Method and apparatus for testing of engine components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702817-B2
Application number	US-201514978498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

Method and apparatus testing engine component, for blockage of one or more through-holes in a portion of a wall. The method including (i) providing a supply of test fluid, (ii) causing or permitting flow of test fluid to occur from first to second region, (iii) illuminating the second region with electromagnetic radiation to cause scattering of electromagnetic radiation by material exiting substantially non-blocked through-holes in wall portion having passed therethrough from the first to second side, (iv) detecting said scattering of electromagnetic radiation from said substantially non-blocked through-holes; and (v) comparing said detected scattering of electromagnetic radiation from said substantially non-blocked holes with known pattern of through-holes in component wall portion to determine the presence and/or location and/or identity of any blocked or partially blocked through-holes in component wall portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for testing an engine component for blockage of one or more through-holes in at least a portion of a wall thereof, wherein the portion of the wall comprises a known pattern of through-holes therein extending between first and second sides of the wall, the method comprising:
(i) providing in a first region to the first side of the wall a supply of a test fluid, wherein the test fluid comprises a material able to scatter electromagnetic radiation incident thereon;
(ii) causing or permitting a flow of the test fluid to occur from the first region to a second region to the second side of the wall;
(iii) illuminating the second region with electromagnetic radiation to cause scattering of electromagnetic radiation by material exiting substantially non-blocked through-holes in the wall portion having passed therethrough from the first side to the second side;
(iv) detecting said scattering of electromagnetic radiation from said substantially non-blocked through-holes; and
(v) comparing said detected scattering of electromagnetic radiation from said substantially non-blocked holes with the known pattern of through-holes in the component wall portion to determine the presence and/or location and/or identity of any blocked or partially blocked through-holes in the component wall portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is visible light.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active scattering material is provided in the form of particles of a solid material or as particles or droplets of a liquid material.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the particles of the active scattering material are provided as dispersed particles or micro-particles in a gaseous carrier medium.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active scattering material is selected from one or more of:
solid micro-particles of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ),
flakes of aluminium (Al) metal,
smoke,
a gaseous dispersion of a radiation-scattering oil,
water vapour,
micro-particles or micro-spheres of glass or a glass material,
particles of a coloured light-scattering material or a fluorescent material.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the supply of the fluid is in the form of a reservoir of the test fluid, wherein optionally the reservoir comprises an enclosure or plenum which defines a chamber within which a volume of the test fluid may be stored or provided for supply to the component being tested.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein:
(i) the reservoir is configured to be placeable against a sidewall of the component whose wall portion with through-holes therein is to be tested, and that sidewall against which the reservoir is placeable is the said component wall portion with through-holes which is to be tested; or
(ii) the reservoir is configured to be placeable against a sidewall of the component whose wall portion with through-holes therein is to be tested, and that sidewall against which the reservoir is placeable is an additional wall of the component, also with one or more through-holes therein, which is spaced from and/or joined to the said component wall portion to be tested.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the reservoir comprises the said enclosure or plenum, and the said enclosure or plenum is sealable to prevent escape of test fluid therefrom other than through the through-holes of the component wall portion under test.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow of the test fluid that is caused or permitted to occur from the first region to the second region is promoted or facilitated by either:
(i) natural convective flow of the test fluid from the chamber or other supply to or towards and into the second region, or alternatively or additionally
(ii) by means of a pump.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination device located in the second region and which illuminates that second region with the electromagnetic radiation to cause scattering thereof from the active material generates a shaped beam of the radiation in question, optionally a flat or flattened sheet beam of the radiation.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the beam of the radiation is directed across the second region along an axis which is generally transverse or normal to the direction of any flow of test fluid exiting any substantially unblocked through-holes in the wall portion under test, optionally generally parallel to a general plane of the wall portion under test.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detector device which detects the scattering of the electromagnetic radiation incident on the active material in the test fluid exiting the substantially unblocked through-holes in the component wall portion under test comprises a camera.

13. The method according to claim 1 , additionally comprising:
prior to step (ii) (and optionally prior to or after step (i)), a preliminary step of temporarily blocking any through-hole(s) in the wall of the component other than those one or more through-holes in the portion of the component wall portion which are being tested; and/or
after step (iv) or step (v), a step of purging the first region of test fluid, in order to vacate the component of test fluid ready for subsequent post-testing use.

14. An apparatus for testing an engine component for blockage of one or more through-holes in at least a portion of a wall thereof, wherein the portion of the wall comprises a known pattern of through-holes therein extending between first and second sides of the wall, the apparatus comprising:
a supply of a test fluid located in a first region to the first side of the wall, wherein the test fluid comprises a material able to scatter electromagnetic radiation incident thereon,
an illumination device located in a second region to the second side of the wall for illuminating said second region with electromagnetic radiation to cause scattering of electromagnetic radiation by material exiting substantially non-blocked through-holes in the wall portion having passed therethrough from the first side to the second side of the wall under a flow of the test fluid caused or permitted to occur from the first side to the second side,
a detector device for detecting said scattering of electromagnetic radiation from said substantially non-blocked through-holes, and
a comparator device for comparing said detected scattering of electromagnetic radiation from said substantially non-blocked holes with the known pattern of through holes in the component wall portion to determine the presence and/or location and/or identity of any blocked or partially blocked through holes in the component wall portion.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising one or more of:
a display device, for displaying in graphical form the results of the detected radiation scattering;
a memory device, for storing in electronic form one or more maps corresponding to said known pattern(s) of through-holes in one or more portions of the wall of the component to be tested, for providing a basis for the comparator device to compare the detected scattering with the known through-hole pattern(s);
an analyser device, for analysing the detected scattering pattern(s) and providing corresponding data for processing by the comparator device.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Worth Nicholas A
• Harding Stephen C

Classifications

• F05D2260/202

  by film cooling · CPC title

• F05D2260/83

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

• F01D21/003 Primary

  Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H) · CPC title

• G01N21/95692

  Patterns showing hole parts, e.g. honeycomb filtering structures · CPC title

• F05D2260/607

  Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles · CPC title