METHOD FOR MONITORING A HIGH-TEMPERATURE REGION OF INTEREST IN A TURBINE ENGINE

• US 20120098940A1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lemieux, Dennis H., Hatcher, Clifford, ZOMBO, PAUL J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,704,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/00 Radiation pyrometry, e.g. infrared or optical thermometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0088 in turbines
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/08 Optical arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0821 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0859 Sighting arrangements, e.g. cameras

Abstract

A method for monitoring a high-temperature region of interest in a turbine engine (10) is provided. The method includes providing an internally-cooled stationary vane (12). The method may further include locating at least one monitoring port (14) in the stationary vane and operatively connecting a monitoring instrument (16) to the monitoring port to provide a field of view of a region of interest.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a high-temperature region of interest in a turbine engine, the method comprising:

providing an internally-cooled stationary vane;

locating a monitoring port in the stationary vane; and

operatively connecting a monitoring instrument to the monitoring port to provide a field of view of a region of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring data from the region of interest by way of a data acquisition device coupled to the monitoring instrument.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring instrument comprises a viewing instrument and the data acquisition device comprises an infrared red (IR) imaging device, and wherein the acquiring of data from the region of interest comprises acquiring imaging data from the region of interest by way of the viewing instrument coupled to the infrared red (IR) imaging device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the acquiring of data from the region of interest comprises acquiring non-imaging data selected from the group consisting of pyrometry data, spectroscopy data and chemical composition data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the IR imaging device comprises an IR camera, and further comprising arranging the field of view of the viewing instrument to provide a retroview with respect to a viewing axis of the IR camera, which faces away from the region of interest, the field of view of the viewing instrument arranged so that the region of interest is within the viewing axis of the IR camera.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising locating further monitoring ports in the stationary vane.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising repositioning the monitoring instrument in the vane to be operatively connected to the further monitoring ports.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the repositioning of the monitoring instrument in the vane comprises rotating and/or radially moving the monitoring instrument.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising guiding the monitoring instrument by way of a guide tube in the vane, and configuring the guide tube to receive a distal end of the monitoring instrument.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting a flow of air through the monitoring port.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the IR imaging device comprises an IR camera and further comprising locating the IR camera in a plenum defined by an inner casing and an outer casing of the turbine.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a blade tip clearance with the monitoring instrument.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring chemical and/or physical indicators obtained from a region of interest located upstream of a first row of vanes, wherein the field of view of the monitoring instrument is directed towards a combustion flow from a combustor.

14. A method for monitoring a high-temperature region of interest in a turbine engine, the method comprising:

providing an internally-cooled stationary vane;

locating a monitoring port in the stationary vane;

operatively connecting a monitoring instrument to the monitoring port to provide a field of view of a region of interest;

acquiring data from the region of interest by way of a data acquisition device coupled to the monitoring instrument; and

processing the data from the data acquisition device to generate at least a measurement from the region of interest.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the acquiring of data from the region of interest comprises acquiring non-imaging data selected from the group consisting of pyrometry data, spectroscopy data and chemical composition data.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring instrument comprises a viewing instrument and the data acquisition device comprises an infrared red (IR) imaging device, and wherein the acquiring of data from the region of interest comprises acquiring imaging data from the region of interest by way of the viewing instrument coupled to the infrared red (IR) imaging device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising operatively connecting at least two or more monitoring devices to respective monitoring ports to provide respective fields of view of the region of interest.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a processing of data from said at least two or more monitoring devices is configured to generate a 3-dimensional measurement and/or image of the region of interest.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising locating at least some of the two or more monitoring devices adjacent to one another to provide a partially overlapping field of view of the region of interest.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising locating at least some of the two or more monitoring devices at predefined spaced apart locations to provide at least different perspective views of the region of interest.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the acquiring data from the region of interest comprises acquiring data at least at two different wavelengths.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a processing of data acquired at said at least two different wavelengths is configured to generate a multi-spectral image and/or multispectral measurement from the region of interest.