Methods for retrofitting a turbomachine
09556747 ยท 2017-01-31
Assignee
Inventors
- Trevor Larcheveque (Alfred Station, NY, US)
- Steven Turybury (Wellsville, NY, US)
- Vincent Hood (Seattle, WA, US)
- Andrew Morrill (Seattle, WA, US)
- Rick Glover (Seattle, WA, US)
Cpc classification
Y10T29/49716
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
F05D2240/60
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Y10T29/49238
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
F05D2220/31
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F05D2230/80
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F01D21/18
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
Abstract
Methods for retrofitting a turbomachine are provided. A first trip cup of the turbomachine may be replaced with a second trip cup. The first trip cup may include a throw-out arm connected to a first trip cup spring. The second trip cup may include a plunger disposed in a hole defined by the second trip cup and a plunger spring encircling the plunger in the hole. The first trip cup may be removed from the turbomachine and the second trip cup installed such that a location of the plunger in the turbomachine is the same as a location of the throw-out arm in the turbomachine when the first trip cup was installed on the turbomachine. The tension in the plunger spring may be adjusted such that, when a speed of the turbomachine exceeds a predetermined value, the plunger actuates a trip paddle located adjacent the second trip cup.
Claims
1. A method for retrofitting a turbomachine by replacing a first trip cup of the turbomachine with a second trip cup, the first trip cup including a throw-out arm connected to a first trip cup spring, and the second trip cup including a plunger disposed in a hole defined by the second trip cup and a plunger spring encircling the plunger in the hole, the method comprising: removing the first trip cup from the turbomachine, the turbomachine comprising a trip paddle; installing the second trip cup in the turbomachine such that a location of the plunger in the turbomachine is the same as a location of the throw-out arm in the turbomachine when the first trip cup was installed on the turbomachine; and adjusting a tension in the plunger spring such that, when a speed of the turbomachine exceeds a predetermined value, the plunger actuates the trip paddle located adjacent the second trip cup.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second trip cup is installed such that the location of the trip paddle in the retrofitted turbomachine is the same as the location of the trip paddle when the first trip cup was installed on the turbomachine.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second trip cup is installed such that a location of trip linkages relative to the retrofitted turbomachine is the same as a location of the trip linkages when the first trip cup was installed on the turbomachine.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the second trip cup is smaller than a diameter of the first trip cup.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first trip cup is enclosed in a first housing and the second trip cup is enclosed in a second housing, the second housing being axially smaller in size than the first housing.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the second trip cup comprises: reducing a length of a shaft of the turbomachine, forming a shaft hole in the center of the shaft, the shaft hole extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and coupling the second trip cup to the shaft via the shaft hole.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein reducing the length of the shaft includes cutting the shaft perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft such that the plunger of the second trip cup is located at the same position in the turbomachine as the throw-out arm of the first trip cup.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: removing a mechanical flyweight governor and a first set of governor linkages coupling the mechanical flyweight governor to a steam source from the turbomachine, the mechanical flyweight governor including a coil spring disposed around a shaft of the turbomachine and governor flyweights disposed around the coil spring; installing a mechanical-hydraulic governor in the turbomachine; and coupling the mechanical-hydraulic governor to the steam source via a second set of governor linkages.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein a footprint of the second trip cup is substantially the same as or less than a footprint of the first trip cup.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the tension in the plunger spring is adjusted such that, when the speed of the turbomachine exceeds the predetermined value, a centrifugal force acting on the plunger exceeds the tension in the plunger spring.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: removing a mechanical flyweight governor and a first set of governor linkages coupling the mechanical flyweight governor to a steam source from the turbomachine, the mechanical flyweight governor including a coil spring disposed around a shaft of the turbomachine and governor flyweights disposed around the coil spring; and reinstalling the mechanical flyweight governor and the first set of governor linkages on the turbomachine after installing the second trip cup.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second trip cup is balanced about the central axis of the second trip cup by removing material of the second trip cup diametrically opposite the hole.
13. A method for preventing overspeed operation of a turbomachine including a first trip cup having a throw-out arm connected to a first trip cup spring, and a mechanical flyweight governor coupled to a steam source supplying steam to the turbomachine, the mechanical flyweight governor having a coil spring retained around a shaft of the turbomachine and governor flyweights disposed around the coil spring, the method comprising: removing the first trip cup from the turbomachine, the turbomachine comprising a trip paddle; installing a second trip cup in the turbomachine such that a plunger disposed in the second trip cup is at a same location in the turbomachine as the throw-out arm of the first trip cup when the first trip cup was installed in the turbomachine; removing the mechanical flyweight governor from the turbomachine and a first set of governor linkages coupling the mechanical flyweight governor to the steam source; installing a mechanical-hydraulic governor in the turbomachine, the mechanical-hydraulic governor being coupled to the shaft and being coupled to the steam source via a second set of governor linkages; and adjusting a tension in a plunger spring retaining the plunger in the second trip cup such that the plunger is propelled radially outward from the second trip cup and the plunger actuates the trip paddle located adjacent the second trip cup when the turbomachine rotates at a predetermined value, the predetermined value indicative of overspeed operation of the turbomachine.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second trip cup is installed on the shaft of the turbomachine such that the propelled plunger actuates trip linkages adjacent the second trip cup.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein a location of the trip linkages with respect to the retrofitted turbomachine is the same as a location of the trip linkages when the first trip cup was installed in the turbomachine.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein a diameter of the second trip cup is smaller than a diameter of the first trip cup.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first trip cup is enclosed in a first housing and the second trip cup is enclosed in a second housing, the second housing being axially smaller in size than the first housing.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the tension in the plunger spring is adjusted such that, when the predetermined value is exceeded, a centrifugal force acting on the plunger exceeds the tension in the plunger spring.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the second trip cup is installed such that the location of the trip paddle is the same as the location of the trip paddle when the first trip cup was installed on the turbomachine.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein installing the second trip cup comprises: cutting the shaft perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft such that, when the second trip cup is installed, the plunger is located at the same axial position in the turbomachine as the throw-out arm when the first trip cup was installed in the turbomachine; forming a shaft hole in the center of the shaft and along the axis of the shaft; and coupling the second trip cup to the shaft via the shaft hole.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying Figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(16) It is to be understood that the following disclosure describes several exemplary embodiments for implementing different features, structures, or functions of the invention. Exemplary embodiments of components, arrangements, and configurations are described below to simplify the present disclosure; however, these exemplary embodiments are provided merely as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various exemplary embodiments and across the Figures provided herein. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various exemplary embodiments and/or configurations discussed in the various Figures. Moreover, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed interposing the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Finally, the exemplary embodiments presented below may be combined in any combination of ways, i.e., any element from one exemplary embodiment may be used in any other exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
(17) Additionally, certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, various entities may refer to the same component by different names, and as such, the naming convention for the elements described herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, unless otherwise specifically defined herein. Further, the naming convention used herein is not intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. Additionally, in the following discussion and in the claims, the terms including and comprising are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean including, but not limited to. All numerical values in this disclosure may be exact or approximate values unless otherwise specifically stated. Accordingly, various embodiments of the disclosure may deviate from the numbers, values, and ranges disclosed herein without departing from the intended scope. Furthermore, as it is used in the claims or specification, the term or is intended to encompass both exclusive and inclusive cases, i.e., A or B is intended to be synonymous with at least one of A and B, unless otherwise expressly specified herein.
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(19) Helical threads 210 may be defined on an inner sidewall 212 of the circular disk shaped body 202 defining the partially drilled hole 206, such that the helical threads are located adjacent the outer circumferential surface 208 of the circular disk shaped body 202. A split collar 214 may be disposed at the bottom of the partially drilled hole 206 adjacent the central opening 204 and retained therein by a retaining ring 216. The split collar 214 may support a movable pin style weight or plunger 218, as illustrated in
(20) In order to balance the trip cup 200 about the central axis 226 (or alternatively, the axis of rotation) of the trip cup 200, material of the trip cup 200 diametrically opposite to the partially drilled hole 206 may be removed. This may create a balancing hole 224 diametrically opposite the partially drilled hole 206. Although the balancing hole 224 is illustrated as a through hole in
(21) In order to install the trip cup 200 on the conventional steam turbine 100 of
(22) The operation of the trip cup 200 will now be described. The tension on the plunger spring 220 may be adjusted such that, when the rotational speed of the steam turbine 100 reaches a certain predetermined value (the predetermined value may be indicative of overspeed), centrifugal forces may propel the plunger 218 radially outward from the partially drilled hole 206, and the plunger 218 may exit (at least partially) the partially drilled hole 206. The plunger 218 may contact and deflect the trip paddle 112 adjacent, e.g., around th of an inch, the outer circumferential surface 208 of the trip cup 200. The trip paddle 112 may be attached to the inner surface of the housing 108. The deflection of the trip paddle 112 may release trip linkages 1029 (
(23) During normal operation (below predetermined value), depending on the rotational speed of the steam turbine 100, the governor 302 or, alternatively, the mechanical flyweight style governor 104 may adjust (increases or decreases) the steam supplied to the steam turbine 100 using the governor linkages 306 (
(24) In an exemplary embodiment, if the governor 302 or the mechanical flyweight style governor 104 malfunctions and the steam turbine 100 overspeeds, the above described tripping mechanism of the trip cup 200 is actuated and the steam turbine 100 is shut off.
(25) The trip cup 200, according to one or more embodiments disclosed, may overcome the drawbacks presented by the trip cup 102. For example, the trip cup 200 may be more reliable than the trip cup 102 and may provide greater speed control than the trip cup 102. Adjusting the tension in the plunger spring 220 of the trip cup 200 is relatively easier than adjusting the tension in the weight spring 1024 of the trip cup 102. The trip cup 200 does not have a throw out arm 1025 that requires frequent replacement. Because the trip cup 200 may be of similar dimensions as the trip cup 102, the trip cup 200 may fit in the same housing 108 as the trip cup 102, and the trip paddle 112 and trip linkages 1029 may not require relocation. As such, the trip cup 200 may have a footprint that may be substantially the same as that of the trip cup 102.
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(29) In an exemplary embodiment, an operation of the trip cup 400 may be similar to the operation of the trip cup 200 disclosed above. When the turbine speed exceeds a predetermined value (which, for example, may indicate overspeed), the plunger 412 of the trip cup 400 may be propelled outward due to centrifugal force. The plunger 412 may actuate, for example, deflect, the trip paddle 112 and may release the trip linkages 1029, thereby shutting off the steam supplied to the steam turbine 100. During normal operation (for example, below overspeed), depending on the rotational speed of the shaft 110, the governor 502 may adjust (as mentioned above) the steam supplied to the steam turbine 100, thereby increasing or decreasing the turbine speed. As such, the governor 502 may maintain a relatively constant turbine speed.
(30) It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the trip cup 400 may offer similar advantages as the trip cup 200. In addition, the trip cup 400 may be relatively more compact than the trip cup 200 and may have a relatively reduced footprint compared to the trip cup 200. For example, the trip cup 400 may have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the trip cup 200. The reduced footprint may be desirable for applications in the petro-chemical industry, for example, on oil wells or floating platforms or any other industry where space is highly restricted.
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(34) The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.