Method and apparatus for non-intrusive monitoring of rotating components

• US 6,618,693 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Andrew, Philip Lynn, Mani, Ramani, Shin, Hyoun-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US09/863,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20020177979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 702/182-189, 702/190, 702/191, 702/192, 702/193, 702/199, 702/138, 702/146, 602/39, 602/68, 602/69, 415/1, 415/26, 415/30, 415/51
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/001 Testing thereof; Determination or simulation of flow characteristics; Stall or surge detection, e.g. condition monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/1024 due to compressor degradation
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/114 by limiting mechanical stresses
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/301 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A non-intrusive method of monitoring the integrity of a rotating member comprising mounting at least one sensor in a stationary frame of reference in a casing over the rotating member, measuring the pressure field of the rotating member, comparing the measured pressure field with a corresponding reference pressure field, identifying variations in the measured pressure field, the variations indicative of a fault in the rotating member, and generating an output indicative of an identified fault.

Claims

1. A non-intrusive method of monitoring the integrity of a rotating member, comprising:

mounting at least one sensor in a stationary frame of reference in a casing and in sensing relation to a pressure field generated by the rotating member;

measuring the entirety of the pressure field generated by the rotating member;

performing phase averaging of the measured pressure field to remove interference signal content;

comparing the phase average of the measured pressure field with a reference value for said rotating member;

identifying variations in the comparison step, the variations indicative of a fault in the rotating member; and

generating an output indicative of an identified fault.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing in real-time the measured pressure field data in a memory system; and

freezing the memory system to protect the integrity of the stored data in the event of a failure.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing in real-time the measured pressure data in a memory system; and

freezing the memory system to protect the integrity of the stored data in the event of a failure.

3. In a compressor having a plurality of rotating blades, a method of monitoring the integrity of the rotating blades comprising:

disposing at least one sensor about the rotating blades to measure the entirety of a pressure field of a rotating blade;

performing phase averaging of the measured pressure field to remove interference signals;

comparing the phase average of the measured pressure field data with a reference value unique to said rotating blades to identify a fault in said rotating blade; and

generating an output indicative of said fault.

5. In a gas turbine of the type having a compressor with a plurality of rotating members, a generator, and a turbine, a non-intrusive method of monitoring the integrity of a rotating member comprising:

mounting at least one sensor in a stationary frame of reference in a casing and in sensing relation to a pressure field generated by said rotating members;

measuring the entirety of a pressure field generated by the rotating member;

performing phase averaging of measured pressure field data to remove interference signal content;

comparing the phase average of the measured pressure field data with a reference value;

identifying variations in the comparison step, the variations indicative of a fault in the rotating member; and

generating an output indicative of an identified fault.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

storing in real-time the measured pressure field data in a memory system; and

freezing the memory system to protect the integrity of the stored data in the event of a failure.

7. An apparatus for monitoring the integrity of rotating components of a gas turbine, comprising:

at least one sensor operatively coupled to the compressor to measure the entirety of pressure fields of rotating components;

a processor system operatively coupled to said at least one sensor for performing phase averaging of said measured pressure fields to produce measured field data; and

a comparator operatively coupled to said processor system for comparing the measured pressure field data with a reference value.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprises:

a user interface coupled to said comparator for identifying a faulty rotating component in the event of a deviation in the measured pressure field of said rotating component from the reference value.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said sensor is a hot wire anemometer.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said sensor is a dynamic pressure sensor.

11. A non-intrusive apparatus for monitoring the integrity of a rotating member, comprising:

means for measuring the entirety of pressure fields of the rotating member;

means for performing phase averaging of measured fields to remove random signal content;

means for comparing the phase average of the measured pressure fields with a reference value to identify a fault in the rotating member; and

means for generating an output indicative of the identified fault.

12. A non-intrusive method of monitoring the integrity of a rotating member among a plurality of rotating members, comprising:

mounting at least one sensor in a stationary frame of reference in a casing and in sensing relation to a pressure field generated by said rotating members;

measuring the entirety of a pressure field of each of the rotating members of a blade row;

performing phase averaging of the measured pressure fields;

comparing the phase average of the measured pressure fields of the rotating members with a reference average pressure field;

identifying a faulty rotating member in the event of a mismatch in the comparison step; and

generating an output indicative of an identified fault.