System for optimal alignment of a bearing seal on a shaft of a gas turbine

• US 7,974,811 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axiam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axiam, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhat; Aditya
• Application Number:
  US12/491,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20090320309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 702/127
• US Class Current: 702/127
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/285 Temporary support structures, e.g. for testing, assembling, installing, repairing; Assembly methods using such structures
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/027 Arrangements for balancing for balancing rotating bodies in general F16F15/32; for compensating unbalance G01M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/02 Gearings; Transmission mechanisms

Abstract

A method for substantially aligning a bearing seal on a shaft of a turbine engine. The method including measuring characteristics of the subject shaft, measuring characteristics of a plurality of bearing seal components and determining and outputting alignment information of the plurality of bearing seal components with the shaft based on the measured characteristics. The alignment information can be outputted for either substantially perpendicular alignment for an axial seal or substantially parallel alignment for a radial seal.

Claims

1. A computer based method of assembling turbine engine parts, comprising:

measuring characteristics of a subject shaft using means effectively coupled to a computer;

measuring characteristics of a plurality of bearing seal components using the means effectively coupled to the computer; and

determining and outputting assembly instructions having information aligning the plurality of bearing seal components on the shaft of a turbine engine, the computer determining alignment information of each of the bearing seal components with the shaft based on the measured characteristics.

2. The computer based method of claim 1, wherein the measured characteristics include at least one of roundness, flatness, concentricity, concentricity angle, runout, runout angle, perpendicularity, perpendicularity angle, perpendicular plane deviation, centerline deviation, centerline deviation angle, biplane deviation, and biplane deviation angle.

3. The computer based method of claim 1, wherein the information aligning the plurality of bearing seal components on the shaft includes at least one of:

substantially perpendicular alignment information and substantially parallel alignment information.

4. The computer based method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bearing seal components include at least one spacer component, a ball bearing component, a sealing component, and a nut.

5. The computer based method of claim 4, wherein the sealing component includes at least one member selected from the group comprising:

an axial seal and a radial seal.

6. The computer based method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the plurality of bearing seal components to the shaft based on the outputted assembly instructions.

7. The computer based method of claim 6, wherein a constant pressure is applied to each bearing seal component during assembly.

8. The computer based method of claim 7, wherein hydraulic tooling applies the constant pressure to each bearing seal component.

9. The computer based method of claim 6, wherein a temperature is applied to each bearing seal component during assembly.

10. The computer based method of claim 9, wherein the temperature is selected from a group consisting of hot and cold.

11. The computer based method of claim 6, further comprising verifying the bearing seal is correctly coupled to the shaft.

12. The computer based method of claim 1, wherein measuring characteristics of the subject shaft includes:

rotating the shaft at a speed from zero to five revolutions per minute; and

engaging a face of the shaft with at least one sensor effectively coupled to the computer for measuring characteristics of the face.

13. The computer based method of claim 1, wherein measuring characteristics of a bearing seal component includes:

rotating the bearing seal component at a speed from zero to five revolutions per minute; and

engaging a face of the bearing seal component with at least one sensor effectively coupled to the computer for measuring characteristics of the face.

14. A computer based system for assembling turbine engine parts, comprising:

a measurement device effectively coupled to a computer configured to measure characteristics of a plurality of bearing seal components and a subject shaft; and

a determination module receiving the measured characteristics and outputting assembly instructions having information configured to align the plurality of bearing seal components on the shaft of a turbine engine, the determination module determining alignment information of each of the bearing seal components with the shaft based on the measured characteristics.

15. The computer based system of claim 14, wherein the measurement device comprises:

a bed adapted to hold a bearing seal component or the subject shaft; and

at least one sensor effectively coupled to the computer for measuring characteristics of the bearing seal component or the subject shaft.

16. The computer based system of claim 15, wherein the bed includes a variable speed drive for rotating the bearing seal component or the subject shaft.

17. The computer based system of claim 16, wherein the variable speed drive rotates the bearing seal component or the subject shaft at a speed from zero to five revolutions per minute.

18. The computer based system of claim 14, wherein the measured characteristics include at least one of roundness, flatness, concentricity, concentricity angle, runout, runout angle, perpendicularity, perpendicularity angle, perpendicular plane deviation, centerline deviation, centerline deviation angle, biplane deviation, and biplane deviation angle.

19. The computer based system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of bearing seal components include at least one spacer component, a ball bearing component, a sealing component, and a nut.

20. A computer based system for assembling turbine engine parts, comprising:

means for measuring characteristics of a plurality of bearing seal components and a subject shaft, the means effectively coupled to a computer; and

computer means for receiving the measured characteristics and outputting assembly instructions having information for aligning the plurality of bearing seal components on the shaft of a turbine engine, the computer means determining alignment information of each of the bearing seal components with the shaft based on the measured characteristics.