9/10/11

(9) Turbine Alignment And Steam Path Clearances

- Turbine Alignment Principles

- Rotor Alignment Theory
- !11 Steampath Alignment
- "actory #s "ield Alignment o$ !11 Steam Turbine
- "ield Alignment o$ !11 Steam Turbine
- !11 Steam Turbine %ibration and Alignment
- &nstallation o$ !11 Steam Turbine Shipped 'ith "actory
Assembled igh Pressure Turbine Section
!"ield rected Casing Alignment
!Alignment o$ "actory Assembled P Section
- Steam Path Clearances
- Con#entions $or Ta*ing Steam Path Clearances
- Assessing Turbine Alignment and Steam Path Clearances
- Rotor Alignment
!Coupling Alignment Calculations +sed in Rotor Alignment
!Small ,achinery Rotor Alignment
- -earing Alignment iagram
- iaphragm ,aintenance and Alignment
- .! Pac*ing Casing Alignment
- .! Pac*ing %ertical Steam oint Sealing
- ther .! Pac*ing Casing &ssues
- Steam Seal Pac*ing Clearances

--------------

(9) Turbine Alignment And Steam Path Clearances

 

Turbine Alignment Principles

Turbine alignment is a controversial subject, and can be problematic if alignment changes are
made to turbines in operation for no reason, or if alignment is not performed in a technically
correct manner. The least important part of the alignment process is knowing how to set up a
wire or laser to the correct set points, and taking measurements. The most important part of
the process is having the expertise and knowledge to evaluate the rotor system and steampath
and understand how to evaluate the alignment, and know how to use proper engineering
alignment correction factors to be applied to tops off readings for shell arm types, N-2 packing
casing offsets, shell movements, and distortion. t is a huge mistake to automatically align a
steampath for no reason if the alignment is reasonably good, or re!uires only some correction
in some locations. "lignment evaluations performed in the tops off condition in some cases,
and especially the #-$$ %& steampath can be difficult, since the tops off condition of this is
generally not even close to the true alignment when the %& section is in the tops on hot
running condition. The most common alignment mistakes involve performing alignment
instead of assessing the existing alignment, making alignment changes for no good reason, not
applying engineering correction factors for and specific to the particular turbine design, and
aligning a steampath to a tops off condition that is very different from what the tops on
condition with the unit hot will be. 'ome turbines re!uire no tops on corrections, such as
smaller single casing ('T) units under $** (+. n the other hand this is not true to many
larger turbines, and even older ) 'chenectady built units under $** (+ such as the $,/
units with internal N 2 bearings. t is important that anyone performing technical direction
of steampath alignment is well versed in the alignment correction factors, and methodology
for the particular turbines they are working on. This is not the person who just takes readings,
 but the person who provides the expertise regarding the alignment evaluation and strategy.
0otor alignment is significantly more easy to perform, and doesn1t re!uire a high level of
evaluation or knowledge of correction factors as steampath alignment does.

The two types of alignment that should be evaluated when turbines are opened are rotor
alignment, and steampath alignment. 0otor alignment is always checked, by coupling and
other methods such as three bearing sling and reaction check, depending on the configuration.
t is normal to make small alignment changes for rotor alignment if necessary, but not for
steampath alignment. 'teampath alignment should only be changed if there is a very good
reason. The rotor alignment bearing elevations are set first using the bearing alignment
diagram or similar documentation. The alignment model for setting each steampath
component for a given turbine has to be built for each situation, based on using the
engineering principles of alignment. These factors have to be set up for each stage and
 packing casing for each turbine span. #ifferent alignment techni!ues, strategies and correction
factors are used for different types of turbines, component designs, and condition. actors
include3

'teampath "lignment actors

4$5 +ire sag, or 6ero sag for lasers at each stage
425 7 bearing clearance at each stage
4/5 Tops off to tops on correction factor at each stage
 

485 'hell arm compensation factor by type - .**9: or .**;: for non centerline supported
shells, 6ero for centerline supported shells
495 0otor sag at each stage
4<5 'teampath component setting factors. #-$$ N-2 packing set .*$9: high, =ynn reheat
 No $ inner shell set .*$/: high, etc
4;5 &acking cell hook fit distortion compensation factors > diaphragms and packing
casings
4?5 0ub and radial clearance measurement assessment

0otor "lignment factors

4@5 Aearing elevations per Aearing "lignment #iagram
4$*5 oupling alignments per Aearing "lignment #iagram

Rotor Alignment Theory

0otor alignment involves setting the rotor journals at the right engineering specified cold
elevation, and offsets so that bearing loading when running will be within designed loading
criteria. The design of the rotor system is based on maintaining approximately 2** psi to 89*
 psi bearing loading throughout the range of turbine movement. 'ome bearing designs will
operate with stability slightly below 2** psi. The Aearing "lignment #iagram for ='T)
=arge 'team Turbines specifies coupling alignment and bearing elevations for setting the
rotor. There are many procedures for setting different types of casings to achieve this. There
have been different documents that specify rotor and coupling alignment for other turbine
 product departments, such as B'hop and ield alculated "lignment: used by ) =ynn
('T) for (edium 'team Turbines. These documents also provide engineering information
that is used in steampath alignment as well. This information includes rotor sag at each stage,
and other details that are used to set up alignment factors that have to be used at every turbine
stage to determine where steam path components should be set. There are many factors that
are not on these documents, which have to be factored into the readings and settings of each
component.

!11 Steampath Alignment

The #-$$ %& turbine alignment is very special and difficult to perform correctly unless the
 person performing technical direction has significant knowledge particular to this type of
machine, and is knowledgeable in ) ='T) methodology, and how to apply proper
engineering correction factors to tops off raw readings. The low pressure turbine is more
routine and the same for any ='T) unit, using the same low pressure turbine sections as in
#8, #9, )2, and )/ turbine designs.

The high pressure turbine shell, when unbolted is !uite flexible and the shell will sag around .
*/9-.*89: as installed on the foundation with piping and reheat valves attached. +hen the
turbine shell hori6ontal joint is bolted, it is approximately ? times stiffer than in the unbolted
condition. actory alignment tops on to tops off correction factors are typically less than .**9:
from joint bow as the shell is built on factory assembly blocks without reheat valves and
 

 piping attached. The tops off factory alignment data taken with essentially no shell sag or
distortion in this condition, is thus very different to the tops off field condition that must be
evaluated and corrected for the tops on condition in order for the turbine to run without
significant midspan packing rubs.

n the field, the tops on to tops off alignment correction factor can easily be .*/9: to .*99:
 just from sagging of the shell, depending on design, shell distortion, and actual weight
imposed on the shell mostly from the reheat valves, but also from the piping. ne major
weight is from the reheat valves, in which by design intent, 8*C of the valve weight should be
on the shell and <*C on the turbine foundation transmitted thru the valve spring supports
commonly known as the B&ogo 'ticks:. +hen performing shell arm drop checks on the non
centerline support design shell arms, one shell arm will typically deflect .*99: or so before the
other one moves .**$:. Typical older shell designs involve around .*$*: to .*2*: under the
same conditions. The larger centerline supported shell arm designs used on larger #-$$ steam
turbines in the 2;*-/<* (+ si6e range have thicker shell arms, but the joints are of similar
flexibility. nternal steampath alignment should only be performed if necessary, since the
chances are that the original factory alignment is good. n single shell construction like the
#-$$, the diaphragms are supported directly pockets machined into the shell just below the
 joint. t is very unlikely that that relationship changes from when the steampath is factory
aligned correctly, therefore there is usually no need for alignment unless, and making
alignment moves based on field condition tops off assessments can be plagued with errors.

"ll too often unwarranted and incorrect alignment changes have been made to #-$$ steam
turbines especially, that have resulted in severe operational problems such as vibration, bowed
rotor excursions, and loss of efficiency from undoing alignment that was reasonable in the
first place. Dsually this work is performed by amateurs who do not have the proper training to
evaluate basic alignment principles such as evaluation of packing rubs, shell movements,
deflections, and distortion, engineering correction factors for different shell arm designs,
special N-2 packing head elevations, and the differences between factory alignment readings,
and tops off shell readings without tops on correction factors. There have been many cases
where alignment has been performed at the first major inspection, and then the unit didn1t run
right, and suffered many bowed rotor aborted cold starts. Dsually these units are then put on
turning gear and miraculously the problem goes away when restarted several hours later. This
is because the cold shell normally bows downward making bad alignment even worse. +hen
the heat soaks into the shell over several hours on turning gear, the downward bow then
disappears in addition to the packing having been rubbed out from the bowed rotor incident.
+hile there seems to be improvement, the machine has suffered permanent efficiency loss,
especially in the midspan N-2 packing area, and the misalignment is still in the machine just
waiting for the problem to repeat on the next cold start. .

n these cases, is usually because the shell is in reality typically .*9*: or so higher than the
individuals performing the alignment believed, and the N-2 packing casing was incorrectly set
concentric instead of .*$9: high per engineering specifications. +hen machines have had to
 be taken apart to fix heavy rubbing bowed rotor situations after outage alignments were
 performed, it is not uncommon that the turbine field service expert who was called in to fix
the problem finds the alignment readings and calculations show good numbers, yet when
 

 performed correctly, the rotors were found to be .*<*: to .$** higher than the outage numbers
indicated. The real proof is in how the turbine starts up and runs following this type of work.
There are true turbine field service alignment experts that have a long track record of
 performing complicated alignments on all types of turbines, including very large casings with
significant shell and packing cell distortion that is properly compensated for and have a track
record of the units running well upon startup. There are also laser alignment tools that permit
corrections based on sweeps of distorted packing cell fits to correct the bores for distortion out
of roundness. ften correction factors of around .*$*: - .*2*: are applied to left and right side
readings based on bore optimi6ation programs, vs only / point readings.

"actory #s "ield Alignment $or !11 Steam Turbine

The factory alignment process for the #-$$ steam turbine is completely different than field
alignment for this turbine. (uch of the factory steampath data taken for the #-$$ cannot be
used for field alignment due to shell flexibility issues.

These differences, and significance of data should be fully understood before any field
alignment of a #-$$ is attempted. This is because the high pressure turbine section, as sits on
factory building blocks does not have the reheat valve weight, or piping attached to the lower
turbine shell. The stiffness of the high pressure turbine shell in the cold bolted condition, if
slugged tightly, is eight times stronger by design than when sitting with the upper half shell
unbolted. Thus, the sag of the shell around N-2 packing casing mid section is negligible when
data is taken in the factory. n the field, sitting on then foundation with reheat valves attached,
and upper half unbolted, the shell for many #-$$ turbine shell designs typically sags around
 between .*/9: and .*99: depending on design, machining, and reheat valve hanger
adjustment. t is difficult, if not almost impossible to asses except by using special laser
e!uipment, with special training, and special BTops ff: alignment methodology that has been
developed using special alignment factors depending on the stage being measured, support
type, and location within the moving turbine shell relative to turbine joint support structures
including factors to assess packing cell out of round and distortion factors.

There have been numerous instances of #-$$ steam turbines not running correctly with high
vibration, bowed rotor excursions, efficiency loss due to severely rubbed internal components,
and cold start up problems due to the rotor to packing teeth alignment assessments being .
*<*: and .$**: off of where they should be vertically due to these factors. t is therefore
essential that steam path alignment changes only be performed if really necessary based on
rub pattern assessment, and by professionals fully knowledgeable in this type of work on #-$$
single casing high pressure turbine sections.

&nstallation o$ !11 Steam Turbine Shipped 'ith "actory Assembled igh Pressure
Turbine Section
There are different installation and alignment methodologies that are based on various
differences in turbine designs, casing manufacturing methods, how the product is shipped, and
foundation interface e!uipment.
 

ield rected asing "lignment

=arge turbines were traditionally shipped with factory assembled %& turbine sections that
were broken down for shipment, and installed to match factory methodologies and readings
taken that were necessary to define casing and steampath characteristics. t is a common
misconception to think that turbine components are supposed to be installed flat and level, and
that joint readings have any value in the process other than preliminary evaluations early in
the process. True centerlines and foundation plate adjustments had to be established based on
the as machined condition of the casing, which is hardly even 6ero, but in reality off by so
many mills per foot, or mils in certain locations around the perimeter of the casing support.
True centerlines had to be established by bore to feet support readings on all components such
as front and mid standard, and casings. " /*: centerline component in reality is not machined
to /<.***: but in reality is something like /9.@@8: as measured using the proper techni!ues,
which never involve the hori6ontal joints, since the joint on a concentric part can be
anywhere, and is not necessarily level in the final aligned condition.

nstallation alignment methodology is based on supporting the rotors at the right elevations as
defined by the bearing alignment diagram where the casings are set concentric but the
steampath is set low. #ifferent alignment set points are used to set these two different
conditions. The oil deflector bores are deliberately made good to use by factory machining
holding these areas as accurate reference points per ) methodology, where as other areas can
and are often off and accepted that way due to the realities of casing machining. actory B:
stampings usually designate exactly where readings were taken so they can be duplicated in
the field, and for the life of the machine. +hen setting the steampath low, the bearings must
 be installed in the final fit condition since this is where the rotor will sit, and to where steam
 path components have to be set to.

oncentric casing machining area set points must not to be used for steam path alignment
setting, since there is no assurance that the bearing pads are concentric to the casing bore, and
usually are not. "ny radial clearance settings, or calculations must be with respect to the way
the rotor actually sits, and not by assuming it will be concentric to casing machined bores. t is
a common misconception, and common grave error to take measurements to casing bores
under circumstances assuming the bearing bore is concentric to any bore. ven on new
machines, they can be off by .*$*: and on units in service where bearings have been
shimmed, and rebabbitted many times, this lack of concentricity is often around .*$*: - .*2*:.
ften casing components having different centerlines by design make up a turbine shipment.
t is common for a /<: nominal %& centerline turbine section to be matched to a 8*: or 82:
nominal centerline low pressure turbine section. f he mechanical outline drawing specifies a
/<,***:, 8*.***:, or 82.***: centerline dimension for design purposes, it is a common
misconception that these dimensions will actually be these values, and cannot be used for
installation alignment other than for reference. &er ) installation methodology, the true Bas
machined: centerline has to be determined by actual measurement and will usually be smaller
than the nominal value by up to .**?: and vary at different locations around the casing
support. enterline dimensions are understood to be nominal, and not actual. +hen the
turbine foundation plates are set and grouted, it is because the rotors are in the correct
elevations and locations within .**$:.
 

"lignment of "ssembled %& 'ection

The low pressure turbine section is built on the foundation and grouted when the exhaust and
inner casings are in their final aligned condition. The steampath is aligned after grouting. The
#-$$ factory assembled %& turbine section can be aligned by coupling alignment to the low
 pressure turbine rotor is in its final aligned condition with the upper half casing on. &er the
 bearing alignment diagram, a typical #-$$ steam turbine has the N $ bearing elevation set to
.*<9: above rotor centerline, and the N 2 set .**@: low. n a disassembled shipment, a long
independent wire set thru the %& turbine would set the front standard .*<9: high, but in the
assembled %& turbine shipped configuration, this is done by coupling and there is no actual
measurement possible of the N.$ bearing or front standard elevation. This critical setting of
the N $ bearing is necessary in order that the turbine runs with proper N $ bearing loading,
and rotor dynamics. The high pressure turbine section is aligned to the =& turbine coupling the
same way that a generator is aligned. 0otors must be turned together during the rim, and $<
 point face coupling alignment, There are many other checks that must be performed before the
front standard can be grouted, and keys fit from %& to =& with many involving the front
standard sliding, keyway checks, and sliding foundation plate blue contact check. The long
countersunk thru bolts from the front standard sliding foundation plate should only be hand
tight until after grouting, "fter several days of grout hardening, they are tightened hard.
Tightening before this often leads to severe warping of the sliding foundation plate. 'ome
recent #-$$ steam turbines with %& rotor span vibration and other related problems have been
found with the N $ bearing nowhere where it is supposed to be and with the sliding front
standard foundation plate warped .*89: resulting in the machine really having to be ripped
out, and reinstalled correctly to fix. +arping of the plate, as is usually the case can be traced to
coincide with the long thru pedestal bolt location. t is also obvious that the coupling
alignment was either performed by not rotating the two rotors together, or the coupling
alignment calculation was not used, or both. These three major issues on this one unit has
happened at many other locations, and is basic steam turbine methodology that has always
 been used by properly trained field engineers in the ) system.

0otor coupling alignment always has to be performed with the upper half casings on in spans
where the casings support the rotor. n the case of the =& casing, the bearings are in the
 bearing cone section, which is a long overhung structure that can s!uirm from the open
condition when bolted. 'ometimes there is no movement, and often it is .**9: - .*$9: or
even .*2*: due to flexibility in the cone section, and from the machining. #epending on the
machining, this area will move in different ways as the joint comes together and stiffens up to
many times the stiffness in the unbolted condition.

Steam Path Clearances

'team path clearances are always taken on ) turbines by Bpushing the rotor towards the
governor.: This is the language that is used in ) literature since Bfront: is not valid on axial
flow configurations and marine units where the turbine is turned around. t is also seen written
as Bpushed toward the front standard: which is valid also and where the governor resides. This
is a big problem in the field, since there is the unfortunate misconception that the rotor should
 be in the Brunning condition: which is completely invalid based on the fact that the unit slides,
and relationships change during operation, depending on configuration and steam flow. The
 

engineering clearance calculation system has always been based on minimum clearance at
first stage rub tolerance, which is why this convention is used in the engineering design of
clearances.

Con#entions "or Ta*ing Steam Path Clearances

There are many conventions, practices, and evaluations that should be followed when taking
steam path clearances. Thrust housing fit looseness, or movement, shell arm key clearance,
inner shell, diaphragm and packing movement, must also be factored out when taking steam
 path clearances. learances recorded are always the minimum measured, regarding rub
tolerance, particularly packing and steam seal teeth. orrect clearance designations that )
used for the particular machine, as found in specific turbine serial number documents should
 be used, not designations that apply to different machines or ones that are made up. This can
lead to significant communication problems, in addition to problems created when steam path
and alignment data is not taken in a technically correct manner with the correct references,
and clearly documented. t is important to recogni6e that there are different clearances and
methodologies used to determine various problems typical with certain types of steam paths.

or example, an experienced turbine expert will understand, and direct workers in what
clearances should be taken, and how and explain and properly direct the work. "ll to often,
data presented and in field service reports is ambiguous and meaningless with numbers on
 paper without correct reference to where the rotor was for the given data. )iving axial
dimensions at the coupling is meaningless when trying to troubleshoot false thrust failure
device alarms and trips, or if steampath clearances have been set properly with the rotor
 pushed towards the governor, up against the inactive thrust plate, or where the inactive thrust
 plate should be when installed later. (any customers have very strong language in bid
specifications regarding recording and approval of data sheets, clearance and alignment data
 based on these types of experiences. There is often also language on who is allowed to accept
data, and how it must be witnessed by a turbine expert responsible for the work. t is always
good practice to work with the customer so they can understand exactly how and why certain
clearances are taken, and for them to see the readings being taken as the case with other
aspects of the work being performed. 'ome examples of clearance conventions are as follows3

$. learances are not only taken to assure sufficient rotor to casing axial and radial
clearance.
2. 'ometimes rotor positions $0ight, and $ =eft are sufficient and other times $0ight,
$ =eft, /, and 8 should be taken depending on the machine and circumstance. or
example, on larger machines with high steam conditions, when significant high
temperature creep is suspected, of new large buckets are installed, and other
technical reasons, etc
/. E and = clearances are basic clearances taken, but clearances such as  and  are
designed to detect and !uantify diaphragm creep of the inner F outer web welds and
or distortion. +hen creep in these fabrication weld areas approaches .*<*:, action
must be taken since creep is well into secondary creep, and failure is imminent
once tertiary creep begins. ertain designs are susceptible to this, and thus special
attention is re!uired as per service engineering experience, and defined in T=1s.
 

8. 'team seal packing conventions. &ast practices used, and only applicable to certain
types of machines for technical reasons. Autt clearances were taken on ='T) units
in the 29* (+-$,*** (+ range at factory turbine, and subse!uent field assembly
during installation to assure these turbines with very high steam conditions would
 pass performance testing. This carried over to maintenance of these type of units,
however control of steam seal packing butt clearances is really not applicable to
other units in the fleet. +hen attempted on many units where this is not controlled,
significant and expensive unnecessary work is performed since any radial
dimensional error is compounded by the factor 42 x &ie x 05 and can be !uite large.
9. tc, etc

These are just several examples of what is involved regarding clearance and alignment
methodology. +hen performing maintenance, it is necessary to design a custom work scope
for taking opening clearances and alignment, and plan for what is appropriate for the
 particular turbine hardware.

Assessing Turbine Alignment and Steam Path Clearances

The assessment of and disposition technical direction of turbine alignment and steam path
clearances should be performed by an individual who understands the conventions and
 practices that are applicable for the particular turbine. ertain data and clearances are taken
for technical highly reasons such as assessment for high temperature creep, and assessment of
internal sealing and other design functions working properly, not just to determine where the
rotor should be. There is a different strategy for different situations, based on technical
reasons. " turbine expert will be able to determine if axial clearances in areas not normally
measured are acceptable, such as balance weight overhang by knowledge of how the steam
 path design works and fix problems that exist. 'ome of this knowledge is based on
understanding the rotor differential expansion for a given unit, and comparing things that
don1t look right to the expert eye against rotor differential expansion short and long rotor
normal running, alarm, and trip values. This is especially important for the short rotor side of
the clearance spectrum. The workers should understand how to take the date properly, in
detail such as minimum teeth radial clearances recorded by convention and why vs just any
tooth clearance they happen to measure. There are many shortcuts that not only lead to a
!uicker job, but higher !uality that should be used. There are many specific ways
measurements should be taken depending on the component, in order to get good readings,
and avoid a lot of extra work taking data in an inefficient manner.

Rotor Alignment
0otors will take a temporary bow when sitting for many hours which is not to be confused
with normal rotor sag that always exists no matter what the position or condition of the rotor,
or operation. 0otor alignment is always performing a $< point coupling alignment while
rotating the two rotors together. +hen two rotors are turned in this manner, the coupling offset
that is associated with any possible rotor bow is factored out as the coupling offset swings a
 perfect geometric circle relative to the other target rotor. f both turbine rotors are not turned
 

when taking coupling alignment readings, at least one coupling will be aligned to the other
half while it has a significant offset from true centerline. Then as the rotor turns $?* degrees
from its first aligned position, the error would be twice the offset. This is the reason for this
standard methodology that most, if not all turbine manufacturers use. The nature of this
temporary bow can be seen for many different types, geometries, and stiffness of turbine
rotors including solid construction rotors vs rotors composed of a shaft with shrunk on wheels.
or turbines with turning gears, the standard starting recommendation is for the rotor to be on
turning gear for 8 hours prior to start to take the temporary bow out. n more modern turbines
with Aently Nevada eccentricity proximity probes, a representation of the rotor bow, and rotor 
 behavior can be seen by watching the eccentricity readings during this four hour time on
turning gear. The standard recommendation for ) steam turbines is for the eccentricity to be
less than .**$: prior to rolling the rotor to high speed. The typical eccentricity probe is no
more than $?: away from the N. $ bearing centerline to its reading surface at the front of the
rotor. Ay measuring the bearing span relative to the eccentricity probe distance, and using that
ratio, the bow at the center of the rotor can be approximated. or ) steam turbines, many
times the ratio is typically ;, meaning that for every .**$: of eccentricity reading observed,
the middle of the rotor would have a .**;: bow. This is a very useful tool when making either
temporary or permanently bowed rotor bow estimations in the course of troubleshooting
vibration and other associated problems.

There are instances where alignment work is performed improperly in contradiction to )

alignment methodology, by people who do not understand the reasons for turning both rotors.
n some of these cases, periphery reading measurement tools have been made to take coupling
rim readings resulting in all sorts of alignment problems. 'ome of this has occurred regarding
the installation alignment of #-$$ steam turbines shipped with a factory assembled high
 pressure turbine section in the belief that they can save work by not turning the rotors when
aligning the assembled %& section to the target =& turbine coupling prior to grouting in the
front standard. There are a number of #-$$ steam turbines where the first major inspection
shows that the N $ bearing is significantly off from where it should be, from this and other
workmanship issues. The $< point coupling alignment face reading methodology, and
calculations are used to average the face readings whose valves are typically small and need to
 be averaged for accuracy reasons, and also because small amounts of coupling face
misalignment, is often multiplied into large misalignment corrections at the other end of the
rotor due to the law of geometry. There are also many incidents of improper coupling
alignment causing unacceptable rotor vibration, soft generator feet, and other problems by
those performing coupling alignment work who do not know how to calculate or use the
coupling alignment calculation matrix, and convince themselves that the coupling face is
Bonly a little off: when in fact, the far end of the rotor may be off by around .*?*: to .$9*: or
so. oupling face alignment generally cannot be determined by trial and error shimming of
generator feet due to the geometric complexity, and casing feet flexibility when improperly
supported on uneven shim packs. This is the root cause of many generator core vibration
issues due to soft foot support issues.

oupling "lignment alculations Dsed in 0otor "lignment

 

The following is a sample of standard calculation methodology that is used for coupling
alignment of adjacent rotor spans supported in their own bearings. and aligning generators to
turbines. This is based on the laws of geometry, and is expected to be used by anyone
 providing technical direction of coupling alignment. t is acceptable to use a coupling
alignment program, as long as the user fully understands the principles of how it works, like
the manual calculation. t is not acceptable to attempt to align generators to turbines by trial
and error shimming, since this leads to bad alignment and operational problems mainly caused
 by the inability to trial and error the coupling face parallelism. The calculation corrects the
face and rim in one calculated move, which usually cannot possibly be done correctly by trial
and error methods. ven if trial and error shimming seems to obtain proper coupling
alignment, it is often the basis or generator soft feet issues once the original good feet contact
 by blue check performed during installation is lost.
 

2raphic ! Stic* "igure and table to be inserted

'mall (achinery 0otor "lignment

t is good practice to align all machinery rotating both rotors at the same time for this reason,
and on small machinery with shrunk on couplings, readings should always reflect where the
shaft is, instead of coupling parts that may or may not represent the true location of the shaft,
due to parts run out. There is a misconception that it is only necessary to align the rim
 periphery of small machinery rotors, however there are many cases where rim periphery
readings do not represent where the shaft and bearing elevations are due to angularity from
coupling face issues.

+ith this face misalignment when the machinery is running, the couplings and bearings are
subjected to a twice per rev vibration force that may eventually cause bearing, coupling, or
shaft failure. The coupling is also subjected to two per rev axial vibration. There have been
many shaft, keyway, and coupling failures due to this on turbine generator machinery such as
"lterrex excitatory couplings, itchburg turbine compressor drives, and oil pump couplings.
There are several T=1s out on "lterrex and compressor drive coupling problems from
alignment related issues.

-earing Alignment iagram

0otor alignment and other pertinent alignment data for the #-$$ steam turbine and other
traditional ='T) models is specified on the Aearing "lignment #rawing. This specifies the
elevations of the bearings, coupling alignment offsets, and rotor sag information for the entire
turbine generator set. #uring the design of the machine, rotor dynamics, thermal and vacuum
deflection of casings, front standard movement and other factors are analy6ed of how the
turbine rotor system alignment behaves throughout the entire operating range. The data
represented on this drawing represents the setting of the rotor system in the cold condition.

&ersonnel leading turbine alignment work must fully understand the data represented on this
drawing, and how to properly use it, as well as evaluations and methodology appropriate for
 

the specific turbine design. The drawing gives some instruction as to some of the suggested
alignment details, however it is not exact and must be used with an understanding of how to
accomplish the final intended alignment result, using different installation or maintenance
alignment methodology. The simplest usage of this drawing is for coupling alignment of an
existing machine that is in reasonably good alignment regarding where the front standard and
 N $ bearing should be. The usages of this drawing, and information necessary from other
sources becomes significantly more complicated when performing steam path alignment, new
turbine installation and alignment, or in troubleshooting alignment problems associated with
 previous workmanship issues. " higher level of expertise is re!uired for any other alignment
activities other than routine coupling alignment. The #-$$ steam turbine has many uni!ue
alignment re!uirements due to the shell flexibility, N-2 packing area, and steam path design.
ven more important is to understand how to evaluate the machine during maintenance, to do
what is necessary, especially in deciding not to change the internal alignment, or when some
changes may be beneficial. There are many cases where alignment evaluations are performed
incorrectly, and unnecessary and incorrect alignment changes are made that changes
reasonable good alignment into machines that have significant internal alignment, steam path
rub, and operational problems, particularly with rub and bowed rotor induced vibration during
cold start ups. The specifics of this will be discussed in more detail in other sections.

The Aearing "lignment #iagram also provides information on how the steam turbine behaves
during operation, to those who understand how various ) steam turbine designs work, and
are well versed in matters regarding bearing loading, alignment, and rotor dynamics in
addition to the fleet history of other steam turbines. "ny experienced turbine expert is
expected to understand how major turbine components move during startup and operation and
how to definitively troubleshoot alignment and vibration problems. or this, it is essential to
understand operating parameter observations, and have an in depth knowledge of machine
 behavior based on vacuum, exhaust casing temperature, front standard movement, and other
factors that the alignment shown in this drawing is based on. +atching the vibration
characteristics of the rotor system using Aently Nevada vibration e!uipment on the turbine,
and tools such as Aently Nevada "#0 data system, as well as performing appropriate
differentiating turbine operational tests, will show in a definitive manner what the turbine
rotor system is doing. Aowed rotors as a result of rubs can also be detected by looking at
vibration data, in addition to rotor eccentricity sensor readings mounted on the front of the
rotor.

&nsert -earing iagram Alignment Sample

iaphragm ,aintenance and Alignment

#iaphragm maintenance at the field service maintenance outage level often involves crush pin
and lower centering slot work beads on side and axial slip readings taken when disassembling
the turbine. 0epairs of crush pins should never be performed by taking diaphragm thickness
readings and casing slot thicknesses, since this will usually lead to significant rework.
 

n many cases like this where clearance corrections are desired, it is better determine the
corrections by actually seeing the clearance movements since it is an exact representation of
how the part fits. n this case, the crush pin and casing fit wear are seldom in the same plane,
and even the parts as new when machined in the factory, have taper and variation along the fit.
ven in new factory parts at turbine assembly, it is better to determine how much material has
to be added by the axial slip check readings. +hen performing this, it is necessary to push the
diaphragms not only at the left and right, but at the bottom in order to get good readings.
(icrometer readings can be performed later in the process when hand fitting thicknesses.
'imilarly, the lower centering slot work should be performed in the same manner. t typically
takes less than half the time to fix side slip and axial slip looseness in this manner and around
$*C minor rework is normal based on these reasons. f repairs are done using dimensional
measurement methods, .rework can be up to 9*C or even ;*C depending on the techni!ue.
The design axial and side slip for diaphragms is .**$ - .**/: but .**9: is acceptable and
repairs should be considered after the clearance is .**;: or more. There are many other
maintenance situations where for the same reason, parts variation in parallelism, taper, high
locations etc favor and even necessitate fitting checks and measurements by turbine
methodology protocol. They are valve stem clearance mandatory use of try bars, fitting keys
on new turbine casings, putting buckets and fit ups on rotors, etc.

#iaphragm alignment is performed if necessary by changing the joint elevation adjustments.

There are two types of diaphragm alignment hardware used on modern diaphragms. %igher
force designs are bolt on lug designs and the lower force designs are the set screw type. =arger 
diaphragms do not stay with the upper half casing when removed, and smaller ones do by
design. &acking casings re!uire axial and side slip checks, and alignment just like diaphragms.
f diaphragm alignment changes are made, joint checks must be performed to set the upper
half casing joint clearance to .**/-.**9: or the bolted on lug type alignment features, only
stainless steel shims can be used, and no more than three shims are permitted under the lug
factory machined thick shim piece. To avoid trial and error, turbine field service methods are
to use geometric calculations using simple geometry that lowers and raises the bore by $.F2
the side by the side reading, and if both sides are lowered or raised, the bore movement factor
is $.

"nother time saver, and !uality enhancement for shim moves is to have a sheet metal
company laser cut pre determined shim patterns and in incremental thicknesses that can be
swapped out, instead of trying to cut and drill bolt holes on site, which can be !uite messy.
&acking cells near the N-2 packing casing areas on other long service turbines like #8, #9,
)2, )/ often are found with up to .*99: bore distortion due to the high differential
temperatures and high temperature creep found in this area. Tight wire readings where
workers are trying to get the / bore point micrometer readings to within .**$: are almost
 pointless, when the bore itself is often distorted more than $*, /*, or even 9* times that.
hasing readings that are in reality built on !uicksand can be counterproductive. There are
techni!ues for assessing these conditions !uickly when parts are being handled in the
disassembly process, especially by spot checking areas based on technical knowledge. This is
 part of the expertise in evaluation of clearances and alignment where knowledgeable turbine
service personnel can save a lot of time, and produce !uality work by taking all the shortcuts
that also lead to higher !uality. ailure to asses conditions like this, and other technical
 

methods used by experts is the leading cause of turbines not running right with high vibration
following outage work. 0eheat steam turbines with long rotor midspan sections are very
sensitive to rubs in these areas. There are now laser tools that can asses and map distorted
 bores, so that turbine service experts can optimi6e alignment using compensation factor
corrections in these areas. Topless alignment techni!ues using lasers to topographically map
out turbine joints in the tops on condition, are used by experts to apply highly engineered
correction factors to axial and lateral shell distortion, axial shell sag, and distorted packing cell
 bores. The proof of this expertise, is in the track record of success in how the turbine runs
following work like this being performed.

.! Pac*ing Casing Alignment

The #-$$ steam turbine N-2 packing casing alignment elevation by engineering design, is set .
*$9: high to where the rotor centerline sits, corrected for rotor sag, and 7 bearing clearance,
and .**9: low correction for non-centerline shell arm support designs. This and other
alignment settings for the #-$$ are critical in order to avoid mid-span packing rubs, bowed
rotors, vibration, and mid-span efficiency loss. These alignment factors are based on the
 physics of how the #-$$ steam turbine high pressure turbine shell behaves during startup from
cold to hot.

+hen steam first enters the cold high pressure turbine shell through the reheat valves and
 piping connections, the lower half shell heats up very !uickly, will grow longer, and suck the
shell downward by .*$9: on average as determined by extensive engineering analysis and
observation of different shell designs. t should be noted that different ) =ynn design reheat
units from the $@<* and $@;*1s with short No $ inner shells behaved similarly for the same
reason, and the N-2 packing casings were set .*$/: high on these deigns where as other ='T)
designs with full inner shells behave differently during cold starts. Thus, it is very important to
know, and follow the latest ) alignment details for various steam path component designs,
as well as make alignment changes only where changes are warranted based on proper
technical assessment, especially in turbine mid-span areas that are some of the more alignment
sensitive areas. 'ee Bield "lignment of #-$$ 'team Turbines: for other details regarding
 proper alignment methods and compensation factors used for #-$$ steam turbines.

actory assembled #-$$ high pressure turbines are shipped with turbine components aligned
to these settings, and compensation factors in the BTops n: condition. &er advice in many
 parts of this training, careful consideration should be given to any attempts to make any
alignment change to turbines unless there is sound technical reason to make changes. t has
 been found that this N-2 packing casing offset and other official ) steam turbine alignment
factors is critical in minimi6ing severe mid-span area packing rubs. ther factors include
 proper thermal insulation, so that the shell temperature profile, and temperature gradient
through the shell wall thickness is per design. There have been many incidents on #-$$ and
other reheat steam turbines where sagging lower insulation, or insulation installed too thin, or
with gaps caused the lower shell to hump, and cause significant mid span packing rubs and
 bowed rotor excursions, until the condition was fixed. n some cases, turbines have been
opened needlessly due to failure to understand this issue. #ue to these problems, some
 

customers and turbine manufacturers perform thermograph surveys of turbine and valve
insulation on a routine basis, and during maintenance start ups.

.! Pac*ing %ertical Steam oint Sealing

The #-$$ N-2 packing casing vertical steam joint must be assembled correctly with no joint
steps, and full contact with the turbine shell fit contact area in order to avoid major steam
leaks and associated efficiency loss in this area. There have been many incidents of severe
efficiency and performance loss from incorrect assembly resulting in steam leakage in as
much as /*,*** GF%r of steam at inlet steam conditions of typically $.@9@ &si and $,*9*  on
later models. ven more damaging, is the fact that any steam leakage in this area will bypass
the entire high pressure turbine section, and thus cause losses in typically thirteen turbine
stages or so vs just one or two stages like leakage in other areas of the steam path.

The design of the vertical steam joint fit, is that there is around .**9: clearance between the
 N-2 packing casing part appendage, and mating groove in the high pressure turbine shell.
+hen the turbine is in normal operation, the high pressure inlet steam pressure pushes the N-2
 packing casing vertical joint against the shell fit to achieve a steam joint contact seal. t is
important that these parts are checked during assembly, and observed during disassembly to
ensure the integrity of this contact surface, and !uantify and document any vertical joint steps,
or signs of lack of sealing that may exist. "xial and side slip checks should be performed on
the N-2 packing casing just like diaphragms and smaller packing casings for the same reasons.

The N-2 packing casing has blind alignment dowels, and mating reamed hole in the hori6ontal
 joint that is typically .**/:-.**9: by design. n reality, this fit can be up to .**;:-.*$*: loose
 producing a step in the vertical steam joint of up to .**;:-.*$* in the worst case, but
typically .**9: which allows significant steam leakage in operation. n principle, the care
re!uired during assembly is the same as the assembly of any generator end shield vertical
hydrogen joint, where any joint steps produce completely unacceptable leakage. n addition to
checks to assure the integrity of this critical steam joint, special tightening procedures are
re!uired where vertical joint step monitoring is performed throughout the entire tightening
and stud elongation procedure, using a variety of feeler and straight edge and blue contact
checks to assure the steam joint seal integrity of the final assembled joint.

ther .! Pac*ing Casing &ssues

ther N- packing casing issues besides alignment, steam joint sealing, and clearance related
include cracking at the shell rabbit fit, and jacking problems to open the shell. There have
 been many incidents where the N-2 could not be opened after unbolting thru normal means
mostly due to binding of the blind joint dowels. 'ometimes re bolting a little, and selective un
tightening can solve this problem before going to more complicated means.

Steam Seal Pac*ing Clearances

The #-$$ steam seal packing design clearance standards have changed three times since the
first machines were shipped. The original design was the standard .*29: packing clearances
 

used by turbine engineering. Then incorrect design changes were made reducing the
clearances to .*$9: in the !uest for higher efficiency. The same mistake was made in $@9<
when it was found that .*$9: clearances are unsustainable. &aperwork, drawings, and field
service training in the $@;*1s showed the history regarding this subject. To the experienced
field service turbine expert, examples of the changes of .*$9: radial clearance back to .*29:
can be seen in various paperwork systems from turbines built in the late $@9*1s and early
$@<*1s. The same is true for the #-$$ today regarding this issue. +hen performing
maintenance on the #-$$, investigation should be performed to determine what packing were
originally in the machine and specified on paperwork, and what packing should be in the
machine, with proper notes and documentation added to the turbine record for future use. The
 preferred designs listed in item 4/5 below is best for what should be in the turbine. There are
significant maintenance, operational, and efficiency gains to make sure the latest, preferred
design is used. Ay copying a similar rated #-$$ of where they use the .*$9: hori6ontal, .*29
vertical radial clearance elliptical midspan packing rings and .*$9: cylindrical end packing
rings this can be sorted out. t should be noted that both the #-$$ and "-$* reheat steam
turbines have these two designs, and that this elliptical packing ring concept can be applied to
other turbines for midspan packing rub relief and efficiency gain with a little engineering
understanding of midspan steampath behavior.

  The following is a summary of the three different steam seal packing design clearances that
have been shipped on #-$$ steam turbines33

%istory of lliptical 'team 'eal &acking #esign

4$5 riginal esign $@@$ thru $@@@. 'tandard steam seal packing with .*29: radial
clearance to rotor

425 Second esign  $@@@ thru 2**$ 'team path designs were changed for higher
efficiency in the marketplace. 'team seal packing designs were changed to .*$9:
radial clearance, along with more usage of integral covered buckets, new spill strip
designs, and new steam path clearance designations.

4/5 "inal Pre$erred esign  2**$ thru &resent. lliptical bore steam seal packing was
used with .*29: vertical and .*$9: hori6ontal radial clearance in N-2 &acking mid-
span and adjacent steam path areas. ylindrical bore packing with tighter .*$9:
clearances to rotor were used in steam path areas adjacent to bearings and packing
casings, where this tighter clearance could be maintained. This has been applied to
#-$$ and "-$* reheat steam turbines used for combined cycle applications.
 

Mark A. Cohen
Turbine Field Engineer