Thermographic inspection techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9400256-B2
Application number	US-201414559347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A system may include a thermal camera and a computing device configured to receive master image data representative of a geometry and thermal response of at least one of a theoretical component, a fabricated gold standard component, or an average of a plurality of components; receive, from the thermal camera, thermographic image data representative of a thermal response of a tested component; morph the thermographic image data to substantially align with the three-dimensional image data and produce morphed thermographic image data; and output a representation based on the morphed thermographic image data for display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a thermal camera; and
a computing device configured to:
receive master image data representative of a geometry and a thermal response of at least one of a theoretical component, a fabricated gold standard component, or an average of a plurality of components;
receive, from the thermal camera, thermographic image data representative of a thermal response of a tested component;
morph the thermographic image data to substantially align with the geometry of the master image data and produce morphed thermographic image data; and
output a representation based on the morphed thermographic image data for display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to morph the thermographic image data by at least:
morphing the thermographic image data to roughly align with a gross geometry of the master image data; and
further morphing the thermographic image data to substantially align with a geometry of the master image data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to morph the thermographic image data by at least substantially aligning at least one feature of the thermographic image data with at least one corresponding feature of the master image data.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to morph the thermographic image data based at least in part on coordinates associated with the thermographic image data.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
compare thermal response data from the morphed thermographic image data to thermal response data from the master image data to identify a discrepancy between the thermal response data from the morphed thermographic image data and the thermal response data from the master image data;
compare the discrepancy to a threshold value; and
identify the discrepancy as representing a potential deficiency responsive to determining that the discrepancy is greater than the threshold value.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computing device is configured to determine the threshold value based at least in part on an amount the thermographic image data for a location corresponding to the potential deficiency was morphed; a parameter relating to the geometry of the tested component at the location of the potential deficiency; or a material property of tested component at the location of the potential deficiency.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computing device is further configured to evaluate the component based on a number of potential deficiencies.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to output the representation based on the morphed thermographic image data for display by at least outputting a false color representation or a grayscale representation based on the morphed thermographic image data.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heat source, wherein the computing device is further configured to control the heat source to deliver a pulse of heat to a surface of the tested component, and wherein the thermographic image data is representative of the thermal response of the tested component to the pulse of heat.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid source and a valve, wherein the computing device is further configured to control the valve to open a predetermined amount for a predetermined length of time to allow a predetermined pulse of fluid from the fluid source to flow through internal passages of the tested component, and wherein the thermographic image data is representative of the thermal response of the tested component to the predetermined pulse of fluid.

11. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, master image data representative of a geometry and a thermal response of at least one of a theoretical component, a fabricated gold standard component, or an average of a plurality of components;
receiving, by the computing device, from a thermal camera, thermographic image data representative of a thermal response of a tested component;
morphing, by the computing device, the thermographic image data to substantially align with the geometry of the master image data and produce morphed thermographic image data; and
outputting, by the computing device, a representation based on the morphed thermographic image data for display.

12. The method of claim 11 , morphing the thermographic image data to substantially align with the three-dimensional image data comprises:
morphing, by the computing device, the thermographic image data to roughly align with a gross geometry of the master image data; and
further morphing, by the computing device, the thermographic image data to substantially align with a geometry of the master image data.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein morphing the thermographic image data to substantially align with the three-dimensional image data comprises substantially aligning at least one feature of the thermographic image data with at least one corresponding feature of the master image data.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
comparing, by the computing device, thermal response data from the morphed thermographic image data to thermal response data from the master image data to identify a discrepancy between the thermal response data from the morphed thermographic image data and the thermal response data from the master image data;
comparing, by the computing device, the discrepancy to a threshold value; and
identifying, by the computing device, the discrepancy as representing a potential deficiency responsive to determining that the discrepancy is greater than the threshold value.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining the threshold value based at least in part on an amount the thermographic image data for a location corresponding to the potential deficiency was morphed; a parameter relating to the geometry of the tested component at the location of the potential deficiency; or a material property of tested component at the location of the potential deficiency.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising evaluating the component based on a number of potential deficiencies.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein outputting the representation based on the morphed thermographic image data for display comprises outputting a false color representation or a grayscale representation based on the morphed thermographic image data.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling, by the computing device, a heat source to deliver a pulse of heat to a surface of the tested component, wherein the thermographic image data is representative of the thermal response of the tested component to the pulse of heat.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling, by the computing device, a valve to open a predetermined amount for a predetermined length of time to allow a predetermined pulse of fluid from a fluid source to flow through internal passages of the tested component, wherein the thermographic image data is representative of the thermal response of the tested component to the predetermined pulse of fluid.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:
receive master image data representative of a geometry and a thermal response of at least one of a theoretical component, a fabricated gold standard component, or an average of a plurality of components;
receive, from a th

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Henderkott Joseph Peter
• Ma Kong

Classifications

• F01D5/186

  Film cooling (F01D5/187 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06T7/344

  involving models · CPC title

• F01D17/02

  Arrangement of sensing elements · CPC title

• F01D9/041

  using blades (F01D5/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D17/20

  Devices dealing with sensing elements or final actuators or transmitting means between them, e.g. power-assisted (sensing elements alone F01D17/02; final actuators alone F01D17/10) · CPC title