Thermal inspection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10048133-B2
Application number	US-201514640750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2015
Priority date	Mar 7, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A thermal inspection system is provided for a gas turbine engine hot section component with a cooling passage. This thermal inspection system includes a fluid subsystem operable to supply a fluid into the cooling passage. The thermal inspection system also includes a thermal camera subsystem operable to monitor a fluid temperature difference of the fluid exiting the cooling passage relative to the input temperature of the fluid supplied to the cooling passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal inspection system for a gas turbine engine hot section component with a cooling passage, the system comprising:
a fluid subsystem operable to supply a fluid into the cooling passage;
a thermal camera subsystem operable to monitor a temperature of the fluid exiting the cooling passage; and
a control subsystem operable to identify a difference of the temperature of the fluid exiting the cooling passage relative to an ambient temperature.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the thermal camera subsystem is operable to measure temperature differences on the order of one-one hundredth of a degree C.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein passage of the fluid through the cooling passage results in a temperature difference on the order of tenths of a degree C.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the cooling passage is a shaped passage.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the component is a turbine blade.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein an acceptable maximum/minimum dimension of the cooling passage defines a baseline.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fluid subsystem is operable to supply the fluid into the cooling passage at an ambient temperature.

8. A method of inspecting a gas turbine engine hot section component with a cooling passage, comprising:
supplying a fluid into the cooling passage;
monitoring a temperature of the fluid exiting the cooling passage; and
identifying a difference in the temperature of the fluid exiting the cooling passage relative to an ambient fluid temperature.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising defining a baseline with respect to acceptable dimensions of the cooling passage.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising defining a baseline with respect to an acceptable maximum/minimum dimension of the cooling passage.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the supplying of the fluid into the cooling passage comprises supplying the fluid to at least one internal passageway of the component for exit through a multiple of the cooling passages.

12. A method of inspecting a gas turbine engine hot section component, comprising:
supplying a fluid into at least one internal passageway of the component for exit through a multiple of the cooling passages;
monitoring a temperature of the fluid exiting each of the multiple of cooling passages; and
identifying a difference in the temperature of the fluid exiting each of the cooling passages relative to an ambient temperature, and
wherein the supplied fluid is at an ambient temperature.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein a fluid temperature difference of the temperature of the fluid exiting each of the multiple of cooling passages relative to the ambient temperature is on the order of tenths of a degree C.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the fluid temperature difference is measured to one-one hundredth of a degree C.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Smith Kevin D
• Raulerson David A
• Ouyang Zhong
• Brasche Lisa J

Classifications

• F05D2260/83

  Testing, e.g. methods, components or tools therefor · CPC title

• G01J5/0037 Primary

  for sensing the heat emitted by liquids · CPC title

• G01J5/0088

  in turbines · CPC title

• G01J5/0859

  Sighting arrangements, e.g. cameras · CPC title

• G01J5/061

  by controlling the temperature of the apparatus or parts thereof, e.g. using cooling means or thermostats · CPC title