Patent Abstract:
A tool includes an annular frame portion including a mount portion extending radially from the frame portion, a hook portion arranged on the mount portion, the hook portion sized and shaped to engage a member of a tubular component of a turbine combustor, and a force exertion portion arranged on the mount portion, the force exertion portion operative to engage a portion of the turbine combustor.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of Foreign Application Serial No. 2011/02511, entitled “Combustor Liner and Flow Sleeve Tool”, filed Mar. 16, 2011, in Turkey, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject matter disclosed herein relates to turbine systems, and in particular to turbine combustion liners and flow sleeves. 
     Turbine systems include a combustor portion having a cavity where fuel mixes with compressed gas and is ignited. The fuel enters the combustor portion through fuel nozzles that are arranged in orifices communicative with the cavity. The orifices are exposed to high temperatures and include a removable tubular liner portion and a flow sleeve portion that insulate portions of the combustor and direct gas flow during system operation. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a tool includes an annular frame portion including a mount portion extending radially from the frame portion, a hook portion arranged on the mount portion, the hook portion sized and shaped to engage a member of a tubular component of a turbine combustor, and a force exertion portion arranged on the mount portion, the force exertion portion operative to engage a portion of the turbine combustor. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a method for positioning a tubular component of a turbine combustor includes aligning a tool coaxially with the tubular component, rotating the tool such that an aperture of a hook portion of the tool engages a protruding stopper of the tubular component, operating a force exertion portion of the tool to slidably change the position of the tubular component along a linear axis of the turbine combustor. 
     These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a combustor portion of a turbine system. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a tool. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective, partially cut-away view of the tool of  FIG. 2  engaging a combustor liner portion. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective, partially cut-away view of the tool of  FIG. 2  engaging a flow sleeve portion. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a tool. 
     
    
    
     The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a combustor portion (compressor discharge case)  102  of a turbine system  100 , the combustor portion  102  includes a plurality of mounting cases (combustion cases)  104  arranged on the combustor portion  102 . The mounting cases  104  are tubular and define an inner cavity that is communicative with the interior of the combustor portion  102 . A combustor liner portion  106  and a flow sleeve portion (not shown) are disposed in each of the mounting cases  104 . In operation, fuel nozzle assembly (not shown) is mounted in each of the mounting cases  104 ; and is operative to emit fuel into the combustor portion  102 . 
     During installation and maintenance procedures, technicians may remove and reinstall or replace the combustor liner portion  106  and flow sleeve portion. Previous maintenance procedures included using manual winches, chain blocks, and other unshaped tools for removing and installing the combustor liner portion  106  and flow sleeve portion. The previous procedures and tools were inefficient and time consuming. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a tool  200 . The tool  200  includes an annular frame portion  202  having a rotational axis  201  and a planar surface  203 , which includes mount portions  204  that extend radially from the frame portion  202 . The mount portions  204  include orifices that may include for example, threaded inner surfaces that are operative to engage installation and removal means. In the illustrated embodiment, a threaded removal bolt  206  and a threaded installation bolt  208  engage each mount portion  204 . The tool  200  includes liner hooks  210  and flow sleeve hooks  212 . In the illustrated embodiment, the liner hooks  210  and the flow sleeve hooks  212  are arranged on the frame portion  202  proximate to the mount portions  204 , and are secured to the frame portion  202  using fasteners  214 . The hooks  210  and  212  each include a plate  216  having a longitudinal axis  205 , the plate  216  defines an aperture  218 . The aperture  218  defines a first planar surface  220 , a second planar surface  222 , and a third planar surface  224 . The first planar surface  220  is arranged substantially in parallel to the second planar surface  222  and the planar surface  203  (of the frame portion  202 ). The third planar surface  224  is arranged substantially perpendicular to the first planar surface  220  and the second planar surface  222  (and parallel to the rotational axis  201 ). The tool  200  may include handles  216  that are arranged on the frame portion  202 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective, partially cut-away view of the tool  200  engaging the combustor liner portion  106  that is arranged in the mounting case  104 . The combustor liner portion  106  includes installation stoppers  302  that extend radially from the combustor liner portion  106 . The liner hooks  210  are sized and shaped to engage the installation stoppers  302 .  FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective, partially cut-away view of the tool  200  engaging flow sleeve stoppers  402  of the flow sleeve portion  304 . 
     In removal operations, the tool  200  is aligned coaxially with the combustor liner portion  106  and the mounting case  104 , and rotated such that the liner hooks  210  engage the installation stoppers  302 . The removal bolts  206  may be rotated using, for example, a wrench or similar tool (not shown) to exert a force on the mounting case  104  that draws the tool  200  and the engaged combustor liner portion  106  outwardly from the mounting case  104  along the linear axis of the mounting case  104 . Once the combustor liner portion  106  has been partially extracted from the mounting case  104  a force may be exerted on the handles  216  to fully extract the combustor liner portion  106  from the mounting case  104 . Following the removal of the combustor liner portion  106 , a similar procedure may be used to remove the flow sleeve portion  304 . In this regard, the flow sleeve hooks  212  engage installation stoppers (not shown) that are arranged on the flow sleeve portion  304 ; and the removal bolts  206  are rotated to draw the tool  200  and the engaged flow sleeve portion  304  outwardly from the mounting case  104 . The flow sleeve hooks  212  may be removed from the tool  200  prior to removing the liner portion  106  if desired. 
     In installation operations, the flow sleeve portion  304  is inserted into the mounting case  104 , and the tool  200  is aligned coaxially with the flow sleeve portion  304  and rotated such that the flow sleeve hooks  212  engage the flow sleeve stoppers. The installation bolts  208  engage threaded orifices  306  of the mounting case  104 ; and are rotated to draw the tool  200  and the engaged flow sleeve portion  304  inwardly such that the flow sleeve portion  304  is fully inserted into the mounting case  104 . The combustor liner portion  106  may be installed using a similar installation procedure. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a tool  500 . The tool  500  is similar to the tool  200  described above, however the tool  500  includes hydraulic jack members  502  that are arranged on a jack frame portion  504 . A frame portion  506  that includes mounting portions  508  is arranged on the jack members  502 . Flow sleeve hooks  212  and liner hooks  210  are arranged on the mounting portions  508 . The tool  500  operates in a similar manner as the tool  200 , however, the insertion and removal forces are exerted by the hydraulic jack members  502  as opposed to the bolts  206  and  208  (of  FIG. 2 ) 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the tools  200  and  500  includes three flow sleeve hooks  212  and three liner hooks  210  that are sized and shaped to engage corresponding stoppers arranged on the flow sleeve portion  304  and the combustor liner portion  106  respectively (of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Alternate embodiments may include any number of hooks  212  and  210  that may be sixed and shaped to engage alternate arrangements of flow sleeve portions  304  and combustor liner portions  106  having, for example, alternate installation stopper arrangements, shapes, or designs. 
     While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8