General Electric Company

Thomas Francis Murphy

Robert Martin Roney, Jr

Richard Michael Hatley

Edward Lee Bentzel

Gerald John Czerw

Robert L'Heureux

Denis Labrecque

Jr Robert Martin Roney

Methods and systems for an in-situ inspection system includes at least one source of an inspection fluid, a source of an atomizing fluid, a control panel configured to control a flow of at least one of the inspection fluid and the atomizing fluid, and a mixing box configured to mix the inspection fluid with the atomizing fluid.

Methods and apparatus for rotary machinery inspection

An inspection system, in an exemplary embodiment, includes at least two base members spaced apart from each other, a support arm mounted to each base member, a linear track extending between and supported by the support arms, and a transport member coupled to the linear track. The transport member is movable along the linear track. The system further includes a transducer support arm pivotably coupled to the transport member, and a transducer assembly coupled to the transducer support arm.

Apparatus and methods for automated turbine component inspections

An apparatus for inspecting a metallic post contoured in a single dimension for defects. The apparatus has a clamp having at least one jaw with a surface conforming to the contour to the metallic post. The conforming jaw or jaws also have a plurality of eddy current coils and the probe has at least one sensor configured to sense at least one of position or motion.

Methods and apparatus for eddy current inspection of metallic posts

A scanner assembly for dovetail inspection of the wheels of a turbine rotor includes a series of circumferentially pivotally connected links: a motor link, transmission links, an encoder link, an adjustable link, free links and a base link mounting a transducer. The motor link mounts a motor for driving rollers on the transmission links and rotating the scanner assembly about the rotor shaft. The encoder link mounts an encoder for determining the circumferential position of the transducer about the shaft. The adjustable link enables the assembly to be tightened or loosened about the rotor shaft. The free links and base link complete the circular scanner assembly about the shaft. A single scan for a full 360&#xb0; investigates the plurality of hooks on the side of the wheel opposite the transducer.

Apparatus and methods for automatically inspecting dovetails on turbine rotors

An ultrasonic probe is used to inspect wheel and bucket dovetails of turbines for cracks in the material surrounding pinholes and pins securing the buckets and wheel to one another. Only a minimum number of pins, for example, one of three radially aligned pins securing the bucket and wheel dovetails to one another at every other circumferential position of the pins about the wheel may be removed. A phased array ultrasonic probe is inserted into the excavated pinhole and provides a circumferential scan of the finger dovetails to detect cracks in adjacent pinholes. As an alternative, a probe having one or more piezoelectric elements providing one or more radial beams may be mechanically rotated in the pinhole. Statistical sampling may be used as an indicator of crack formation. Thus, in situ inspection is performed without removal of buckets from the wheel and with only a minimum number of pins being removed.

Growing community of inventors

Scotia, NY, United States of America

Thomas Francis Murphy