METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ROTATION TRACKING OF A TURBOMACHINE COMPONENT

• US 20100106454A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Beddard, Thomas Bradley, Sengupta, Anandraj, DiMascio, Paul Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/151
• 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: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/304 Spool rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for tracking rotation of a turbomachine component including locating at least one tilt sensor at the turbomachine component and rotating the turbomachine component about a central axis to observe a portion of interest on the turbomachine component. The at least one tilt sensor detects an angle of rotation of the turbomachine component and transmits the angle of rotation from the at least one tilt sensor to a device which converts the angle of rotation to an indicia of the portion of interest. Further disclosed is a rotor including at least one tilt sensor and a system for tracking rotation of a turbomachine component including at least one tilt sensor and a device.

Claims

1. A method for tracking rotation of a turbomachine component comprising:

disposing at least one tilt sensor at the turbomachine component;

rotating the turbomachine component about a central axis;

observing a portion of interest on the turbomachine component; and

detecting an angle of rotation of the turbomachine component via the at least one tilt sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 including transmitting the angle of rotation from the at least one tilt sensor to a computer device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the angle of rotation is transmitted from the at least one tilt sensor to the computer device via a wireless transmitter.

4. The method of claim 2 including converting the angle of rotation to an indicia of the portion of interest.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein converting the angle of rotation to an indicia of the portion of interest includes utilizing a lookup table.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein observing a portion of interest of the turbomachine component comprises observing the portion of interest through a borescope port.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of interest is a rotor bucket.

8. A system for tracking rotation of a turbomachine component comprising:

at least one tilt sensor disposable at the turbomachine component, the at least one tilt sensor capable of detecting an angle of rotation of the turbomachine component; and

a device in operable communication with the at least one tilt sensor, the device capable of converting the angular rotation of the turbomachine component into an indicia of a portion of interest.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one tilt sensor is operably connected to the device via a wireless transmitter.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the device includes a lookup table for converting the angular rotation of the turbomachine component into the indicia of the portion of interest.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one tilt sensor comprises a micro electro-mechanical system accelerometer.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one tilt sensor is secured to the turbomachine component by at least one magnetic grip.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one tilt sensor is disposed at a rear face of a rotor.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the portion of interest is a rotor bucket.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the device is a laptop computer.

16. A rotor comprising:

a rotor central axis;

a plurality of buckets disposed about the rotor central axis; and

at least one tilt sensor disposed at the rotor, the at least one tilt sensor capable of detecting an angle of rotation of the rotor.

17. The rotor of claim 16 wherein the at least one tilt sensor is in operable communication with a device capable of converting the angular rotation of the rotor into a bucket indicia of a bucket of interest.

18. The rotor of claim 17 wherein the at least one tilt sensor is operably connected to the device via a wireless transmitter.

19. The rotor of claim 16 wherein the at least one tilt sensor comprises a micro electro-mechanical system accelerometer.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one tilt sensor is secured to the rotor by at least one magnetic grip.