Method of automatically repairing cracks and apparatus for use in such method

• US 6,919,956 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Yasushi, Mega, Masahiko, Kitagawa, Tomoaki, Fujita, Ken, Tsunatani, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Stafira, Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US10/245,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20030095250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2372, 298/891, 298/897, 294/021.3, 294/021.6, 294/021.8, 250/458.1, 250/459.1, 250/461.1, 382/141
• US Class Current: 356/237.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 6/007 using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 6/045 of turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/005 Repairing methods or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus automatically repairs cracks produced in a member to be repaired. A wide field image is obtained by photographing the whole surface of a blade 31 or the like in a wide field view by a remote camera 11 and the position of cracks on the surface of the blade is obtained as a rough position information of the cracks by processing the image of wide field view. Then the cracks are photographed in a narrow field view at the predetermined spacing along the cracks based on the rough position information by a light section method. The narrow field images are processed to obtain the position, width, and depth of the crack at each predetermined spacing, which compose crack data at the series of points, and the cracks are repaired based on the crack data at the series of points.

Claims

1. An automatic repairing apparatus used in repairing cracks produced in a member to be repaired, comprising:

a first photographing means for taking a picture of the member to be repaired in a wide field view in order to obtain a wide field image, thereof;

an image processing means for obtaining rough position information of the cracks, including information of the presence and absence of cracks and the positions thereof in the member to be repaired, by processing the wide field image; and

a second photographing means for obtaining a narrow field image of the cracks by photographing the cracks in a narrow field view at each point at a spacing predetermined based on the rough position information; and

wherein said image processing means processes the narrow field image to obtain the crack data at a series of points, including information of the position, width, and depth of the cracks at each point spaced by a predetermined distance, by processing the narrow field image.

2. The automatic repairing apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a repairing means for repairing the cracks based on the crack data at the series of points.

3. The automatic repairing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second photographing means photographs the cracks according to a light section method.

4. A method of automatically repairing cracks, comprising:

obtaining rough position information of cracks, including information relating to the presence and absence of cracks and the positions thereof, by processing a wide field image obtained by taking a picture of a member to be repaired with a wide field view;

obtaining crack data at a series of points along the cracks, including information of the position, width, and depth of the cracks at each point at a predetermined spacing along the cracks, by processing a narrow field image of the cracks obtained by photographing the cracks at each point at the predetermined spacing based on the rough position information; and

repairing the cracks in accordance with the crack data at the series of points;

wherein said repairing comprises grinding the cracks based on the crack data at the series of points and welding the cracks based on the crack data at the series of points.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said obtaining crack data at the series of points comprises using a light section method to obtain the crack data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined spacing is a distance between adjacent points at which one of the cracks is photographed in said obtaining crack data at the series of points, and the distance is determined in a range in which a line segment connecting the adjacent points can be assumed to be a straight-line segment.

7. A method of automatically repairing cracks, comprising:

obtaining rough position information of cracks, including information relating to the presence and absence of cracks and the positions thereof, by processing a wide field image obtained by taking a picture of a member to be repaired with a wide field view;

obtaining crack data at a series of points along the cracks, including information of the position, width, and depth of the cracks at each point at a predetermined spacing along the cracks, by processing a narrow field image of the cracks obtained by photographing the cracks at each point at the predetermined spacing based on the rough position information;

wherein the predetermined spacing is a distance between adjacent points at which one of the cracks is photographed in said obtaining crack data at the series of points, and the distance is determined in a range in which a line segment connecting the adjacent points can be assumed to be a straight-line segment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said obtaining crack data at the series of points comprises using a light section method to obtain the crack data.