Support assembly for turbine shipping/operation

Abstract

A support assembly for supporting a gas turbine during a manufacturing configuration, a shipping configuration and an operating configuration. The support assembly includes a stand leg securable to a base, and the stand leg includes a turbine casing interface with a slot sized to receive a turbine casing pin. A support plate is attachable to the turbine casing interface. The support plate includes a closed pin aperture that is sized to fit over the turbine casing pin in the slot. The slot is a U-shaped slot in the turbine casing interface, and the U-shaped slot is open to receive the turbine casing pin from above.

1 . A support assembly for supporting a gas turbine during a manufacturing configuration, a shipping configuration and an operating configuration, the support assembly comprising:
 a stand leg securable to a base, the stand leg including a turbine casing interface with a slot sized to receive a turbine casing pin;   a support plate attachable to the turbine casing interface, the support plate including a closed pin aperture that is sized to fit over the turbine casing pin in the slot; and   wherein the slot is a U-shaped slot in the turbine casing interface, the U-shaped slot being open to receive the turbine casing pin from above.   
     
     
         2 . The support assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the support plate is secured to the turbine casing interface with bolts. 
     
     
         3 . The support assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the support plate is secured to the turbine casing interface with five bolts. 
     
     
         4 . The support assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the support plate comprises a plurality of bolt apertures positioned adjacent the pin aperture, wherein the bolts secure the support plate to the turbine casing interface through the bolt apertures. 
     
     
         5 . The support assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the stand leg comprises a plurality of stand legs including a manufacturing stand leg, a shipping stand leg and an operating stand leg. 
     
     
         6 . The support assembly according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a manufacturing base to which the manufacturing stand leg is fixed in the manufacturing configuration;   a shipping base to which the shipping stand leg is fixed in the shipping configuration; and   an operating base to which the operating stand leg is fixed in the operating configuration.   
     
     
         7 . The support assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the manufacturing base is different from the shipping base, and the shipping base is different from the operating base. 
     
     
         8 . A support assembly for supporting a gas turbine during a shipping configuration and an operating configuration, the support assembly comprising:
 a two-point support structure securable to a base that is sized and configured to receive turbine casing pins on opposites sides of a turbine, the two-point support structure supporting downward loading, forward loading and backward loading during shipping;   a support plate attachable to the two-point support structure, the support plate mitigating upward loading during shipping; and   wherein the two-point support structure comprises a pair of stand legs securable to the base, each of the stand legs including a turbine casing interface with a slot sized to receive one of the turbine casing pins, the support plate attachable to each of the turbine casing interfaces, each of the support plates including a closed pin aperture that is sized to fit over the turbine casing pin in the slot.   
     
     
         9 . The support assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the two-point support structure comprises first, second and third two-point support structures, wherein the support assembly further comprises a manufacturing base to which the first two-point support structure is fixed in the manufacturing configuration, a shipping base to which the second two-point support structure is fixed in the shipping configuration, and an operating base to which the third two-point support structure is fixed in the operating configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The support assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the manufacturing base is different from the shipping base, and the shipping base is different from the operating base. 
     
     
         11 . The support assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the slot is a U-shaped slot in the turbine casing interface, the U-shaped slot being open to receive the turbine casing pin from above. 
     
     
         12 . The support assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein the support plate is secured to the turbine casing interface with bolts. 
     
     
         13 . The support assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the support plate comprises a plurality of bolt apertures positioned adjacent the pin aperture, wherein the bolts secure the support plate to the turbine casing through the bolt apertures. 
     
     
         14 . A support assembly for supporting a gas turbine, the support assembly comprising:
 a plurality of stand legs securable to a base, the stand legs including a turbine casing interface with a slot sized to receive a turbine casing pin, the plurality of stand legs including a manufacturing stand leg, a shipping stand leg and an operating stand leg;   a manufacturing base to which the manufacturing stand leg is fixed in a manufacturing configuration;   a shipping base to which the shipping stand leg is fixed in a shipping configuration;   an operating base to which the operating stand leg is fixed in an operating configuration;   a support plate attachable to the turbine casing interface, the support plate including a closed pin aperture that is sized to fit over the turbine casing pin in the slot; and   wherein the slot is a U-shaped slot in the turbine casing interface, the U-shaped slot being open to receive the turbine casing pin from above.   
     
     
         15 . The support assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the support plate is secured to the turbine casing interface with bolts. 
     
     
         16 . The support assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the support plate is secured to the turbine casing interface with five bolts. 
     
     
         17 . The support assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the support plate comprises a plurality of bolt apertures positioned adjacent the pin aperture, wherein the bolts secure the support plate to the turbine casing interface through the bolt apertures. 
     
     
         18 . The support assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the manufacturing base is different from the shipping base, and the shipping base is different from the operating base.