Nondestructive examination of high pressure turbine cylinders

• US 6,886,407 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fredenberg, Richard Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/646,136
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 735/79, 735/83, 735/87, 735/93, 736/01, 73622-623, 73627-629, 73633-634, 735/89, 736/60, 738/658
• US Class Current: 73/622
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/044 Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2634 cylindrical from outside
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/262 by electronic orientation or focusing, e.g. with phased arrays phased arrays per se G10K11/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/265 by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material

Abstract

A method of inspecting the steam inlet sleeves on high pressure outer cylinders and the nozzle chamber to cylinder welds on the high pressure steam turbines using linear phased array ultrasonic transducers. The transducers are supported on the surface of the component to be monitored. The transducers are then move axially while monitoring the transducer'"'"'s output to identify the location to be monitored. The axial extent of the transducers are then fixed and the transducers are moved circumferentially around the surface of the component at least 360° while noting outputs of the transducers indicative of fatigue-induced flaws. The transducers are then routed to the location on the wall of the component where the most significant flaw was noted. Then the transducers are successively focused at different depths in the wall where the most significant flaw was identified to further characterize the depth and size of the flaw.

Claims

1. A method for inspecting a cylinder component of high-pressure cylinders of steam turbines, wherein the cylinder component has an axial dimension, comprising the steps of:

supporting a linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers at an axial location along a surface of the cylinder component;

moving the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers axially while monitoring linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers'"'"' output to identify an axial location to be monitored;

fixing the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers at the axial location to be monitored;

moving the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers circumferentially around the surface of the cylinder component at least 360°

at the axial location while noting outputs of the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers indicative of fatigue induced flaws in a wall of the cylinder component;

routing the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers circumferentially around the fixed axial location where a most significant flaw was noted from the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers outputs during the step of moving the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers circumferentially; and

successively focusing the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers at different depths in the wall where the most significant flaw was noted to further characterize the depth and size of the flaw.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers are supported on an inside surface of the cylinder component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers are supported on an outside surface of the cylinder component.

4. The method of claim 1 including the step of remotely positioning the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers on the surface of the cylinder component.

5. The method of claim 1 including the step of remotely recording a circumferential position of the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers on the surface of the cylinder component.

6. The method of claim 5 including the step of coordinating the recorded circumferential position to corresponding outputs of the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a significant indication of a potential flaw is detected including the step of performing a magnetic rubber nondestructive examination on a surface of a stream inlet nozzle over an area where the significant indication of a potential flaw is detected.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the cylinder component is a main steam inlet nozzle sleeve on high-pressure outer cylinder of the steam turbines.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the axial location to be monitored is a trepan region of the main steam inlet nozzle.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the axial location to be monitored is a nozzle chamber to cylinder welds on a high-pressure inner cylinder of a steam turbine.

11. The method of claim 1 including the steps of:

radially moving the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers to a new radial position adjacent a radial location on the surface of the cylindrical component previously scanned;

fixing the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers at the new radial position;

moving the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers circumferentially around the surface of the cylinder component at least 360°

while noting outputs of the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers indicative of fatigue induced flaws in the wall of the cylinder component at the new radial position;

routing the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers circumferentially around the new radial position where a most significant flaw was noted from the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers'"'"' outputs during the immediately preceding step of moving the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers circumferentially; and

successively focusing the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers at different depths in the wall to further characterize the depth and size of the flaw at a circumferential position routed in the immediately preceding step of routing the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the cylinder component is a main steam inlet nozzle sleeve on a high-pressure outer cylinder of the steam turbines and the axial location to be monitored is the trepan region on the main steam inlet nozzle sleeve including the steps of

supporting the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers on an outside surface of the main steam inlet nozzle sleeve upstream of the trepan region;

and

reflecting signals from the phased array of ultrasonic transducers off of an inside wall of the main steam inlet nozzle sleeve, to the trepan region.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the supporting and reflecting steps are conducted without disassembling the cylinder component.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the supporting step of supporting the linear phased array of ultrasonic transducers on an outside surface of the main steam inlet nozzle sleeve and the step of reflecting signals are conducted from outside the high-pressure outer cylinder.