Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Mechanical control system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-03
2001-04-24
Gordon, Paul P. (Department: 2786)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Mechanical control system
C700S054000, C700S066000, C700S280000, C700S064000, C033S645000, C033S661000, C704S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223102
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a method for alignment of the shaft of a rotating machine, which is supported at predetermined mounting points on a base, in a predetermined three-dimensional nominal position by moving the machine on the base,
a) the instantaneous position of the shaft with respect to the nominal position being detected by means of a sensor device which provides electrical position signals corresponding to the difference between the instantaneous position of the shaft and the shaft nominal position,
b) these position signals, the known position of the mounting points with respect to the predetermined reference points on the base and other geometric machine data and/or geometric measurement data related to the base being used to calculate, by means of computer correction values for position corrections to be made at each of the individual mounting points in order to achieve the shaft nominal position, and
c) the magnitude and direction of the correction values for each mounting point being brought to the attention of the alignment technician who will make the position corrections.
Methods of this type are known, for example, from EP-B1-0 145 745.
The shafts of two rotating machines are often connected to one another by means of an elastic coupling, whose task is to absorb any mutual offset between the two machine shafts (parallel offset, angular offset) which should, in the ideal case, be aligned exactly in line.
High-speed machines and/or the transmission of ever greater torques demand that, even when the machine group is being installed, the two shafts be aligned to a very large extent in order to load the coupling with only a small amount of work, and this alignment is carried out in accordance with methods of this generic type. The measured values which are obtained by means of the sensor device and are entered in the computer are processed by the computer on the basis of the geometric dimensions (likewise entered in it) for the machines to be aligned, in particular the mutual position of the mounting points of the machines on the base, to give correction values for correcting the positions of said mounting points, in the form of statements and/or proposals relating to the correction measures to be carried out, an indication being given for each individual mounting point of the machine to be aligned as to the direction and magnitude of its movement in order to reach the in-line state.
Any necessary vertical correction of a conventional machine (for example a pump, motor, generator) is generally carried out by means of supporting plates, so-called shims, while any required horizontal movement of the machine is, as a rule, carried out by knocking the machine feet with a sledgehammer, once the securing bolts have been loosened.
The better way of using an adjusting screw or bolt with a mating fitting, with whose aid the machine to be aligned could be moved slowly and exactly, is generally not feasible since such adjusting screws or bolts are not provided on the majority of machines that are already installed or are to be installed in the future.
When carrying out the known methods of this generic type, the correction values have until now been indicated only on a computer-controlled display. For hammer correction, this resulted in the problem that the machine alignment technician had to look, at the same time, both at the indication on the display and at the respective machine foot to be hit by hammer blows. The display indication indicates to him the number of millimeters or tenths of a millimeter by which he still has to move the machine foot by knocking it and, on the other hand, he has to be careful not to damage the machine foot by an incorrectly applied blow. Even a single inaccurately applied blow with a heavy sledgehammer can destroy the machine housing casting.
The invention is based on the object of making it easier for the machine alignment technician to carry out the alignment work in a manner which allows him to pay his full attention to the blows to be applied by him to the machine foot, and thus to avoid damage to this foot.
The abovementioned object is achieved by the features of patent claim
1
.
On the basis of the method according to the invention, the machine alignment technician receives the instructions required to carry out the correction of the machine position acoustically, so that he can pay his full attention to shifting the machine foot. As claimed in claim
4
, the acoustic instruction can be transmitted as a tone signal produced by means of an electronically controlled tone generator or else, as claimed in claim
8
, as a spoken instruction to the machine alignment technician, produced by means of a voice memory module or a voice synthesis unit.
The dependent claims
2
,
3
,
5
-
7
and
9
-
11
relate to further preferred refinements of the method according to the invention, which also include acoustic transmission of details from computer-controlled operator guidance for operation of the computer and for handling of the sensor device. The latter is advantageous irrespective of the acoustic transmission of correction values, in particular if only simple computer-controlled LCD indications with fixed symbols are available for operator guidance, which do not allow the visual user interface to be coped with as completely as would be desirable. This is possible only with so-called pixel displays which, however, together with the electronic control system required for them, are expensive and, in addition, can be used only within a rather limited temperature range.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention. This apparatus is equipped in a known manner with
a) a sensor device, which is mounted on the shaft to be aligned, for detecting the instantaneous position of the shaft with respect to the nominal position, the sensor device providing electrical position signals corresponding to the difference between the instantaneous shaft position and the shaft nominal position,
b) an electronic computer which uses the position signals supplied to it by the sensor device and geometric measurement data which are entered in it and are characteristic, inter alia, of the position of the mounting points of the machine with respect to mounting points on the base to calculate correction values for the position corrections to be made in each case at the individual mounting points in order to achieve the shaft nominal position, and
c) a device which informs the alignment technician carrying out the position corrections of the magnitude and direction of the calculated correction values for each mounting point,
and, according to the invention, it is distinguished by a device which is controlled by the computer for producing acoustic signals which are characteristic at least of the magnitude of the calculated correction values.
The dependent claims
13
to
16
relate to preferred refinements of the subject matter of patent claim
12
.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4709485 (1987-12-01), Bowman
patent: 5020108 (1991-05-01), Wason
patent: 5026998 (1991-06-01), Holzl
patent: 5056237 (1991-10-01), Saunders
patent: 5077905 (1992-01-01), Murray, Jr.
patent: 5263261 (1993-11-01), Piety et al.
patent: 5621655 (1997-04-01), Nower et al.
patent: 5805464 (1998-09-01), Cameron et al.
Gordon Paul P.
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP
Patel Ramesh
Pruftechnik Dieter Busch AG
LandOfFree
Method and device for aligning the shaft of a rotating machine does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and device for aligning the shaft of a rotating machine, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and device for aligning the shaft of a rotating machine will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2441072