Systems and methods for monitoring turbine component strain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618334-B2
Application number	US-201514687158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring turbine component deformation are provided. The turbine component has an exterior surface. A method includes directly measuring a strain sensor configured on the exterior surface of the turbine component along an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis to obtain X-axis data points, Y-axis data points, and Z-axis data points. The X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal. The method further includes assembling a three-dimensional profile of the strain sensor based on the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring turbine component deformation, the turbine component having an exterior surface, the method comprising:
directly measuring a strain sensor configured on the exterior surface of the turbine component along an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis to obtain X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points, wherein the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal; and
assembling a three-dimensional profile of the strain sensor based on the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the strain sensor is directly measured using a non-contact direct measurement technique.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points are obtained at resolutions of between approximately 100 nanometers and approximately 100 micrometers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directly measuring step comprises:
emitting light from a laser towards the strain sensor;
detecting the light after the light is reflected; and
calculating X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points based on the detected light.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directly measuring step comprises:
emitting light from a light-emitting diode;
receiving images of the light contacting the strain sensor; and
calculating X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points based on the received images.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the light is blue light.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the light is white light.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directly measuring step comprises:
receiving an image of the strain sensor at a first distance from the strain sensor;
stepping from the first distance to a second distance from the strain sensor;
receiving an image of the strain sensor at a second distance from the strain sensor; and
calculating X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points based on the received images.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directly measuring step occurs at a first time and the three-dimensional profile is a first three-dimensional profile based on the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points at the first time, and further comprising:
directly measuring the strain sensor along the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis to obtain X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points at a second time, the second time different from the first time; and
assembling a second three-dimensional profile of the strain sensor based on the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points at the second time.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising comparing the first three-dimensional profile and the second three-dimensional profile.

11. A system for monitoring turbine component deformation, the turbine component having a strain sensor configurable on an exterior surface, the system comprising:
a three-dimensional data acquisition device for analyzing the strain sensor; and
a processor in operable communication with the three-dimensional data acquisition device, the processor operable for:
directly measuring the strain sensor along an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis to obtain X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points, wherein the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal; and
assembling a three-dimensional profile of the strain sensor based on the X-axis data points, Y-axis data points and Z-axis data points.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the data acquisition device is a non-contact data acquisition device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the data acquisition device has a resolution along the X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis of between approximately 100 nanometers and approximately 100 micrometers.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the data acquisition device is a laser scanner.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the data acquisition device is structured light scanner.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the structured light scanner emits white light.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the structured light scanner emits blue light.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the data acquisition device is a microscope, the microscope comprising a stepper motor.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further operable for comparing multiple three-dimensional profiles.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Burnside Jason Lee
• Hovis Gregory Lee
• Germann Bryan J
• Ward Jr John David
• Ranson William F

Classifications

• G01B11/165 Primary

  by means of a grating deformed by the object · CPC title