Apparatus and method to detect damage of a component of a system

• US 9,389,138 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pistner, Alexander James
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US13/661,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20140121995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/18 using change in resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0016 of aircraft wings or blades
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0083 by measuring variation of impedance, e.g. resistance, capacitance, induction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/205 in insulating materials

Abstract

An apparatus and method detect damage of a component of a system. The damage detection apparatus includes a first grid of sensors arranged in a first orientation on a surface of the component and configured to generate a first set of signals. The apparatus also includes a second grid of sensors, independent from the first grid of sensors, arranged in a second orientation on an insulating layer on the surface of the component and configured to generate a second set of signals, the second orientation overlapping with the first orientation. A processor detects the damage based on a change in at least one signal of the first set of signals or the second set of signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus to detect damage of a component of a system, the apparatus comprising:

a first grid of sensors arranged in a first orientation on a surface of the component and configured to generate a first set of signals when activated;

a second grid of sensors, independent from the first grid of sensors, arranged in a second orientation on an insulating layer on the surface of the component and configured to generate a second set of signals when activated, the second orientation overlapping with the first orientation; and

a processor configured to detect the damage based on a change in at least one signal of the first set of signals or the second set of signals, wherein the processor is configured to identify a plurality of types of the damage including a deformation and a liberation of a portion of the component that breaks off from the component based on the change in the at least one signal of the first set of signals or the second set of signals.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first orientation is perpendicular to the second orientation.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first grid of sensors is a first grid of current-carrying wires, and the second gird of sensors is a second grid of current-carrying wires.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to identify the damage as the deformation when the change in the at least one signal is a change from an expected current value to an overcurrent.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to estimate a shape and location of the deformation based on which one or more current-carrying wires of the first grid of current-carrying wires or the second grid of current-carrying wires exhibits the change and the overcurrent.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to identify the damage as the liberation of the portion of the component when the change in the at least one signal is a change from an expected current value to no current flow.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to estimate an extent and location of the liberation based on which one or more current-carrying wires of the first grid of current-carrying wires or the second grid of current-carrying wires exhibits the change.

8. The apparatus of claim of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine a size of the damage based on which one or more current-carrying wires of the first grid of current-carrying wires or the second grid of current-carrying wires exhibits the change and to determine a degree of the damage based on the size of the damage.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine a location and a size of the damage based on which one or more current-carrying wires of the first grid of current-carrying wires or the second grid of current-carrying wires exhibits the change.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine a severity of an effect of the damage on the system based on the location and the size of the damage.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to repair or replace the component based on the severity of the effect of the damage on the system.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a blade, and the system comprises a turbine system.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first grid of sensors and the second grid of sensors extend to a tip of the blade.

14. A method to detect damage of a component of a system, the method comprising:

disposing a first grid of sensors in a first orientation on a surface of the component, the first grid of sensors configured to generate a first set of signals when activated;

disposing a second grid of sensors, independent from the first grid of sensors, in a second orientation on an insulating layer on the surface of the component, the second orientation overlapping with the first orientation, and the second grid of sensors configured to generate a second set of signals when activated;

processing the first set of signals and the second set of signals to detect the damage based on a change in at least one signal of the first set of signals or the second set of signals; and

identifying a plurality of types of the damage including a deformation and a liberation of a portion of the component that breaks off from the component based on the change in the at least one signal of the first set of signals or the second set of signals.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising initiating current flow through one or more of the first grid of sensors or one or more of the second grid of sensors, the first grid of sensors being a first grid of current-carrying wires and the second grid of sensors being a second grid of current-carrying wires.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the processing includes detecting the change in the at least one signal as a change from an expected current value to an overcurrent, and wherein identifying the damage includes identifying the damage as the deformation based on the overcurrent.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the processing includes estimating a shape and location of the deformation based on which one or more current-carrying wires of the first grid of current-carrying wires or the second grid of current-carrying wires exhibits the change and the overcurrent.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the processing includes detecting the change in the at least one signal as a change from an expected current value to no current flow, and wherein identifying the damage includes identifying the damage as the liberation of the portion of the component based on the change from an expected current value to no current flow.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the processing includes estimating an extent and location of the liberation based on which one or more current-carrying wires of the first grid of current-carrying wires or the second grid of current-carrying wires exhibits the change.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising:

determining a size of the damage based on which one or more current-carrying wires of the first grid of current-carrying wires or the second grid of current-carrying wires exhibits the change; and

determining a degree of the damage based on the size of the damage.