Methods and system for balancing turbine rotor assemblies

• US 8,308,435 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Storace, Albert Frank, Prentice, Ian Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): EDGAR, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US11/965,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 416/144, 416/145, 734/58, 734/70, 734/57, 734/68, 734/55, 734/60
• US Class Current: 416/145
• 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 1/22 and converting vibrations due to imbalance into electric variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/36 by adjusting position of masses built-in the body to be tested
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/14 Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines

Abstract

A balancing system and method for reducing imbalance in a rotatable member of a machine is provided. The system includes a plurality of vibration sensors positioned about a stationary portion of the machine, a controller assembly communitively coupled to the plurality of vibration sensors, and a balancing assembly coupled to the rotatable member, said balancing assembly configured to wirelessly communicate with said controller assembly, said balancing assembly configured to modify the weight distribution of the rotatable member in response to a command wirelessly transmitted from the controller assembly. The controller assembly is configured to receive data from the plurality of vibration sensors and determine an imbalance in the rotatable member using the received data.

Claims

1. A balancing system for use in balancing a rotatable member, said system comprising:

a plurality of vibration sensors positioned to sense vibrations of the rotatable member;

a controller assembly communitively coupled to said plurality of vibration sensors, said controller assembly configured to;

receive data from said plurality of vibration sensors; and

determine an imbalance in the rotatable member based on the received data; and

a balancing assembly coupled to the rotatable member, wherein said balancing assembly comprises;

a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with said controller assembly to modify a weight distribution of the rotatable member in response to a command transmitted from said controller assembly;

a first balancing member coupled to the rotatable member through a first bearing assembly, said first bearing assembly positioned radially inward from a center of mass of said first balancing member, said first balancing member comprising a radially eccentric weight distribution; and

a second balancing member coupled to the rotatable member through a second bearing assembly, said second balancing member comprising a radially eccentric weight distribution, said second balancing member positioned substantially radially inward from said first balancing member, said second balancing member co-aligned along an axis of rotation of the rotatable member with said first balancing member, said first bearing assembly positioned radially inward from said second bearing assembly, the center of mass of said first balancing member and a center of mass of said second balancing member.

2. A balancing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller assembly and said balancing assembly form a closed loop system.

3. A balancing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said balancing assembly further comprises a stepper motor configured to wirelessly communicate with said controller assembly, said stepper motor configured to adjust a position of at least one of said first balancing member and said second balancing member in response to a command wirelessly transmitted from said controller assembly.

4. A balancing system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said controller assembly further comprises:

a processor configured to generate a command signal to control a position of at least one of said first balancing member and said second balancing member; and

a transmitter communicatively coupled to said processor.

5. A balancing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first and second balancing members are supported by bearings that are aligned substantially co-planarly along a longitudinal axis of the rotatable member with respect to each other.

6. A balancing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensors are configured to determine a rotational position of the rotatable member.

7. A method for balancing a rotor in a gas turbine engine, said method comprising:

coupling a balancing assembly to the rotor, wherein the balancing assembly comprises;

a first balancing member coupled to the rotor through a first bearing assembly, the first bearing assembly positioned radially inward from a center of mass of the first balancing member, the first balancing member comprising a radially eccentric weight distribution; and

a second balancing member coupled to the rotor through a second bearing assembly, the second balancing member comprising a radially eccentric weight distribution, wherein the second balancing member is substantially radially inward from the first balancing member, wherein the second balancing member is co-aligned along an axis of rotation of the rotor with the first balancing member, and wherein the first bearing assembly is positioned radially inward from the second bearing assembly, the center of mass of the first balancing member, and a center of mass of the second balancing member;

measuring an imbalance of the rotor;

determining a force vector that facilitates reducing the determined imbalance;

transmitting, wirelessly, a movement command to at least one of the first and second balancing members of the balancing assembly; and

modifying a weight distribution of the balancing assembly using the movement command, wherein the modified weight distribution facilitates reducing the imbalance of the rotor.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising outputting a balance solution to a display, wherein the balance solution includes an amount of balance weight and a relative angular position for the installation of the balance weight.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising coupling the balance weight to the rotor at the relative angular position.

10. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein measuring an imbalance further comprises;

determining the angular position of the rotatable member;

receiving data from a plurality of vibration sensors; and

determining an imbalance in the rotatable member based on the received data.

11. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein determining a force vector further comprises generating a command signal to control a position of the balancing assembly.

12. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein transmitting a movement command further comprises transmitting the movement command to a transceiver coupled to the balancing assembly.

13. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein modifying a weight distribution further comprises rotating at least one of the first and second balancing members with respect to the at least one of the rotor and other balancing member.

14. A balancing assembly rotatably coupled to a gas turbine engine rotor, said assembly comprising:

a first balancing member rotatably coupled to the rotor through a first bearing assembly, said first bearing assembly positioned radially inward from a center of mass of said first balancing member; and

a second balancing member rotatably coupled to the rotor through a second bearing assembly, said first balancing member is radially outward from said second balancing member, said second balancing member co-aligned along an axis of rotation of the rotor with said first balancing member, said first bearing assembly positioned radially inward from said second bearing assembly, the center of mass of said first balancing member, and a center of mass of said second balancing member.

15. A balancing assembly in accordance with claim 14, further comprising at least one receiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a controller assembly, said at least one receiver facilitates rotationally positioning at least one of said first and second balancing members.

16. A balancing assembly in accordance with claim 15, wherein said at least one receiver comprises a stepper motor.

17. A balancing assembly in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a housing configured to protect said assembly during operation.

18. A balancing assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein said first and second balancing members are aligned substantially co-axially with respect to each other.

19. A balancing assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein said first and second balancing members comprise a radially eccentric weight distribution.