Method and system for inspecting blade tip clearance
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAndrew Thomas Hynous
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for use in inspecting a blade tip clearance is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of rotor blades including tips, wherein the plurality of rotor blades are rotatably mounted within a casing such that a blade tip clearance is defined between the rotor blade tips and the casing. The method also includes providing a system for use in inspecting the blade tip clearance by emitting electromagnetic energy toward the tips and detecting electromagnetic energy reflected by the tips. The method further includes positioning the system to facilitate inspection of the blade tip clearance, rotating the plurality of rotor blades within the casing, and simultaneously blending the tips using a blending apparatus and inspecting the blade tip clearance using the system.
Claims20
A method for use in inspecting a blade tip clearance, said method comprising:
- providing a plurality of rotor blades including tips, wherein the plurality of rotor blades are rotatably mounted within a casing such that a blade tip clearance is defined between the rotor blade tips and the casing;
- providing a system for use in inspecting the blade tip clearance by emitting electromagnetic energy toward the tips and detecting electromagnetic energy reflected by the tips;
- positioning the system to facilitate inspection of the blade tip clearance;
- rotating the plurality of rotor blades within the casing;
- and
- simultaneously blending the tips using a blending apparatus and inspecting the blade tip clearance using the system.
A system for use in inspecting the blade tips of rotor blades, said system comprising:
- a probe holder assembly;
- and
- a probe assembly comprising an electromagnetic probe, said electromagnetic probe is sized for insertion into said probe holder assembly and is configured to emit electromagnetic energy from said probe holder assembly for use in inspecting a tip clearance defined between the rotor blades and a casing extending outward from the rotor blades, said probe holder assembly removably coupled to the casing to facilitate inspection of the blade tip clearance using said electromagnetic probe.
A method for use in assembling a blade tip clearance inspection system, said method comprising:
- providing a probe holder assembly;
- providing a probe assembly including an electromagnetic probe, wherein the electromagnetic probe is sized to be inserted into the probe holder assembly and is configured to emit electromagnetic energy from the probe holder assembly during a blade tip clearance inspection;
- and
- removably coupling the probe holder assembly to a casing extending about the rotor blades to enable the electromagnetic probe to inspect the blade tip clearance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.