Engine component life monitoring system and method for determining remaining useful component life

• US 20060116847A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
• Inventors: Plotts, Kurt Augustus, Peronto, Christina Leanne, Davis, Fredrick Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/136
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/04 in respect of time

Abstract

The claimed invention is a method for determining a relationship between a metal temperature of a turbine component and an operating condition of a turbine housing the component. The claimed invention is also a method for determining consumed operating life for a turbine component. The invention further comprises a system for determining an amount of remaining useful life in a turbine component. The invention further comprises a method for determining a relationship between a stress state of a turbine component and an operating condition of a turbine housing the component.

Claims

1. A method for determining a relationship between a metal temperature of a turbine component and an operating condition of a turbine housing the component, comprising:

develop a thermal model of the turbine component;

measure a plurality of turbine operating parameters for a period of time;

reduce the number of operating parameters;

develop an operating history by reviewing the operating parameters for the turbine;

identify a damage mechanism to be evaluated for the turbine component based on the turbine operating history;

develop an algorithm based on the operating parameters to approximate the component metal temperature;

develop rule sets of algorithms; and

determine the component metal temperature.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the algorithm to calculate metal temperature has as few inputs as possible to reliably repeat component temperature calculation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the relationship between metal temperature and turbine operating conditions is determined real time.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the relationship between metal temperature and turbine operating conditions is determined non real time.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turbine operating parameters include:

shell pressure, blade path exit temp, turbine mass flow rate, compressor inlet guide vane setting, electrical load, and the like.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damage mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:

low cycle fatigue, high cycle fatigue, thermo-mechanical fatigue, and the like.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the period of time is a 24 hour period of time.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal temperature calculation algorithm calculates a repeatable component metal temperature for the same set of turbine operating conditions.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal temperature is calculated at a location on the component where the temperature is greatest.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal temperature is calculated at a location on the component that corresponds to the location where the damage fraction for the damage mechanism will be greatest.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component is a coated turbine component.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damage mechanism to be evaluated depends on the operating history the engine has experienced.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a component life curve is developed that correlates the component life as a function of the component metal temperature for a specific damage mechanism.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component is tracked per an identifiable feature of the part.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the component feature is a component serial number.

16. A method for determining consumed operating life for a turbine component, comprising:

recording a plurality of engine operating parameters for the turbine during a period of time;

calculating a component condition estimate based upon the recorded parameters for the period of time;

evaluating a damage mechanism of the component;

obtaining the turbine parameters necessary to determine a life consumption for the damage mechanism based on the calculated condition estimates;

calculating a damage fraction for each damage mechanism using the turbine parameters;

summing the calculated damage fractions;

obtaining the amount of component life remaining based upon the cumulated damage fractions; and

working the component based on the amount of component life remaining.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cumulated damage fraction is used as an indicator to determine when to remove the component from service.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cumulated damage fraction is to determine when to refurbish the component and return to service.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein if the component is replaced a component damage history is reset to a given value.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein if the component is refurbished the component damage history is reset or continued.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein component damage is tracked via a component serial number.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the condition estimate is component metal temperature, component stress pairs, or the like.

23. A system for determining an amount of remaining useful life in a turbine component, comprising:

a turbine engine monitoring device;

an algorithm for determining the component metal temperature; and

an algorithm for determining a component damage fraction.

24. The system as claimed in claim 23, wherein a storage device is used to store a plurality of collected turbine operating parameters.

25. A method for determining a relationship between a stress state of a turbine component and an operating condition of a turbine housing the component, comprising:

develop a thermal model of the turbine component;

measure a plurality of turbine operating parameters for a period of time;

develop an operating history by reviewing the operating parameters for the turbine;

identify a damage mechanism to be evaluated for the turbine component based on the turbine operating history;

develop an algorithm based on the operating parameters to approximate the component stress; and

determine the component stress state.