Apparatus and process for rotor creep monitoring

• US 8,770,913 B1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brostmeyer, Joseph D, Negron, Antonio
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flores, Juan G
• Application Number:
  US12/817,440
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 415/1, 415/14, 415/118, 416/1, 416/35, 416/38, 416/51, 416/52, 416/61, 416/66
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/00 Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/00 Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/002 Axial flow fans
• 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: F04D 29/053 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/804 Optical devices

Abstract

An apparatus and a process for measuring rotor creep values for a monolithic rotor of an industrial gas turbine engine in order to determine when creep growth of the rotor has exceeded an allowable limit. One or more critical locations of the rotor are measured for real-time radius, and a CPU having rotor creep deflection model is used to compare the real-time data and determine if the rotor creep is within safe and allowable limits. If the creep is determined to exceed allowable values, then an alarm in initiated or engine shutdown occurs.

Claims

1. A process for measuring rotor creep of an industrial gas turbine engine, the engine having a monolithic rotor, the process comprising the steps of:

determine the rotor creep properties;

measure a radius of the rotor at a critical location;

based upon the rotor creep properties and the measured radius of the rotor, determine if a creep value of the rotor is within an acceptable limit;

if the creep value is within an acceptable limit, then continue to operate the engine and measure a radius of the rotor at the critical location; and

,

if the creep value is not within an acceptable limit, then initiate an alarm or initiate engine shutdown.

2. The process for measuring rotor creep of claim 1, and further comprising the step of:

the step of measuring a radius of the rotor at a critical location includes measuring the radius as a function of time the rotor diameter at the critical location.

3. The process for measuring rotor creep of claim 2, and further comprising the step of:

the step of measuring the radius of the rotor at a critical location includes measuring the rotor with a real-time optical measurement device.

4. The process for measuring rotor creep of claim 2, and further comprising the step of:

the step of determining if a creep value of the rotor is within an acceptable limit includes comparing measured radius values as a function of time with a validated creep deflection model.

5. The process for measuring rotor creep of claim 2, and further comprising the step of:

measuring a radius of the rotor at a critical location includes measuring a radius of the rotor at a plurality of critical locations.

6. An industrial gas turbine engine comprising:

a monolithic rotor with a compressor and a turbine rotatably connected to the rotor;

a real-time rotor diameter measuring device secured to a casing of the engine so that a radius of a critical location of the rotor can be measured;

a CPU having a creep deflection model for the rotor;

the CPU being operatively connected to the real-time rotor diameter measuring device to collect the real-time measurements of the rotor radius at the critical location; and

,

the CPU initiating an alarm or an engine shutdown when the rotor creep is determined to exceed an allowable limit.

7. The industrial gas turbine engine of claim 6, and further comprising:

the CPU records the rotor radius measurements as a function of time.

8. The industrial gas turbine engine of claim 7, and further comprising:

a plurality of real-time rotor diameter measuring devices positioned around the rotor to measure a plurality of critical locations on the rotor.