at the lower inner housing half at least at two opposite support positions (P1, P2) relative to the rotational axis along the split plane.

Claims

1. A rotary flow machine comprising: a rotor unit, rotating around a rotational axis, around which in at least one partial axial area a stationary inner housing is provided at a radial distance which can be divided up along the rotational axis in an upper and a lower inner housing half which adjoin each other along a horizontal split plane, said inner housing is surrounded in at least one axial section by an outer housing which can be divided along the rotational axis in one upper and one lower outer housing half, and the lower inner housing half having a support, which supports the inner lower housing half on the lower outer housing half, and said support is detachably mounted at the lower inner housing half at least at two opposite support positions relative to the rotational axis along the split plane, wherein the lower and upper inner housing half each provides a recess at the support positions which complement to form a single recess in a closed state of the inner housing and said single recess is in a shape of a blind hole being open in a radially outward direction and formed closed against the rotor unit, and said single recess in the inner housing at each support position surrounds a mounting section of the support, wherein the support includes the mounting section and a carrier section, said mounting section is in contact with the lower inner housing half and detachably mounted to said lower inner housing, and said carrier section protrudes from the lower inner housing half radially outward and ends in a recess of the outer housing half, in which the carrier section rests slidably in a radial direction, and wherein said recess is formed as an access hole to enable access from radially outside of the outer housing, is bordered by an upper periphery of the upper outer housing half and by a lower periphery of the lower outer housing half, and said carrier section of the support extends radially outward into the recess of the outer housing at each support position such that the carrier section of the support encloses an upper gap with the upper periphery and a lower gap with the lower periphery, and wherein adjustment devices are placed into the lower and upper gap for the purposes of centering the carrier section of the support in a circumferential direction of the outer housing.

2. The rotary flow machine according to claim 1, wherein the support is a bar-shaped element.

3. The rotary flow machine according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one shim, the at least one shim configured to be insertable and removable in radial direction in or out of the lower gap and the upper gap, and wherein the at least one shim is located between the adjustment devices and the support.

4. The rotary flow machine according to claim 1, wherein the lower periphery of the lower outer housing half, which corresponds to the support surface of the lower outer housing half, is in the circumferential direction below the split plane.

5. The rotary flow machine according to claim 3, wherein a number and/or a thickness of the at least one shim are chosen such that said carrier section of the support is centered along the split plane.

6. The rotary flow machine according to claim 1, wherein the rotary flow machine is a gas turbine or a steam-turbine or a compressor unit.

7. A method for disassembling a rotary flow machine, the rotary flow machine includes a rotor unit, rotating around a rotational axis, around which in at least one partial axial area a stationary inner housing is provided at a radial distance which can be divided up along the rotational axis in an upper and a lower inner housing half which adjoin each other along a horizontal split plane, said inner housing is surrounded in at least one axial section by an outer housing which can be divided along the rotational axis in one upper and one lower outer housing half, and the lower inner housing half having a support, which supports the inner lower housing half on the lower outer housing half, and said support is detachably mounted at the lower inner housing half at least at two opposite support positions relative to the rotational axis along the split plane, wherein the lower and upper inner housing half each provides a recess at the support positions which complement to form a single recess in a closed state of the inner housing and said single recess is in a shape of a blind hole being open in a radially outward direction and formed closed against the rotor unit, and said single recess in the inner housing at each support position surrounds a mounting section of the support, wherein the support includes the mounting section and a carrier section, said mounting section is in contact with the lower inner housing half and detachably mounted to said lower inner housing, and said carrier section protrudes from the lower inner housing half radially outward and ends in a recess of the outer housing half, in which the carrier section rests slidably in a radial direction, and wherein said recess is formed as an access hole to enable access from radially outside of the outer housing, is bordered by an upper periphery of the upper outer housing half and by a lower periphery of the lower outer housing half, and said carrier section of the support extends radially outward into the recess of the outer housing at each support position such that the carrier section of the support encloses an upper gap with the upper periphery and a lower gap with the lower periphery, and wherein adjustment devices are placed into the lower and upper gap for the purposes of centering the carrier section of the support in a circumferential direction of the outer housing, the method comprising: removing the upper outer housing half by lifting off in a vertical direction the upper outer housing half from the lower outer housing half, and removing the upper inner housing half by lifting off in a vertical direction the upper inner housing half from the lower inner housing half while the lower inner housing half being supported by the lower outer housing half exclusively.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising: releasing the support at the support positions between the lower inner housing half and the lower outer housing half, and rotating the lower inner housing half around the rotational axis until the lower inner housing half is able to be lifted vertically.

9. The rotary flow machine according to claim 5, wherein the split plane passes through the carrier section of the support.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the support is a bar-shaped element.

11. The method according to claim 7, comprising: inserting at least one shim in radial direction in or out of the lower gap and the upper gap, and detachably fixing the adjustment devices at the lower outer housing half and at the upper outer housing half.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the lower periphery of the lower outer housing half, which corresponds to the support surface of the lower outer housing half, is in the circumferential direction below the split plane.

13. The method according to claim 11, comprising: choosing a number and/or a thickness of the at least one such that said carrier section of the support is centered along the split plane.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein the rotary flow machine is a gas turbine or a steam-turbine or a compressor unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The invention shall subsequently be explained in more detail based on exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawings. The drawings

(2) FIG. 1a shows a cross sectional view through a rotary flow machine having an inner and an outer housing and

(3) FIG. 1b shows an enlarged view of a support position, shown in FIG. 1a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1a shows a cross sectional view through a rotary flow machine providing a stationary inner housing IH which can be divided up along the rotational axis 21 in an upper inner housing half 3 and a lower inner housing half 4 which adjoin each other along a horizontal split plane 12. At a radial distance the inner housing IH is surrounded by an outer housing OH which can be also divided up along the rotational axis 21 in an upper outer housing half 1 and a lower outer housing half 2.

(5) The cross sectional view shown in FIG. 1a illustrates a cutting plane which traverses the connection mechanism CM between the inner housing IH and outer housing OH which is located at two opposite support positions P1, P2 relative to the rotational axis 21 along the split plane 12 and which is of axially limited extension so that the upper inner housing half 3 and the lower inner housing half 4 join each other directly along the split plane 12 in the remaining axial extension. The same applies to the upper outer casing half 1 and the lower outer casing half 2.

(6) For a detailed description of at least two connection mechanisms CM which are identical, it will be further referred to FIG. 1b, which shows an enlarged view of the connection mechanism CM. At the support positions P1, P2 the upper and lower inner housing halves 3, 4 each provides a recess 13a, 13b at the support position (P2 shown in FIG. 1b) which complements to a single recess 13 in a closed state of the inner housing IH. The single recess 13 has the shape of a blind hole and is open in radially direction which is illustrated by arrow 14 and formed closed against the rotor unit which is not illustrated in FIG. 1b, which however is enclosed by the upper and lower inner housing half 3, 4. In the enlarged view of FIG. 1b the inner wall sections 15 ensure that there is no access from the region of the single recess 13 to the inside of the rotor unit.

(7) For performing maintenance work on the rotary flow machine at first the upper outer casing half 1 and afterwards the upper inner casing half 3 have to be removed by lifting off each housing half separately. For preventing that the lower inner housing half 4 drops down and get in damage causing contact with the lower outer housing half 2 it is inventively proposed to provide a support means 5 for supporting the lower inner housing half 4 on the lower outer housing half 2. The support means 5 is detachably mounted for example by a bolted connection 6 in the recess of the lower inner housing half 4.

(8) The support means 5 preferably is a bar-shaped element having preferably a rectangular cross section in radial direction 14 which can be divided into a mounting section 5a which is in direct contact with the recess of the lower inner housing half 4, and a carrier section 5b which protrudes the lower inner housing half 4 radially outward and ends up in the space of a recess 9 within the upper and lower outer housing halves 1, 2 which form a so called access hole in a closed state of the outer housing OH which also enables free access from radially outside of the outer housing OH to the support means 5 as well other components inside the access hole 9 as will be described later. The access hole 9 is bordered at least in a circumferential direction which is indicated by arrow 16 by an upper periphery 17 of the upper outer housing half 1 and by a lower periphery 18 of the lower outer housing half 2. A carrier section 5b of the support means 5 extends radially outward into the space of the access hole 9 such that the carrier section 5b encloses an upper gap 19 with the periphery 17 of the upper outer housing half 1 and a lower gap 20 with the periphery 18 of the lower outer housing half 2. For centering purpose of the carrier section 5b, i.e. of the support means 5, relatively to the split plane 12 in each of the gaps 19, 20 adjustment devices 7, 8 are provided which can be inserted from outside through the axis hole 9 by radial movement only.

(9) The lower adjustment device 8 comprises a support element 8′ which carries at least one shim 11 which is insertable and removable in radially direction in or out of the space of the lower gap 20. The support element 8′ is detachably mounted, for example by a bolted connection with the lower outer housing half 2 within the axis hole 9.

(10) In the same way the upper adjustment device 7 consists of a so called down holder element 7′ to which also at least one shim is attachable. The package of the down holder element 7′ and that at least one shim 11 is also insertable and removable in radial direction in or out of the space of the upper gap 19. Also the down holder element 7′ is detachably fixed at the upper outer housing half 1 inside the access hole 9.

(11) The number and/or thickness of the at least one shim 11 carried by the support element 8′ as well by the down holder element 7′ are chosen such that the carrier section 5b of the support means 5 is centered along the split plane 12, i. e. the split plane 12 passes through the center of the carrier section 5a of the support means 5.

(12) Further, the bar shaped element 5, which is in case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1a, b of rectangular shape, is slidably mounted between the two adjustment devices 7, 8. In case of operation due to thermal expansion the upper and lower inner housing halves 3, 4 will enlarge radially. Since the bar shaped supporting means 5 at both support positions P1, P2 are able to slide in radial outward direction no thermal stresses can occur inside the inner housing. Due to a centered alignment of the support means 5 relative to the split plane 12 excentricity of the inner housing IH in the course of thermal expansion can be reduced significantly.

(13) All work in connection with adjustment of the support means 5 relative to the split plane 12 can be performed from outside at a closed engine through the axis hole 9 by inserting radially the adjustment devices 7, 8 each providing a suitable height of stacked shims 11 to reach a predefined position of the support means 5 relative to the split plane 12.

(14) The direct access from outside is placed in a way that nothing can fall into the inside of the machine because the recess 13 of the inner housing IH does not allow any direct access to the inner of the rotary machine.

(15) Finally the open axis hole 9 can be covered by cover plates 10 which are also detachably mounted to the outer housing OH.

(16) The inventive rotary turbo machine enables an easy and fast disassembling of important components of the rotary turbine engine without the need of removal of the rotor unit. In a first step the upper outer housing half 1 will be removed after releasing all connection means between the upper and lower outer housing halves 1, 2 by lifting off in vertical direction the upper outer housing half 1 from the lower outer housing half 2. Thereafter the upper inner housing half 3 is removed by releasing all connection means between the upper and lower inner housing halves 3, 4 by lifting off in vertical direction the upper inner housing half 3 from the lower outer housing half 4 while the lower inner housing half 4 remains in position since the lower inner housing half 4 is supported by the lower outer housing half 2 exclusively as described before.

(17) Even in case of further disassembling purpose support members (not shown) have to be inserted between the lower outer and lower inner housing half 4, 2 and/or a carrying member has to be inserted between the lower inner housing half 4 and the rotor unit. In a further step the support means 5 at the support positions P1, P2 between the lower inner housing half 4 and the lower outer housing half 2 have to be released so that the lower inner housing half 4 can be rotated around the rotational axis 13 till the lower inner housing half 4 is able for lifting off vertically.

(18) For releasing the support means 5 the fixing means 6 for fixing the support means 5 have to be released so that the support means 5 can be removed out of the recess 13 of the inner lower housing half 4.

(19) For assembling purposes the steps described before can be performed in reverse order.

(20) After having closed the outer housing the adjustment elements 7, 8 have to be inserted radially into the gaps 19, 20 as described before to ensure a precise vertical position of the support means 5 relative to the split plane 12 to ensure reduction of excentricity of the inner housing due to thermal expansion during operation of the rotary flow machine.