US2005265846A1PendingUtilityA1

Balance assembly for rotary turbine component and method for installing and/or adjusting balance weight

Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jun 1, 2004Filed: Jun 1, 2004Published: Dec 1, 2005

Est. expiryJun 1, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:James C. Przytulski William F. Mcgreehan John Edward Altman Clarence Shaub Fernando Ceccopieri

F01D 5/027F16F 15/322F04D 29/662F16F 15/34

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References

Claims

Abstract

A balance assembly for turbine rotating components, such as turbine rotors, as well as method for installing and/or adjusting at least one balance weight in the balance assembly and turbine section having this balance assembly and a radially extending access pathway for accessing this balance assembly. The balance assembly comprises; (a) a balance weight retention member having a circumferential periphery and a slot formed therein along at least a portion thereof, the slot having: ( 1 ) a bottom surface; ( 2 ) an opening; and ( 3 ) a pair of spaced apart and opposed side walls connecting the bottom surface and the opening, the side walls sloping inwardly between the bottom surface and the opening to define a balance weight engaging section; (b) at least one balance weight configured and sized to be insertable through the opening of the slot and to be positionable for movement within the slot and having a pair of spaced apart generally inwardly sloping shoulder surfaces capable of engaging the side walls of the slot at the balance weight engaging section; and (c) a balance weight securing member associated with the at least one balance weight that can be actuated to: (1) move the at least one balance weight away from the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section such that the at least one balance weight is in a secured position within the slot; or (2) move the at least one balance weight towards the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces do not engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section such that the at least one balance weight is in a unsecured position within the slot.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

1 . A balance assembly for a rotary turbine component, which comprises:
a. a generally annular balance weight retention member having a circumferential periphery and a slot formed therein along at least a portion thereof, the slot having:
(1) a bottom surface;
(2) an opening spaced from the bottom surface; and
(3) a pair of spaced apart and opposed side walls connecting the bottom surface and the opening, the side walls sloping inwardly between the bottom surface and the opening to define a balance weight engaging section;
b. at least one balance weight being configured and sized to be insertable through the opening of the slot and to be positionable for movement within the slot and having a pair of spaced apart generally inwardly sloping shoulder surfaces capable of engaging the side walls of the slot at the balance weight engaging section; and c. a balance weight securing member associated with the at least one balance weight that can be actuated to:
(1) move the at least one balance weight away from the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section such that the at least one balance weight is in a secured position within the slot; or
(2) move the at least one balance weight towards the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces do not engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section such that the at least one balance weight is in a unsecured and movable position within the slot.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the slot has a generally dovetail-shaped cross-section.

3 . The assembly of claim 2 wherein the slot is formed in the balance weight retention member along the entire circumferential periphery thereof.

4 . The assembly of claim 3 wherein the opening of the slot has a substantially uniform width along the entire circumferential periphery.

5 . The assembly of claim 2 wherein the balance weight engaging section of the slot has a generally trapezoidal shape.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein there are at least two balance weights.

7 . The assembly of claim 6 wherein there are a pair of balance weights.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 wherein the balance weight securing member comprises a bolt having a threaded shaft and wherein the at least one balance weight has a threaded portion for receiving the threaded shaft that extends from the top to the bottom of the at least one balance weight.

9 . The assembly of claim 8 wherein the threaded shaft has a distal end that projects outwardly away from the bottom of the at least one balance weight when the bolt is turned in the secured position direction and engages the bottom surface of the slot so that the at least one balance weight is forced away from the bottom surface of the slot and towards the side walls of the slot at the balance weight engaging section thereof.

10 . The assembly of claim 10 which further comprises a locking member for preventing the bolt from being disconnected from the at least one balance weight.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 wherein the locking member comprises a generally cylindrical bore formed in the distal end of the shaft perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof and a locking pin that is insertable into the bore.

12 . A balance assembly for a rotary turbine component, which comprises:
a. a generally annular balance weight retention member having a circumferential periphery and a slot formed therein along at least a portion thereof, the slot having:
(1) a bottom surface;
(2) an opening spaced from the bottom surface; and
(3) a pair of spaced apart and opposed side walls connecting the bottom surface and the opening, and being configured to define:
(a) a lower section of the slot wherein the side walls extend generally upwardly from the bottom surface;
(b) an intermediate section of the slot adjacent to the lower section and wherein the side walls slope generally inwardly to form a constriction at the top of the intermediate section; and
(c) an upper section of the slot adjacent to the intermediate section and wherein the side walls slope generally outwardly from the constriction to the opening;

b. at least one balance weight being configured and sized to be insertable through the opening and upper section of the slot and to be positionable for movement within the slot and having:
(1) a base portion with a width smaller than the width defined by the lower section of the slot so that the at least one balance weight is movable within the slot; and
(2) a shoulder portion connected to the base portion and having a pair of spaced apart shoulder surfaces sloping generally inwardly so as to be capable of engaging the side walls at the intermediate section of the slot; and
c. a balance weight securing member associated with the at least one balance weight that can be actuated to:
(1) move the at least one balance weight away from the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces engage the side walls at the intermediate section such that the at least one balance weight is in a secured position within the slot; or
(2) move the at least one balance weight towards the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces do not engage the side walls at the intermediate section such that the at least one balance weight is in a unsecured and movable position within the slot.

13 . The assembly of claim 12 wherein the slot is formed in the balance weight retention member along the entire circumferential periphery thereof.

14 . The assembly of claim 13 wherein the opening of the slot has a substantially uniform width along the entire circumferential periphery.

15 . The assembly of claim 13 wherein the slot has a generally dovetail-shaped cross-section.

16 . The assembly of claim 15 wherein the upper section and intermediate section of the slot each have a generally trapezoidal shape and wherein the shoulder portion of the at least one balance weight has a generally trapezoidal shape.

17 . The assembly of claim 12 wherein the balance weight securing member comprises a bolt having a threaded shaft and wherein the at least one balance weight has a threaded portion for receiving the threaded shaft that extends from the top to the bottom of the at least one balance weight.

18 . The assembly of claim 17 wherein the threaded shaft has a distal end that projects outwardly away from the bottom surface of the at least one balance weight when the bolt is turned in the secured position direction and engages the bottom surface of the slot so that the at least one balance weight is forced away from the bottom surface of the slot and towards the side walls of the slot at the intermediate section thereof.

19 . The assembly of claim 10 which further comprises a generally cylindrical bore formed in the distal end of the shaft perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof and a locking pin that is insertable into the bore.

20 . The assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one balance weight further comprises a neck section adjacent to the shoulder section that is sized and configured to be capable of fitting within the constriction in the slot.

21 . A method for installing at least one balance weight in a balance assembly for a rotary turbine component, the balance assembly comprising: (a) a generally annular balance weight retention member having a circumferential periphery and a slot formed therein along at least a portion thereof, the slot having a bottom surface, an opening spaced from the bottom surface and a pair of spaced apart and opposed side walls connecting the bottom surface and the opening, the side walls sloping inwardly between the bottom surface and the opening to define a balance weight engaging section; (b) the at least one balance weight being configured and sized to be insertable through the opening of the slot and to be positionable for movement within the slot and having a pair of spaced apart generally inwardly sloping shoulder surfaces capable of engaging the side walls of the slot at the balance weight engaging section, the method comprising the steps of:
1. inserting the at least one balance weight through the opening of the slot of the retention member so that the at least one balance weight is in an inserted position within the slot; 2. adjusting the at least one balance weight from the inserted position to a balance weight securing member associating position within the slot so that the at least one balance weight is capable of being associated with the balance weight securing member; and 3. associating a balance weight securing member with the at least one balance weight while in the balance weight securing member associating position, the balance weight securing member being capable of being actuated to:
(a) move the at least one balance weight away from the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section such that the at least one balance weight is in a secured position within the slot; or
(b) move the at least one balance weight towards the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces do not engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section such that the at least one balance weight is in a unsecured position within the slot.

22 . The method of claim 21 which comprises the further step of associating with the balance weight securing member a locking member that prevents the balance weight securing member from being disassociated from the at least one balance weight.

23 . The method of claim 21 wherein at least two balance weights are inserted into the slot.

24 . The method of claim 23 wherein a pair of balance weights are inserted into the slot.

25 . The method of claim 23 wherein the slot is formed in the balance weight retention member along the entire circumferential periphery thereof and wherein the opening of the slot has a substantially uniform width along the entire circumferential periphery.

26 . The method of claim 25 which comprises the further step of moving the inserted balance weights in the slot until positioned approximately equally spaced from each other.

27 . The method of claim 21 wherein the rotary turbine component is a rotor positioned within a turbine engine section having a radially extending access pathway for accessing the balance assembly.

28 . The method of claim 27 for subsequent balancing of the rotor after insertion of the at least one balance weight and positioning thereof at a first position within the slot, and after the rotor is operated such that balancing thereof is needed, the method comprising the further steps of: (4) rotating the rotor such that the at least one balance weight is accessible through the access pathway; and (5) moving the at least one balance weight to a second position within the slot to achieve subsequent balancing of the rotor.

29 . The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one balance weight is inserted within the slot before the retention member is secured to the rotor.

30 . A turbine engine section having a balance assembly for a rotary turbine component positioned in the turbine section and a radially extending access pathway for accessing the balance assembly for adjusting the position of at least one balance weight within a slot of a balance weight retention member in the balance assembly, the balance assembly comprising:
a. a generally annular balance weight retention member having a circumferential periphery and a generally dovetail-shaped slot formed therein along the entire length thereof, the slot having:
(1) a bottom surface;
(2) an opening spaced from the bottom surface; and
(3) a pair of spaced apart and opposed side walls connecting the bottom surface and the opening, the side walls sloping inwardly at a section of the slot between the bottom surface and the opening;
b. at least one balance weight being configured and sized to be movable within the slot and having a pair of spaced apart shoulder surfaces sloping generally inwardly so as to be capable of engaging the side walls of the slot at the balance weight engaging section; c. a balance weight securing member associated with the at least one balance weight that can be actuated to:
(1) move the at least one balance weight away from the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section of the slot such that the at least one balance weight is in a secured position within the slot; or
(2) move the at least one balance weight towards the bottom surface so that the shoulder surfaces do not engage the side walls at the balance weight engaging section of the slot such that the at least one balance weight is in an unsecured position within the slot.

31 . The turbine section of claim 30 wherein the slot is formed in the balance weight retention member along the entire circumferential periphery thereof.

32 . The turbine section of claim 31 wherein there are at least two balance weights.

33 . The turbine section of claim 32 wherein there are a pair of balance weights.

34 . The turbine section of claim 30 wherein the balance weight securing member comprises a bolt having a threaded shaft and wherein the at least one balance weight has a threaded portion for receiving the threaded shaft that extends from the top to the bottom of the at least one balance weight.

35 . The turbine section of claim 30 wherein the rotary turbine component is a rotor positioned within the turbine section and wherein the at least one balance weight is inserted within the slot before the retention member is secured to the rotor.

36 . The turbine section of claim 30 wherein the balance weight engaging section of the slot has generally trapezoidal shape.

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