Optical measurement system for detecting turbine blade lockup

A method for detecting at least one locked blade assembly that becomes locked during a turning gear operation for a gas turbine wherein the gas turbine includes a plurality of blade assemblies arranged in rows about a center axis wherein each blade assembly includes a blade and wherein adjacent blades in a row are separated by a first distance forming a space between adjacent blades to orient each blade in a first position, comprising:

• emitting light that impinges on a blade surface of each blade in a row of blades;
• imaging the blades as the blades rotate about the center axis;
• and
• detecting a pixel intensity for each blade surface and a spacing between each pixel intensity wherein the first distance is measured from a first blade that is not deflected from the first position during the turning gear operation and a change in spacing between consecutive pixel intensities relative to other pixel intensities indicates that a distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade has changed relative to the first distance thereby indicating at least one locked blade assembly.

A method for detecting at least one locked blade assembly that becomes locked during a turning gear operation for a gas turbine wherein the gas turbine includes a plurality of blade assemblies arranged in rows about a center axis wherein each blade assembly includes a blade and wherein adjacent blades in a row are separated by a first distance forming a space between adjacent blades to orient each blade in a first position, comprising:

• emitting light that impinges on a blade surface of each blade in a row of blades located adjacent an exhaust cylinder section of the gas turbine;
• imaging the blades as the blades rotate about the center axis;
• and
• detecting a peak pixel intensity for each blade surface and a frame count indicating a spacing between peak pixel intensities wherein the first distance is measured from a first blade that is not deflected from the first position during the turning gear operation and a substantial change in a frame count between consecutive peak pixel intensities relative to other peak pixel intensities indicates that a distance between the first blade and an adjacent blade has changed relative to the first distance thereby indicating at least one locked blade assembly.