Methods and apparatus for evaluating rotary machinery
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJohn Ruediger Mader Viertl, Tymm Bradner Schumaker
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Abstract
A method for determining a useful life applied to a coating on a surface of a component coupled to a rotatable member of a rotary machine. The method includes directing a laser across a surface of the component while the rotatable member remains coupled within an assembled rotary machine and measuring radiation emitted from the surface of the component.
Claims26
A method for determining a useful life applied to a coating on a surface of a component coupled to at least one of a rotatable member and a stationary member of a rotary machine, said method comprising:
- directing a laser across a surface of the component while the rotatable member remains coupled within an assembled rotary machine;
- and
- measuring radiation emitted from the surface of the component.
A method for determining a useful life of a coating applied across at least one of a turbine blade component and a turbine nozzle component coupled to a turbine rotor that is rotating coupled in position within an assembled turbine, said method comprising:
- vaporizing a portion of the coating applied to at least one of the turbine blade component and the turbine nozzle component using a laser;
- measuring radiation emitted from the surface of the component being examined to determine the chemical composition of the coating;
- calculating the useful life of the coating based on the chemical composition of the coating.
A laser pulse spectrometer system comprising a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for controlling said laser pulse spectrometer system, said computer program comprising a code segment that receives user selection input data and then remotely instructs said system to:
- vaporize a layer of coating of a component of a turbine with a laser;
- measure radiation emitted from the surface of the component to determine the chemical composition of the coating;
- analyze the chemical composition of the coating as a function of depth of the laser;
- and
- calculate a useful life of the coating of the component.
A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for controlling a laser pulse spectrometer system, said computer program comprising a code segment that receives user selection input data and then remotely instructs said system to:
- vaporize a layer of coating of a component of a turbine with a laser;
- measure radiation emitted from the surface of the component to determine the chemical composition of the coating;
- analyze the chemical composition of the coating as a function of depth of the laser;
- and
- calculate a useful life of the coating of the component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.