US 11,732,613 B2
Apparatus for removal or installation of turbine blade
Joanna Sylwia Pilichowska, Warsaw (PL); Piotr Krzysztof Dzieciol, Warsaw (PL); Szymon Perkowski, Warsaw (PL); Daniel John Moroney, Sketty Swansea (GB); and Eric Wayne Hendricks, Soperton, GA (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US); and Atlantic Plant Maintenance, Inc., Pasadena, TX (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US); and Atlantic Plant Maintenance, Inc., Pasadena, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/399,370.
Claims priority of application No. 436737 (PL), filed on Jan. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0235675 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. F01D 25/28 (2006.01); F01D 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 25/285 (2013.01) [F01D 5/005 (2013.01); F05D 2220/30 (2013.01); F05D 2230/60 (2013.01); F05D 2230/70 (2013.01); F05D 2230/80 (2013.01); F05D 2240/24 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus configured for at least one of removing or installing a turbine blade from a turbine of a turbomachine while the turbine is positioned within a casing of the turbomachine, wherein the turbine is housed in the casing while the turbine is in operation and during use of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
an operative head configured to engage an axial sidewall of a turbine blade base;
a linear actuator configured to move the operative head to selectively engage the axial sidewall of the turbine blade base and impart an axial force against the turbine blade base for the at least one of removing or installing the turbine blade;
a mount member supporting the linear actuator;
a slide system connected to the mount member, the operative head, and the linear actuator, whereby the slide system is configured to slidably move the operative head relative to the mount member responsive to the linear actuator to apply the axial force;
a support gantry to which the mount member is attached, wherein the support gantry is capable of positioning the linear actuator substantially vertically above the turbine blade and in position in the turbomachine, the support gantry configured to mount to the casing in which the turbine is positioned for the removing or installing a turbine blade, wherein the operative head includes an arm operatively coupled to the linear actuator; and
a coupler by which the mount member is attached to the support gantry, whereby the coupler is configured to selectively position the mount member between:
a first state in which the mount member is axially and pivotally fixed to an axially-extending support member of the support gantry and the arm is configured to extend substantially vertically adjacent a first stage of a plurality of turbine blade stages, and
a second state in which the mount member is pivotable relative to the axially-extending support member to position the arm radially outside of any turbine blade on the turbine, and axially movable along the axially-extending support member of the support gantry, and
wherein, in the second state, the linear actuator is movable along the axially-extending support member for positioning relative to a different second stage of the plurality of turbine blades.