Method and apparatus for generator stator bar wedge pressure testing

• US 20020198669A1
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Krass, Adam Zachary, Lancaster, William Edward, Lusted, Roderick Mark
• Granted Patent: US 6,631,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/00 Vibration-testing of structures; Shock-testing of structures G01M9/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for measuring pressure on a member. The systems and methods include exciting the member to create a current vibratory response in the member and detecting the current vibratory response. The current vibratory response is then compared to at least one of a plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses of the member. The pressure on the member is then estimated based on the comparison of the current vibratory response to the plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses.

Claims

1. A method for measuring pressure on a member, the method comprising:

exciting the member to create a current vibratory response in the member;

detecting the current vibratory response;

comparing the current vibratory response to at least one of a plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses of the member; and

estimating the pressure on the member based on the comparison of the current vibratory response to the at least one of the plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses corresponds to a particular pressure on the member.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pressure on the member is estimated by determining which of the plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses most nearly matches the current vibratory response.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing spectral analysis on the current vibratory response prior to comparing the current vibratory response to the previously recorded vibratory responses.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the spectral analysis comprises the application of an algorithm to the current vibratory response to determine the center of energy band of a spectrum of the current vibratory response.

6. A system for measuring pressure on a member, the system comprising:

a vibration exciter for exciting the member to create a current vibratory response in the member;

a sensor for detecting the current vibratory response; and

a data storage device containing previously recorded vibratory responses,

wherein the current vibratory response is compared to at least one of the plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses, and

the pressure on the member is estimated based on the comparison of the current vibratory response to the at least one of the plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the previously recorded vibratory responses corresponds to a particular pressure on the member.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the pressure on the member is estimated by determining which of the plurality of previously recorded vibratory responses most nearly matches the current vibratory response.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a processor,

wherein the processor performs spectral analysis on the current vibratory response prior to the current vibratory response being compared to the previously recorded vibratory responses.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the spectral analysis comprises the application of an algorithm to the current vibratory response to determine the center of energy band of a spectrum of the current vibratory response.

11. A method for correlating vibratory response to pressure on a member, the method comprising:

exciting the member while the member is subjected to a plurality of different pressures;

detecting a vibratory response spectrum for each of the plurality of different pressures; and

creating a spectrum-to-pressure correlation table in which the vibratory response spectrum for each of the plurality of different pressures is correlated to the pressure to which the member was subjected when the vibratory response spectrum was detected.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising performing spectral analysis on the vibratory response data prior to creating the spectrum-to-pressure correlation table.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the spectral analysis comprises the application of an algorithm to the vibratory response spectra to determine the center of energy band of each vibratory response spectrum.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein spectral analysis is performed on the vibratory response spectra prior to creating the spectrum-to-pressure correlation table.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the spectral analysis comprises the application of an algorithm to the vibratory response spectra to determine the center of energy band of each vibratory response spectrum.

14. A system for correlating vibratory response to pressure on a member, the system comprising:

a vibration exciter for exciting the member while the member is subjected to a plurality of different pressures;

a sensor for detecting a vibratory response spectrum in the member for each of the plurality of different pressures;

a processor for creating a spectrum-to-pressure correlation table; and

a data storage device for storing the spectrum-to-pressure correlation table,

wherein the spectrum-to-pressure correlation table contains at least the vibratory response spectrum for each of the plurality of different pressures correlated to the pressure to which the member was subjected when the vibratory response spectrum was detected.