Feedback inspection systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025060206-A1
Application number	US-202418934736-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 1, 2024
Priority date	Mar 23, 2022
Publication date	Feb 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inspection device is disclosed herein. In various embodiments, the inspection system device comprises: a support structure; a motor; a shaft operably coupled to the motor, the shaft extending from a first side of the support structure to a second side of the support structure, the shaft configured to couple to a bladed rotor; and a scanner moveably coupled to the support structure, the scanner configured to generate a three-dimensional model for the bladed rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
commanding, by the one or more processors and via a first scanner, a first scan of a bladed rotor, wherein the first scanner is configured to generate a first scan data from the first scan that includes a first average point density, generating, by the one or more processors, a three-dimensional model based on a first set of data received from the first scan; comparing, by the one or more processors, the three-dimensional model to an acceptable three-dimensional model of the bladed rotor; determining, by the one or more processors, areas of interest based on the comparison, wherein the areas of interest comprise areas that are outside a threshold tolerance of the acceptable three-dimensional model of the bladed rotor; commanding, by the one or more processors and via a second scanner, a second scan of the areas of interest of the bladed rotor, wherein the second scanner is configured to generate a second scan data from the second scan that includes a second average point density, the second average point density is greater than the first average point density; and generating, by the one or more processors, a final three-dimensional model based on the first scan and the second scan.

2 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the first scanner being different from the second scanner.

3 . The article of manufacture of claim 2 , wherein the first scanner is a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and the second scanner is a blue light scanner.

4 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the final three-dimensional model includes a point cloud.

5 . The article of manufacture of claim 4 , wherein the point cloud has a first point density in an area of interest from the areas of interest that is greater than a second point density outside the area of interest.

6 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform the operation of categorizing adjacent blades to a blade having an area of interest as within the areas of interest.

7 . The article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise commanding, by the one or more processors and via a motor, rotation of the bladed rotor relative to the first scanner and the second scanner during the first scan and the second scan.

8 . A method of inspecting a bladed rotor, the method comprising:
coupling the bladed rotor to a shaft of an inspection system, the shaft configured to rotate about a support structure; scanning, by the inspection system, the bladed rotor with a first scanner, wherein the first scanner is configured to produce a first scan data from a first scan that includes a first average point density; re-scanning, by the inspection system, areas of interest of the bladed rotor from the first scan with a second scanner, wherein the second scanner is configured to produce a second scan data that includes a second average point density, the second average point density is greater than the first average point density; and generating, by the inspection system, a three-dimensional model of the bladed rotor based on the first scan data and the second scan data from the first scanner and the second scanner.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first scanner is a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and the second scanner is a blue light scanner.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the areas of interest are determined based on data from the scanning with the first scanner.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating, via the inspection system, a first three-dimensional model after scanning with the first scanner.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
comparing, via the inspection system, the first three-dimensional model to an acceptable three-dimensional model of the bladed rotor; and determining, via the inspection system, the areas of interest based on the comparison.

13 . The method of inspecting the bladed rotor of claim 8 , wherein:
responsive to the coupling the bladed rotor to the shaft of the inspection system, the first scanner is positioned on a track system disposed on a base of the support structure of the inspection system and the second scanner is positioned on a second track system on the base of the support structure; the inspection system is configured to rotate the bladed rotor relative to the support structure, and the inspection system is configured to move the first scanner and the second scanner relative to the support structure.

14 . An inspection system for a bladed rotor, the inspection system comprising:
a support structure; a first scanner moveably coupled to the support structure; a second scanner moveably coupled to the support structure; a motor operably coupled to a shaft, the shaft rotatably coupled to the support structure, the shaft configured to be coupled to the bladed rotor; and a controller in electronic communication with the first scanner, the second scanner, and the motor, the controller configured to:
command the first scanner to scan the bladed rotor;
determine areas of interest based on data from the first scanner, wherein the areas of interest comprise areas that are outside a threshold tolerance of an acceptable three-dimensional model of the bladed rotor;
command the second scanner to scan the areas of interest; and
generate a point cloud based on data from the first scanner and the second scanner.

15 . The inspection system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a three-dimensional model based on data from the first scanner and compare the three-dimensional model to the acceptable three-dimensional model.

16 . The inspection system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the areas of interest based on the comparison.

17 . The inspection system of claim 14 , wherein the first scanner is a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and the second scanner is a blue light scanner.

18 . The inspection system of claim 14 , further comprising a first track system and a second track system, the first scanner configured to travel along the first track system, the second scanner configured to travel along the second track system, wherein the first track system and the second track system each comprise:
a curved track coupled to a base of the support structure; and a vertical track coupled to the curved track.

19 . The inspection system of claim 18 , wherein:
the first track system and the second track system are distinct, and the first track system and the second track system are spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction.

20 . The inspection system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to command, via the motor, rotation of the bladed rotor relative to the first scanner and the second scanner during a first scan performed by the first scanner and a second scan performed by the second scanner.

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Propheter-Hinckley Tracy A
• Michaels Derek J
• Roberts Lawrence P
• Prihar Ron I

Classifications

• G06T2210/56

  Particle system, point based geometry or rendering · CPC title

• G06T17/00

  Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics · CPC title

• G01B11/24

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F02C7/00

  Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00) · CPC title