FLEXIBLE TETHER POSITION TRACKING CAMERA INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR VISUAL INSPECTION OF OFF LINE INDUSTRIAL GAS TURBINES AND OTHER POWER GENERATION MACHINERY

• US 20150341600A1
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Hatcher, Clifford Jr., Ruhge, Forrest R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,681,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/954 Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A camera scope inspection system with a flexible, tether mounted camera head that is maneuverable in confined internal cavities of power generation machinery. A camera head position sensing system inferentially determines the three dimension (3D) position of the camera head within the inspected machinery. Camera head position data are correlated with camera image data by a controller. In this manner correlated internal inspection image data and corresponding position data are available for future analysis and image tracking.

Claims

1. A flexible, position tracking camera scope inspection system for internal inspection of power generation machinery, comprising:

a camera scope including;

a flexible elongated tether, having a distal end adapted for insertion into a blind cavity of a power generation machine;

a camera head coupled to the tether distal end;

an optical camera, having a field of view, coupled to the camera head, for generating image data;

a camera head position sensing system for inferentially determining three dimension (3D) position of the camera head and for generating inferred camera head position data; and

a controller coupled to the camera scope optical camera and the camera head positioning system, for correlating the image and position data.

2. The system of claim 1, the camera head position sensing system comprising an inertial sensor coupled to the camera head, for correlating camera head movement with inferred camera head 3D position.

3. The system of claim 1, the camera head position sensing system comprising a contactless remote position tracking system including a wireless positioning transmitter coupled to the camera head, for transmitting a positional signal and a wireless positioning system receiver for receiving the positional signal, locating the positioning transmitter'"'"'s 3D position and correlating the positioning transmitter'"'"'s located position with inferred camera head 3D position.

4. The system of claim 1, the camera head position sensing system comprising a remote tether insertion depth sensing system including tether markers arrayed along the tether length and a transceiver coupled in proximity to a rotating machine cavity that is capable of detecting the markers, for correlating a detected marker with inferred camera head 3D position.

5. The system of claim 1, the camera head position sensing system comprising a tether flexure sensing system for correlating sensed tether flexure with inferred camera head 3D position.

6. The system of claim 5, the tether flexure sensing system comprising a sensing array coupled to the tether that correlates array distortion with tether flexure.

7. The system of claim 5, the tether flexure sensing system comprising proximity sensors coupled to the tether that correlate change in proximity between sensors with tether flexure.

8. The system of claim 7 the proximity sensors comprising magnetic proximity sensors.

9. The system of claim 7, the proximity sensors comprising capacitance proximity sensors.

10. The system of claim 1, the camera head position sensing system further comprising designated waypoint markings or objects in an inspected power generation machine viewed by the optical camera that are used by the controller to corroborate correlation of the image and camera position data by comparison with a previously validated correlation image and position data set.

11. A flexible, position tracking camera scope apparatus, comprising:

a flexible elongated tether, having a distal end adapted for insertion into a blind cavity of a power generation machine;

a camera head coupled to the tether distal end;

an optical camera, having a field of view, coupled to the camera head, for generating image data;

a camera head position sensing system for inferentially determining three dimension (3D) position of the camera head and for generating inferred camera head position data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the camera head position sensing system selected from the group consisting of an inertial sensor, a contactless remote position tracking system, a remote tether insertion depth sensing system and a tether flexure sensing system.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, the camera head position sensing system further comprising designated waypoint markings or objects in an inspected rotating machine viewed by the optical camera that are used by apparatus to corroborate correlation of the image and camera position data.

14. A method for internal inspection of power generation machine, comprising:

providing a flexible, position tracking camera scope inspection system, having;

a camera scope including;

a flexible elongated tether, having a distal end adapted for insertion into a blind cavity of a power generation machine;

a camera head coupled to the tether distal end;

an optical camera, having a field of view, coupled to the camera head, for generating image data;

a camera head position sensing system for inferentially determining three dimension (3D) position of the camera head and for generating inferred camera head position data; and

a controller coupled to the camera scope optical camera and the camera head positioning system, for correlating the image and position data;

inserting the camera scope into a blind cavity of a power generation machine;

maneuvering the tether and camera head through the machine cavity;

capturing image and position data, respectively with the camera and the position sensing system;

correlating captured image and position data with the controller; and

generating an inspection data set with the correlated captured image and position data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating inferred camera positioning data with an inertial sensor coupled to the camera head, for correlating camera head movement with inferred camera head 3D position.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating inferred camera positioning data with a contactless remote position tracking system including a wireless positioning transmitter coupled to the camera head, for transmitting a positional signal and a wireless positioning system receiver for receiving the positional signal, locating the positioning transmitter'"'"'s 3D position and correlating the positioning transmitter'"'"'s located position with inferred camera head 3D position.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating inferred camera positioning data with a remote tether insertion depth sensing system including tether markers arrayed along the tether length and a transceiver coupled in proximity to a power generation machine cavity that is capable of detecting the markers, for correlating a detected marker with inferred camera head 3D position.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating inferred camera positioning data with a tether flexure sensing system including a sensing array coupled to the tether that correlates array distortion with tether flexure, which flexure is in turn correlated with inferred camera head 3D position.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating inferred camera positioning data with a tether flexure sensing array of magnetic or capacitance proximity sensors that that correlate change in proximity between sensors with tether flexure.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

designating waypoint markings or objects in an inspected power generation machine that are viewed by the optical camera;

generating image and position data of the waypoint markings or objects;

corroborating with the controller correlation of the generated image and position data of the waypoint markings or objects by comparing them to a previously validated correlation image and position data set.