Siemens Energy, Inc.

Joshua DeAscanis

Clifford Hatcher

Forrest R Ruhge

James P Williams

Robert G Shannon

David Letter

Alejandro Bancalari

Isaac Piersall

David J Meek

William D Clark

A robotically articulated inspection scope () inserted into a pilot fuel nozzle port () of a turbine engine () for in-situ measurement of gaps () between tips of turbine blades (A) and the surrounding shroud (). A non-contact gap measuring device () on a distal end () of the scope may be navigated through a combustor () and transition duct () into a position proximate a blade tip gap. The scope may be controlled via computer () via a robotic drive () affixed to the pilot fuel nozzle port. Multiple scopes may be used to measure gaps (A-D) at multiple azimuths of the turbine simultaneously. The turbine disk () may be rotated on its operating turning gear to sequentially measure each blade at each azimuth. The computer may memorize an interactively navigated path for subsequent automated positioning.

In-situ measurement of blade tip-to-shroud gap in turbine engine

A system for performing acoustic thermography inspection of a turbine blade while the blade is in place in an assembled turbine. The system includes an acoustic thermography stack with a cap and a frame that the acoustic thermography stack is slidably mounted to, said frame including an end frame portion that allows the blade to be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion. The system also includes an air cylinder that provides force to move the acoustic thermography stack up and down a rail of the frame such that the turbine blade may be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion and then excited using the acoustic thermography stack, and a casing that encases the air cylinder, a portion of the acoustic thermography stack and a portion of the frame.

Portable acoustic thermography of in situ L-O blades

Internal components of power generation machinery, such as gas turbine engines, are inspected with a spherical optical camera inspection system mounted on a compact diameter, single-axis inspection scope that is capable of insertion within an inspection port or other accessible insertion site. The inspection scope includes nested, non-rotatable telescoping tubes, which define an extension axis. Circumscribing, telescoping tubes have anti-rotation collars, which are in sliding engagement with a mating axial groove on an outer circumferential surface of a circumscribed tube. The camera is advanced and/or retracted along a scope extension axis by nested, drive tubes, which incorporate at least one external drive screw on a circumscribed drive tube and corresponding female threads formed in a circumscribing drive tube. The spherical camera has a 360-degree field of view, and captures images without rotation about the scope extension axis.

Single-axis inspection scope with spherical camera and method for internal inspection of power generation machinery

Non-destructive evaluation optical inspection systems include video cameras or other reflective-photonic optical instruments, such as laser profilometers or 3D white light laser dimensional scanners, which are incorporated in a camera head. The camera head is coupled to a distal end of a self-supporting and shape-retaining elongate deformable deployment tether. The deployment tether is bendable, for insertion through cavities of power generation machines and orientation of the camera head field of view on the internal area of interest. The deployment tether is capable of being deformed repeatedly, for inspection of different areas of interest. In some embodiments, interchangeable camera heads are selectively coupled to the deployment tether, so that a kit or family of different optical inspection instruments are available to carry out multiple types of inspections within a single or multiple types of power generation machinery.

Video inspection system with deformable, self-supporting deployment tether

A system and method include an acoustic thermography stack and a frame that the stack is slidably mounted to. The frame includes an end frame portion with a blade stop, and an air cylinder provides force to move the stack up and down a rail of the frame such that a turbine blade may be clamped between a cap of the stack and the blade stop. The clamped blade is excited using the stack, and an infrared camera is used to detect critical indications in the blade.

Hardware and method for implementation of in situ acoustic thermograph inspections

Internal components of power generation machines, such as gas or steam turbines, are inspected with a laser profilometer inspection system that is inserted and positioned within the turbine, for example through an inspection port that is in communication with an open inter-row spacing volume between an opposing turbine vane and turbine blade row. Component surface profile scans are performed to determine relative profile heights along a two-dimensional scan line generated by the profilometer. Three-dimensional profile information is obtained by translating the scan line across the surface. Real time profile information is gathered without physical contact, which is helpful for extracting off-line engineering information about component surface conditions, including surface spallation, perforation, and gaps between components. The system is capable of determining blade tip gap between a turbine blade tip and its opposing abradable surface in the turbine casing.

Method and system for surface profile inspection of off-line industrial gas turbines and other power generation machinery

Turbine engine rotor corresponding thru-bolts and disc cavities are inspected with a camera inspection system that includes one or both of a thru-bolt male threads inspection apparatus and a rotor disc cavity inspection apparatus. The disc cavity inspection scope apparatus is insertable in one or more of the desired rotor disc cavities and orients an attached inspection camera field of view generally transverse to the circumferential wall in the rotor disc that defines the cavity. Preferably inspection scope apparatus insertion into the disc cavities is performed with a motion control system that monitors spatial position of the camera field of view relative to the recess circumferential wall. The plural camera cavity circumferential wall images are desirably combined to form a composite image of a desired portion of or the entire disc cavity circumferential surface, which aids their inspection evaluation and provides an archived composite image of the surface.

Method for inspecting a turbine engine rotor with a rotor disc cavity inspection apparatus

A method and a system for inspection of gas turbine are presented. An inspection tool is attached on a track which is permanently positioned on site with respect to the gas turbine. The inspection tool includes an extendible shaft with a proximal end attached on the track and a distal end carrying a sensor. The inspection tool moves along the track for accessing an inspection port of the gas turbine by the shaft. A control system is coupled to the inspection tool for controlling the inspection tool for the inspection of the gas turbine. The method and system enable an automated engine inspection which allows for the engine to have been inspected and reviewed by an engineer without having to send the engineer on site.

Gas turbine inspection apparatus and method and system for inspecting a gas turbine

A method of generating a comprehensive image () of interior surfaces () of machine components such as a gas turbine combustor basket () and transition duct () by digitally stitching together multiple photographs () thereof, and analyzing the comprehensive image by contouring (A-B) of colors and shadings thereon, and quantifying and tracking aspects of the contours (A, B, C) over time for indications of degradation () of the interior surfaces. A scope () may be inserted into a port () in the combustor with a camera () in a rotatable end () of the scope for obtaining a circumferential set () of photos at each axial position along a length of the combustor and transition duct. A 3D surface scanning device () in the scope may define the geometry of the interior surface for 3D photographic modeling thereof providing a virtual walk-through inspection.

Internal inspection of machinery by stitched surface imaging

Turbine engine rotor corresponding thru-bolts and disc cavities are inspected with a camera inspection system that includes one or both of a thru-bolt male threads inspection apparatus and a rotor disc cavity inspection apparatus. The thru-bolts threads inspection apparatus engages the male threads and advances along the bolt threads pattern, selectively capturing camera images at desired spatial positions along the threads pattern. The plural camera threads images are desirably combined to form a composite image of a desired portion of or the entire thru-bolt male threads profiles, which aids their inspection evaluation and provides an archived composite image of the profiles.

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Oviedo, FL, United States of America

Joshua DeAscanis