Method for mounting and/or removing components of a turbine having a turbine casing, adapter and system for use in the method as well as use of an adapter

Abstract

A method for mounting and/or dismantling turbine components is provided. According to this method, a crane is fastened to a turbine casing half in the area of the joint, and at least one component such as for example a turbine blade is brought into its mounted position and/or is removed from its mounted position by means of the crane. For this purpose, the crane has a tower with a multiple section jib having a plurality of segments, thereby allowing the components to be positioned accurately for mounting/dismantling. The mobile crane is connected to the turbine casing half by means of an adapter. The adapter has a fastening pin which is held in place by means of an existing through-bore in the turbine casing half. For the purpose of mounting the mobile crane, the adapter has a baseplate. For rotational locking of the crane, a securing element is provided.

Claims

1. A method for mounting and/or removing components of a turbine having a turbine casing, comprising: fastening a crane on the turbine casing via an adapter having a crane-side base plate vertically separated from a casing-side base plate by a gap extending along a vertical axis of the adapter; and fitting at least one component which is to be mounted in an installation position with an aid of the crane and/or removing the at least one component which is to be removed from the installation position with the aid of the crane, wherein the at least one component which is to be mounted and/or removed is a turbine blade; wherein the adapter connected to the crane, has a cylindrical fastening bolt, of which an outer contour is adapted to an inner contour of a through-passage bore in a lower casing half, in a region of a joint, and, for a purpose of fastening the crane, the cylindrical fastening bolt is inserted into the through-passage bore and fixed by means of at least one screw.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crane is fastened on the lower casing half in a region of the joint, which in an open state of the turbine casing, the joint divides the turbine casing in two.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crane is fastened on the turbine casing using the through-passage bore in the in the lower casing half.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the crane has a tower and a jib, which is fastened on the tower in an articulated manner.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the crane is fastened on the turbine casing such that the tower is oriented at least essentially vertically.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter includes a connecting element located between the crane-side base plate and the casing-side base plate to form the gap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of a turbine which has a crane fastened on its casing, according to embodiments of the invention, by means of an adapter;

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of the adapter illustrated in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is an enlarged illustration of a detail from FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a view of the adapter from FIGS. 1 and 3 as seen obliquely from beneath;

(6) FIG. 5 is a view of the adapter from FIGS. 1 and 3 as seen from beneath;

(7) FIG. 6 is a section taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 is a section taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 8 is an enlarged illustration of the detail A from FIG. 6; and

(10) FIG. 9 is an enlarged illustration of the detail B from FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of a turbine 1. The turbine 1 comprises, in a manner known per se, a rotor 2 and a two-part turbine casing, of which only the lower casing half 3 can be seen in FIG. 1, since the upper casing half has been removed.

(12) The blades 4 are to be removed from the rotor 2 of the turbine 1, and in the exemplary embodiment illustrated this takes place with implementation of one embodiment of the method according to embodiments of the invention.

(13) For this purpose, in a first step, a mobile crane 5 has been fastened on the turbine casing. FIG. 1 shows the crane 5 already fastened on the casing.

(14) The mobile crane 5 comprises a tower 6 and a jib 7, which is fastened on the tower in an articulated manner. In order to provide greater deflection-related flexibility, the jib 7 is subdivided into three segments 8, which in turn are connected to one another in an articulated manner. A cable 9 is fastened at the free end of the jib 7, the other end of the cable being connected to a holder for a turbine blade 4, the holder being defined in the present case by a gripper 10, which is indicated only schematically in the figures and which in this case is a C hook.

(15) Within the context of the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the method according to embodiments of the invention, the crane 5, specifically the free end of the tower 6 of the crane 5, the free end being oriented downward in FIG. 1, has been fastened on the lower casing half 3, in the region of the horizontally running joint 11 of the turbine casing.

(16) The tower 6 of the crane 5 here, rather than being connected directly to the lower casing half 3, is connected via an adapter 12 according to embodiments of the invention.

(17) An enlarged illustration of the adapter 12, which connects the tower 6 of the crane 5 to the lower casing half 3 of the turbine 1, can be gathered from FIG. 2. Further enlarged illustrations in different views, and also sectional illustrations, of the adapter 12 can be gathered from FIGS. 4 to 9.

(18) The adapter 12 has a crane-side attachment surface 13, which is to be directed toward the crane 5 when the adapter is mounted, and a casing-side attachment surface 14, which is to be directed toward the lower casing half 3 of the turbine 1 when the adapter is mounted. In specific terms, the adapter 12 comprises a crane-side base plate 15, which defines the crane-side attachment surface 13, and a casing-side base plate 16, which defines the casing-side attachment surface 14. The crane-side base plate 15 is distinguished by a square shape and the casing-side base plate 16 is distinguished by a round shape. In the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the casing-side base plate 16 is formed by two sub-plates which are located one upon the other and, as can be gathered from FIGS. 6 and 8, are connected to one another by means of screws 23.

(19) Two recesses 17 are provided in the round casing-side base plate 16, the recesses extending as far as the periphery of the base plate 16. The recess creates space for non-removable elements which can be, or are, present on the lower casing half 3, in the region of the joint 11. For example, the lower casing half can accommodate heads of mounted screws or the free ends of mounted threaded rods and/or nuts, which, for stability reasons, must not be removed.

(20) The two base plates 15, 16 are connected to one another via a tubular connecting element 18, which has the casing-side base plate 16 fastened on its one end side and has the crane-side base plate 15 fastened on its other end side, and via four stabilizing crosspieces 19, which are oriented along the diagonals through the quadrilateral crane-side base plate 15. The tubular connecting element 18 is distinguished, as can be seen in FIG. 4, by a square cross section.

(21) It is also the case that the two base plates 15, 16 extend at least essentially parallel to one another.

(22) In order that the crane 5 can be fastened on the lower casing half 3 of the turbine 1 via the adapter 12, the adapter 12 has, on the one hand, means for fastening on the lower casing half 3, the means in the present case comprising a cylindrical fastening bolt 20, which projects from the casing-side base plate 16, and, on the other hand, means for fastening on the crane 5, the means in the present case comprising four threaded bores 21, which are provided in the crane-side base plate 15.

(23) The four threaded bores 21, as can likewise be gathered from FIG. 4, are arranged in the four corners of the crane-side base plate 15. Their hole pattern corresponds to that of four through-passage bores which are provided on the tower 6 of the crane 5, specifically in a foot plate 22 provided at the free end of the tower 6 of the crane 5 (cf. FIG. 2). The means of the adapter 12 for fastening on the crane 5 also comprise four screws 23, which each extend through a through-passage bore in the foot plate 22 and are screwed into a corresponding threaded bore 21 in the crane-side base plate 15. In this way, the adapter 12 is connected to the tower 6 of the crane 5 in a stable and releasable manner.

(24) In the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the adapter 12 is fastened on the lower casing half 3 via the cylindrical fastening bolt 20, which can be gathered in particular from FIG. 4 and projects from the casing-side base plate 16, specifically from that side of the latter which defines the casing-side attachment surface 14. The outer contour of the fastening bolt 20 is adapted to the inner contour of a through-passage bore, which is provided in the lower casing half 3, in the region of the joint 11, and through which extend, in the closed state of the turbine casing, the joint bolts provided for connecting the two casing halves.

(25) In FIGS. 1 and 2, which show the adapter 12 in the mounted state, the cylindrical fastening bolt 20 has been fitted into the through-passage bore on the lower casing half 3 and, accordingly, cannot be seen.

(26) The means of the adapter 12 for fastening on the housing comprise, in addition to the cylindrical fastening bolt 20, a threaded bore 21, which is provided in the fastening bolt 20, specifically in the free end side 24 of the latter, the end side being oriented downward in FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and 9, and also comprise a screw 23 and a washer 25 (cf. FIG. 9). The longitudinal axis of the threaded bore 21 and the longitudinal axis of the fastening bolt 20 coincide.

(27) In order to prevent rotation in the mounted state, the adapter 12 also comprises a cylindrical securing element 26, which projects from the casing-side base plate 16 and, as can be gathered in particular in FIG. 4, has a smaller diameter, and a shorter length, than the cylindrical fastening bolt 20. The securing element 26 is designed, and arranged, such that, in the mounted state of the adapter 12, it engages in an aperture, in the present case a further through-passage bore, which is present in the lower casing half 3, in the region of the joint 11. The securing element 26 is designed here such that, in the mounted state, it is seated in the further through-passage bore in a form-fitting manner. In the case of the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the securing element 26, as can be seen in FIG. 7, has been fitted into an opening provided in the casing-side base plate 16 and, for axial fixing purposes, has a head region of relatively large diameter.

(28) For the fastening of the adapter 12 on the lower casing half 3, the fastening bolt 20 has been fitted, from the upper side thereof, into the through-passage bore which is present in the region of the joint 11, and the screw 23, with the washer 25 located thereon, has been screwed, from the underside of the through-passage bore, into the threaded bore 21 in the fastening bolt 20.

(29) Should the crane 5 be fastened on a turbine casing which is distinguished by through-passage bores of different dimensions and/or in different positions, that is to say by a different hole pattern in the region of the joint, it is easily possible to provide a different adapter, of which the fastening bolt and securing element are designed, and arranged, such that they fit the different hole pattern.

(30) As mentioned above, the crane 5 fastened on the lower casing half 3, in the manner described above, via the adapter 12 is used for removing the blades 4.

(31) In addition to the crane 5, as can be seen in FIG. 1, a working platform 27 has been fastened on the turbine casing, specifically the lower casing half 3, in the region of the joint 11, it being possible for a fitter to access the platform in order to carry out blade-removal work and in order to control the crane 5 via an operating unit, which is provided on the crane 5 but is not illustrated in the figures.

(32) For removal of a blade 4, the latter is first of all moved, by appropriate positioning of the rotor of the turbine 1, into the 12 o'clock position. A blade 4 in this position can be gathered from FIG. 1. Then, the jib 7 of the crane 5 is moved, by a fitter standing on the working platform 27, into position such that the free end of the jib 7 is located at least approximately above the blade 4 which is to be removed, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. The blade 4 is gripped, and moved out of the installation position, by means of the gripper 10, which is fastened on the cable 9. This can take place solely by control on the part of the crane 5 or by manual intervention on the part of the fitter, wherein the fitter need never bear the entire weight of the blade 4, of approximately 45 kg; rather, at most, he causes the blade 4 to move, while the latter is borne by the crane 5. The blade 4 removed from its installation position can be moved by the crane 5 to the working platform 27, or also to some other set-down location alongside the turbine 1.

(33) Once in particular all the blades 4 have been removed in this way, it is possible for further work, which can include both the removal and the installation of blades or other components of the turbine 1, to be carried out with the aid of the crane 5 and, if the crane 5 is no longer required, the latter can be removed again from the lower casing half 3 by the screw 23 screwed into the cylindrical fastening cylinder 21 being unscrewed and the crane 5 being raised, and thus the fastening bolt 20 being removed from the through-passage bore in the lower casing half 3.

(34) Implementation of the method according to embodiments of the invention and the use according to embodiments of the invention of the crane 5 which is fastened temporarily on the lower casing half 3 provide for particularly safe handling of turbine components and therefore a particularly high level of work safety.

(35) Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not limited to the examples disclosed, and further variations can be inferred by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

(36) For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.