Process and apparatus to restore distorted features on gas turbine vanes

1. A method of restoring dimensions of a vane segment, having an outer shroud, an inner shroud, and a plurality of airfoils extending therebetween, wherein said inner shroud has shifted in a distortion direction relative to said outer shroud due to operation in a gas turbine engine, said method comprising:

heating said vane segment to a temperature within a range of 1600° F. to 2050° F.;

rigidly clamping said heated vane segment such that said outer shroud of said vane segment is clamped to a first holding fixture secured to a base, thereby preventing movement between said outer shroud of said vane segment and said base;

driving said inner shroud away from said base in a direction that is opposite that of said distortion direction until said inner shroud reaches a predetermined distance from said base;

wherein said inner shroud includes a flange extending therefrom, said flange includes a bolt hole extending therethrough, and said predetermined distance is reached when said bolt hole is located coaxial with a pin hole in a face plate of an inner shroud holding fixture secured to said base;

allowing said vane segment to cool; and

releasing said outer shroud of said vane segment from said first holding fixture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of heating said vane segment to a temperature within said range of 1600° F. to 2050° F. comprises heating said vane segment to a temperature within a range of 1925° F. to 1975° F.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said outer shroud includes a plurality of rails extending therefrom, and said step of rigidly clamping said outer shroud of said vane segment to said first holding fixture secured to said base comprises clamping at least one of said rails in said holding fixture.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said step of allowing said vane segment to cool comprises allowing said vane segment to cool to ambient temperature.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said step of releasing said outer shroud of said vane segment from said first holding fixture is followed by the steps of: drilling out said bolt hole to a pre-determined larger diameter hole; inserting a cylindrical plug into said larger diameter hole; brazing said plug into said larger diameter hole; and drilling a hole through said plug to replace said bolt hole.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising removably clamping said inner shroud to a portion of said inner shroud holding fixture.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein removably clamping said inner shroud to said inner shroud holding fixture is accomplished by placing a locking pin through said bolt hole in said inner shroud and said pin hole in said face plate of said inner shroud holding fixture.

8. An apparatus for restoring dimensions of a vane segment having an outer shroud, an inner shroud, and a plurality of airfoils extending therebetween, wherein said inner shroud includes a flange extending therefrom and said flange includes a bolt hole, wherein said inner shroud has shifted in a distortion direction relative to said outer shroud due to operation in a gas turbine engine, said apparatus comprising:

a base;

an outer shroud holding fixture secured to said base;

an inner shroud holding fixture secured to said base; and

a press secured to said base below said inner shroud holding fixture;

wherein said inner shroud holding fixture includes a face plate having a in hole formed therein;

wherein said outer shroud holding fixture is designed to receive and removably secure said outer shroud of said vane segment, and said inner shroud holding fixture is designed to slideably receive said inner shroud of said vane segment;

wherein said press drives said inner shroud, coupled to said inner shroud holding fixture, in a direction opposite said distortion direction such that said inner shroud is located at a non-distorted position; and

wherein a locking pin cooperates with said pin hole of said face plate and said bolt hole of said inner shroud in order to retain said inner shroud at said non-distorted position.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said outer shroud holding fixture includes a clamping plate, a bottom plate located immediately below said clamping plate, a base plate, and guide pins secured to said base plate, wherein said clamping plate slides on said guide pins towards said base plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said outer shroud includes a plurality of rails extending therefrom, and said clamping plate includes a clamp surface which faces said base plate, said base plate includes a base surface that faces said clamping plate, and both said clamp surface and said base surface include contours which conform to at least one of said rails, so that when at least one of said rails is clamped into said outer shroud holding fixture, force applied by said clamping plate and said base plate to said at least one rail is distributed so as to avoid permanently distorting said at least one rail.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said inner shroud holding fixture includes a backing plate and a spacing plate that holds said face plate in spaced relation to said backing plate, thereby defining a gap therebetween which slideably receive said inner shroud of said vane segment when said at least one of said rails is clamped into said outer shroud holding fixture.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said press includes a piston and a press block that is secured to an upper end of said piston immediately below said gap, and the upper surface of said press block is contoured to be substantially flush with a lower surface of said inner shroud.