System and method for locating a probe within a gas turbine engine

• US 10,196,927 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Diwinsky, David Scott, Lim, Ser Nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duger, Jason H
• Application Number:
  US15/041,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20170167289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/005 Repairing methods or devices
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/80 Devices generating input signals, e.g. transducers, sensors, cameras or strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/804 Optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9515 Objects of complex shape, e.g. examined with use of a surface follower device measuring contours and curvatures G01B11/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/954 Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

A method for locating probes within a gas turbine engine may generally include positioning a plurality of location transmitters relative to the engine and inserting a probe through an access port of the engine, wherein the probe includes a probe tip and a location signal receiver configured to receive location-related signals transmitted from the location transmitters. The method may also include determining a current location of the probe tip within the engine based at least in part on the location-related signals and identifying a virtual location of the probe tip within a three-dimensional model of the engine corresponding to the current location of the probe tip within the engine. Moreover, the method may include providing for display the three-dimensional model of the engine, wherein the virtual location of the probe tip is displayed as a visual indicator within the three-dimensional model.

Claims

1. A method for locating probes within a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of location transmitters relative to the gas turbine engine, each location transmitter of the plurality of location transmitters having a known location relative to the gas turbine engine;

inserting a probe through an access port of the gas turbine engine, the probe including a probe tip and a location signal receiver, the location signal receiver being configured to receive location-related signals transmitted from the plurality of location transmitters, and wherein the probe is configured to perform a procedure on an internal engine component of the gas turbine engine;

wherein positioning the plurality of location transmitters relative to the gas turbine engine comprises positioning the plurality of location transmitters within a plurality of access ports of the gas turbine engine, the plurality of access ports differing from the access port through which the probe is inserted;

receiving the location-related signals at a computing device communicatively coupled to the probe;

determining, by the computing device, a current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine based on the location-related signals and the known locations of the plurality of location transmitters;

identifying, with the computing device, a virtual location of the probe tip within a three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine corresponding to the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine; and

providing for display, by the computing device, the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine, wherein the virtual location of the probe tip is displayed as a visual indicator within the three-dimensional model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the plurality of location transmitters relative to the gas turbine engine comprises positioning at least three location transmitters relative to the gas turbine engine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine comprises determining a distance defined between the probe tip and each location transmitter of the plurality of location transmitters based on the location-related signals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine further comprises determining the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine using a trilateration technique based on the distances defined between the probe tip and the plurality of location transmitters and the known locations of the plurality of location transmitters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine comprises determining a respective angle defined between the probe tip and each location transmitter of the plurality of location transmitters based on the location-related signals.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine further comprises determining the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine using a triangulation technique based on the respective angles defined between the probe tip and the plurality of location transmitters and the known locations of the plurality of location transmitters.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the probe within the gas turbine engine; and

determining, by the computing device, an updated location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising adjusting, by the computing device, a position of the visual indicator within the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine based on the updated location of the probe tip.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe corresponds to one of a borescope, a videoscope or a fiberscope.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe includes a light source for illuminating an interior of the gas turbine engine.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the procedure comprises repairing cracks on the internal engine component of the gas turbine engine.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, with the computing device, image data associated with a plurality of images obtained by the probe of an interior of the gas turbine engine.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the image data is configured to be inspected to identify any defects or damage within the gas turbine engine.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein providing for display the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine comprises providing for display both the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine and the image data obtained from the probe.

15. A method for locating optical probes within a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

positioning a plurality of location transmitters relative to the gas turbine engine, each location transmitter of the plurality of location transmitters having a known location relative to the gas turbine engine;

inserting an optical probe through an access port of the gas turbine engine, the optical probe including a probe tip and a location signal receiver, the location signal receiver being configured to receive location-related signals transmitted from the plurality of location transmitters, and wherein the optical probe is configured to perform a procedure on an internal engine component of the gas turbine engine;

wherein positioning the plurality of location transmitters relative to the gas turbine engine comprises positioning the plurality of location transmitters within a plurality of access ports of the gas turbine engine, the plurality of access ports differing from the access port through which the optical probe is inserted;

receiving the location-related signals at a computing device communicatively coupled to the optical probe;

receiving, with the computing device, image data associated with a plurality of images obtained by the optical probe of an interior of the gas turbine engine;

determining, by the computing device, a current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine based on the location-related signals and the known locations of the plurality of location transmitters;

identifying, with the computing device, a virtual location of the probe tip within a three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine corresponding to the current location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine; and

providing for display, by the computing device, the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine, wherein the virtual location of the probe tip is displayed as a visual indicator within the three-dimensional model.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

moving the optical probe within the gas turbine engine; and

determining, by the computing device, an updated location of the probe tip within the gas turbine engine.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting, by the computing device, a position of the visual indicator within the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine based on the updated location of the probe tip.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the optical probe corresponds to one of a borescope, a videoscope or a fiberscope.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein providing for display the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine comprises providing for display both the three-dimensional model of the gas turbine engine and the image data obtained from the optical probe.