General Electric Company

John David Ward, Jr

Gregory Lee Hovis

Jason Lee Burnside

Bryan Joseph Germann

William Farris Ranson

James Ryan Connor

Christopher Edward Thompson

Gary Charles Liotta

Christopher Allen Nafis

Jonathan Matthew Lomas

Mark Lawrence Hunt

Harish Bommanakatte

Sheo Narain Giri

Jacob Andrew Salm

Liming Zhang

Daniel Howard Tragesser

Jason Adam Neville

Juan Pablo Cilia

Blake Allen Fulton

Mohankumar Banakar

Srivatsa Dhanvantri

Antonio Rodriguez

Neil Robert Peddar

Gareth Lewis

Shyamanth Kotian

Methods for manufacturing passive strain indicator on turbine components include providing a turbine component comprising an exterior surface, and, depositing a ceramic material onto a portion of the exterior surface to form a passive strain indicator comprising at least two reference points.

Methods for producing passive strain indicator on turbine components

Stripping a metallic bond coat from an article using a wet chemical process. An article removed from service and having a metallic bond coat applied over a surface of its metallic substrate is provided. The metallic bond coat is used to improve the adhesion of a TBC to the article, so grit blasting to first remove any TBC applied over the bond coat and which still remains on the article initially may be required. The bond coated article is then immersed in an acid solution of HCl/HPOat a predetermined temperature for a predetermined amount of time, the HCl/HPOsolution reacting with the bond coat applied over the metallic substrate to form a smut on the surface. The article is then removed from the HCl/HPOsolution and quickly immersed in a solution of NaOH for a predetermined amount of time to at least partially desmut the surface.

Method for smut removal during stripping of coating

Methods for determining strain on turbine components include providing a turbine component comprising a plurality of strain sensor reference features disposed along the turbine component separated from one another by a plurality of first distances at a first time, reading the plurality of strain sensor reference features at a second time to determine a plurality of second distances between the plurality of strain sensor reference features, and comparing the plurality of second distances to the plurality of first distances to determine a plurality of non-linear strain measurements between the plurality of strain sensor reference features.

Methods for determining strain on turbine components using a plurality of strain sensor reference features

Systems and methods for monitoring component deformation are provided. The component has an exterior surface. A method includes directly measuring a passive strain indicator configured on the exterior surface of the component along an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis to obtain X-axis data points, Y-axis data points, and Z-axis data points. The X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal. The method further includes assembling a three-dimensional profile of the passive strain indicator based on the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points.

Systems and methods for monitoring component deformation

Traversable strain sensor readers for reading a plurality strain sensor reference features on a turbine component include a traversing system configured to traverse the traversable strain sensor reader along at least a portion of the turbine component, and a reader configured to read at least a portion of the plurality of strain sensor reference features while the traversing system traverses the traversable strain sensor reader along at least the portion of the turbine component.

Methods for determining strain on turbine components using traversable strain sensor readers

Systems and methods for monitoring turbine component deformation are provided. The turbine component has an exterior surface. A method includes directly measuring a strain sensor configured on the exterior surface of the turbine component along an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis to obtain X-axis data points, Y-axis data points, and Z-axis data points. The X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal. The method further includes assembling a three-dimensional profile of the strain sensor based on the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points.

Systems and methods for monitoring turbine component strain

A modification process and modified article are disclosed. The modification process includes locating an area in an article, removing the area by machining to form a machined region, inserting a modification material into the machined region, securing the modification material to the article, machining the modification material flush with a geometry of the article, and applying a coating over at least a portion of the article. Another modification process includes locating an area under a suction side leading edge tip shroud fillet of an airfoil, removing the area by machining to form a hole, inserting a modification material having improved material properties as compared to an original base material into the hole, securing the modification material in place, machining the modification material and the airfoil to form a new fillet contour, and applying a coating over at least a portion of the airfoil. Also disclosed is the modified article.

Modification process and modified article

According to one aspect, a fixture for an airfoil shroud having a first end edge, a second end edge, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a radially outer side and a radially inner side with respect to a rotor axis of a bucket having the airfoil shroud is provided. The fixture includes a base plate, a first member extending from the base plate configured to locate and abut the first end edge, a second member extending from the base plate configured to locate and abut a side of a seal rail, a third member extending from the base plate configured to locate and abut the radially outer side of the airfoil shroud and a template recess formed in the base plate proximate the first end edge to define a geometry of a relief cut in the trailing edge of the airfoil shroud.

Fixture for an airfoil shroud and method for modifying an airfoil shroud

Methods for manufacturing strain sensors on turbine components include providing a turbine component comprising an exterior surface, and, depositing a ceramic material onto a portion of the exterior surface to form a strain sensor comprising at least two reference points.

Methods for producing strain sensors on turbine components

Methods for manufacturing strain sensors on turbine components include providing a turbine component comprising an exterior surface, depositing a ceramic material onto a portion of the exterior surface, and ablating at least a portion of the ceramic material to form a strain sensor comprising at least two reference points.

A bucket tip shroud measurement fixture includes a frame extending from a first end to a second end through an intermediate portion having a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first tip shroud fixing member extending from the second surface of the frame at the first end, and a second tip shroud fixing member extending from the second surface of the frame at the second end. The first and second tip shroud fixing members are configured and disposed to retain and establish an orientation of a bucket tip shroud relative the frame. A plurality of reference points are provided on the frame. The plurality of reference points are configured and disposed to receive a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) probe.

Bucket tip shroud measurement fixture and method of measuring bucket tip shroud orientation

An apparatus for inspecting a tip shroud includes a frame having top and bottom surfaces. A first stop is connected to the bottom surface to contact a first side surface of the tip shroud, and a second stop is in sliding engagement with the frame to contact a second side surface of the tip shroud. A method for inspecting a tip shroud includes placing an apparatus against the tip shroud, wherein the apparatus has a first stop connected to a frame and a second stop in sliding engagement with the frame. The method further includes engaging the first stop with a first side surface of the tip shroud and sliding the second stop with respect to the frame until the second stop contacts a second side surface of the tip shroud.

Apparatus and method for inspecting a turbine blade tip shroud

A method and system for determining creep capability of turbine components is provided. A plurality of turbine components are manufactured from a material having known creep characteristics. Each of the plurality of turbine components is subjected to at least one of tensile stress, centrifugal stress and thermal stress, until a measurable amount of creep is acquired. The turbine components so tested are compared against known creep characteristics for the material used in the components. Components exhibiting an amount of creep greater than a predefined amount of creep will be separated from the plurality of turbine components and not placed into service.

Method and system for determining creep capability of turbine components prior to operation

A rotating airfoil component of a turbomachine, in which the component has an airfoil aligned in a spanwise direction of the component, a shank, and a platform therebetween oriented transverse to the spanwise direction. The platform has an outer radial surface adjacent the airfoil, and at least one recessed region defined in its outer radial surface. The recessed region extends opposite the spanwise direction from a platform plane that contains portions of the outer radial surface that are upstream and downstream from the recessed region. The recessed region is contiguous with an end wall of the platform and extends therefrom toward the airfoil. The recessed region defines a surface shape whose boundary is contained by the platform plane, and has a profile shape that extends from the end wall toward the airfoil. The recessed region is sized and shaped to increase the stiffness of the platform.

Rotating airfoil component with platform having a recessed surface region therein

A component identification system for identifying an industrial machine component in situ is disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a computer system is provided which is configured to implement a method of identifying a component of an industrial machine in situ. In particular, the computer system is configured to decode an image containing a data matrix code, and identify the data matrix code in the image. The computer system is further configured to associate the data matrix code in the image with an identified component in a database.

Growing community of inventors

Woodruff, SC, United States of America

John David Ward, Jr