Micro miniature air gap inspection crawler

• US 7,555,966 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hatley, Richard, Roney, Robert M., Bagley, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bellamy; Tamiko D
• Application Number:
  US11/420,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 738/658, 736/22, 736/23, 736/18, 324/545, 324/772, 250/359.1, 250/360.1
• US Class Current: 73/865.8
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/02 Motor vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines

Abstract

An air gap inspection device. The air gap inspection device may include a substantially rigid rail, a cart positioned on the rail, a drive system for maneuvering the cart along the rail, and an inspection head positioned on the cart.

Claims

1. An air gap inspection device for inspecting an air gap between a rotor and a stator, the device comprising:

a substantially rigid rail that is sized and shaped to be positioned in the air gap;

a cart positioned on the rail;

a drive system for maneuvering the cart along the rail; and

an inspection head associated with the cart laterally adjacent to the rail.

2. The air gap inspection device of claim 1, wherein the rail may have a thickness of about 0.2 to about 0.25 inches and a width of about one to about three inches.

3. The miniature air gap inspection crawler of claim 1, wherein the rail comprises an end flap thereon.

4. The air gap inspection device of claim 1, wherein the drive system comprises a rail pulley wheel positioned about the rail.

5. The air gap inspection device of claim 4, wherein the drive system comprises a plurality of cart pulley wheels in communication with the rail pulley wheel.

6. The air gap inspection device of claim 1, wherein the rail comprises a plurality of legs.

7. The air gap inspection device of claim 1, wherein the cart comprises a base and a mounting arm, the mounting arm extending laterally from the cart to associate the cart with the inspection head.

8. The air gap inspection device of claim 1, wherein the inspection head comprises a camera.

9. The air gap inspection device of claim 1, wherein the cart and the inspection head comprise a width of about one to about three inches and a thickness of about 0.2 to about 0.25 inches.

18. The air gap inspection device of claim 1, wherein the rail is substantially linear in shape.

10. A method of inspecting a generator field via an entrance gap between a rotor and a stator, the generator field being inspected with a crawler on an extended rail, the method comprising:

positioning the crawler on the rail, the crawler having an inspection head located laterally adjacent to the rail;

inserting the rail and the crawler through the entrance gap;

advancing the crawler along the rail; and

inspecting the generator field with the inspection head.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the rail and the crawler through an entrance gap of less than about 0.25 inches.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the entrance gaps is less than about 0.25 inches and wherein the method further comprises sizing the rail and the crawler to fit through the entrance gap.

13. An air gap inspection crawler, comprising:

a substantially rigid rail;

a rail pulley positioned about the rail;

a cart positioned on the rail;

a plurality of cart wheels positioned about the cart and in communication with the rail pulley; and

an inspection head associated with the cart laterally adjacent to the rail.

14. The air gap inspection crawler of claim 13, wherein the rail may have a thickness of about 0.125 to about 0.25 inches and a width of about one to about three inches.

15. The air gap inspection crawler of claim 13, wherein the rail comprises a plurality of legs.

16. The air gap inspection crawler of claim 13, wherein the inspection head comprises a camera.

17. The air gap inspection crawler of claim 13, wherein the cart and the inspection head comprise a width of about one to about three inches and a thickness of about 0.2 to about 0.25 inches.

19. The air gap inspection crawler of claim 13, wherein the rail is substantially linear in shape.

20. The air gap inspection crawler of claim 13, wherein cart comprises a base and a mounting arm, the mounting arm extending laterally from the cart to associate the cart with the inspection head.