Patent ID: 9127593
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: B23P,F01D,F02C,F05D,F23R,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for installing a combustor assembly in an assembled industrial gas turbine engine, comprising: providing an assembled industrial gas turbine engine having coupled compressor, combustor, and turbine sections, the combustor section including a combustor case having a combustor access port and a transition therein that is coaxially aligned with the access port along a combustor insertion path; providing a preassembled modular drop-in combustor assembly having a mounting flange adapted for coupling to the combustor access port and a combustor basket adapted for slidable coupling with the transition once the combustor assembly is inserted into the combustor access port and transition along the combustor insertion path; preparing a combustor service zone surrounding the assembled gas turbine engine, for facilitating slidable insertion of the combustor assembly into the combustor access port along the combustor insertion path without contacting other gas turbine engine external or internal components, the combustor service zone having axial depth at least between the combustor section combustor access port and the compressor section, as well as vertical height and lateral width at least as large as corresponding height and width of the combustor case; providing a powered combustor handling tool (CHT), for slidably inserting the combustor assembly into the combustor access port along the combustor insertion path, the CHT confined within the combustor service zone during combustor assembly insertion, the CHT including: a vertical support column anchored outboard the combustor case within the combustor service zone axial depth; a lifting platform, coupled to the vertical support column, for selectively varying vertical elevation within combustor service zone; a combustor gripper, for coupling to the combustor assembly; a combustor alignment platform, coupled to the lifting platform and the combustor gripper, the combustor alignment platform including, a first slider set for providing selective linear translation of the combustor gripper orthogonally with respect to the vertical support column in a lateral width direction within the combustor service zone; a second slider set for providing selective linear translation of the combustor gripper orthogonally with respect to the vertical support column in an axial depth direction within the combustor service zone; a first turret assembly for providing selective tilting inclination/declination of the combustor gripper within the combustor service zone; and a second turret assembly for providing selective sweep/pan pivoting movements of the combustor gripper within the combustor service zone; and a drive system for driving the lifting platform and the combustor alignment platform elevation, translation and pivoting motions during combustor assembly insertion along the combustor insertion path; coupling the combustor assembly to the combustor gripper; slidably inserting the combustor assembly into the combustor access port and transition along the insertion path with the CHT, without contacting other gas turbine engine external or internal turbine components within or outside of the combustor service zone, while confining the CHT within the combustor service zone during the combustor assembly insertion; and coupling the combustor assembly mounting flange to the combustor access port.