Low-friction slide-plates for rotary machines

• US 7,267,319 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Vitrone, Christen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, KO HUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/983,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 248/637, 248/649, 248/678, 248/679, 606/86, 606/87, 165/67, 290/52, 521/674, 521/676, 521/679, 14/731, 417/359, 417/360
• US Class Current: 248/649
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/28 Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/02 Sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/201 Composition of the plastic
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/021 Decoupling of vibrations by means of point-of-contact supports, e.g. ball bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 7/00 Details of attaching or adjusting engine beds, frames, or supporting-legs on foundation or base; Attaching non-moving engine parts, e.g. cylinder blocks elastic or equivalent mounting for absorbing vibrations F16F, especially F16F15/04

Abstract

A mounting arrangement for use at an interface between a movable machine component and a stationary foundation includes a substantially planar foundation plate adapted for attachment to the foundation; and a plurality of slide-plate assemblies secured to the foundation plate, each slide-plate assembly comprising a mounting plate, a backing plate, and a low-friction pad overlying the backing plate, the plurality of slide-plate assemblies adapted to engage a footplate of the movable machine component.

Claims

1. A mounting arrangement for use at an interface between a movable machine component and a stationary foundation comprising:

a substantially planar foundation plate adapted for attachment to the foundation wherein said foundation plate is provided with at least one elongated key adapted to cooperate with a corresponding keyway on the footplate of the machine component for guiding the machine component during thermal expansion; and

a plurality of slide-plate assemblies secured to the foundation plate, each slide-plate assembly comprising a mounting plate, a backing plate, and a low-friction pad overlying the backing plate, said plurality of slide-plate assemblies adapted to engage a footplate of the movable machine component.

2. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said low-friction pad is comprised of polytetrafluorethylene.

3. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein the foundation plate is provided with a plurality of upwardly projecting anchor bolts adapted for operative attachment to the footplate of the machine component.

4. The mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said mounting plate of each of said plurality of mounting plate assemblies is provided with a part-spherical seat and wherein said backing plate overlies and is secured to the part-spherical seat.

5. A mounting arrangement for use at an interface between a movable machine component and a stationary foundation comprising:

a substantially planar foundation plate adapted for attachment to the foundation wherein said foundation plate is provided with at least one elongated key adapted to cooperate with a corresponding keyway on a footplate of the machine component for guiding the machine component during thermal expansion; and

a plurality of slide-plate assemblies secured to the foundation plate, each slide-plate assembly comprising a mounting plate, a backing plate secured to the mounting plate, and a low-friction pad overlying the backing plate;

wherein said low-friction pad is comprised of polytetrafluorethylene; and

wherein said mounting plate of each of said plurality of mounting plate assemblies is provided with a part-spherical seat located between said low-friction pad and said backing plate.

6. The mounting arrangement of claim 5 wherein the foundation plate is provided with a plurality of upwardly projecting anchor bolts adapted for operative attachment to the footplate of the machine component.

7. An exhaust hood and foundation assembly for a steam turbine comprising an exhaust hood component provided with a substantially planar footplate;

and a foundation plate secured to a stationary foundation wherein said foundation plate has a plurality of multi-layer slide-plate assemblies thereon for interfacing with said planar footplate, each multi-layer slide-plate assembly comprising a mounting plate, a backing plate, and a low-friction pad overlying the backing plate; and

wherein said foundation plate is provided with at least one elongated key cooperating with a corresponding keyway on a footplate of the exhaust hood component for guiding the exhaust hood component upon thermal expansion of the steam turbine.

8. The exhaust hood and foundation assembly of claim 7 wherein said low-friction pad is comprised of polytetrafluorethylene.

9. The exhaust hood and foundation assembly of claim 7 wherein the foundation plate is provided with a plurality of upwardly projecting anchor bolts operatively attached to the footplate of the exhaust hood component, and wherein elongated holes are provided in the footplate for receiving the anchor bolts.

10. The exhaust hood and foundation assembly of claim 7 wherein said mounting plate of each slide-plate assembly is provided with a part-spherical seat and wherein said backing plate is secured to the part-spherical seat.