Methods and systems for maintenance of turbomachinery

• US 9,569,397 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Higgins, Christopher Dean, Beddard, Thomas Bradley, Muench, David Stephen, Bernard, Michael Edward, Bowling, Patrick Clinton
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rastovski, Catherine
• Application Number:
  US13/548,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 705/305, 702/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes a condition based replacement life (CBRL) approval system configured to receive a turbomachinery component data and to approve a turbomachinery component for CBRL based on the turbomachinery component data. The system further includes a CBRL validation system configured to repair the turbomachinery component into a repaired turbomachinery component, wherein the repaired turbomachinery component is configured to operate in a turbomachinery beyond a service time of the turbomachinery component.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to execute;

a condition based replacement life (CBRL) approval system configured to receive a turbomachinery component data from a plurality of sensors;

to determine if a component deterioration is observable based on the turbomachinery component data; and

if the component deterioration is observable, to approve a turbomachinery component for CBRL use based on the turbomachinery component data;

derive a maximum part life that exceeds a manufacturer originally estimated life for the turbomachinery component based on an analysis of an outage rate, a scrap profile, or a combination thereof, wherein the scrap profile comprises a number of parts for the turbomachinery component that fall out of operations, are found to be undesired for operations, or a combination thereof;

a CBRL validation system configured to validate the turbomachinery component into a validated turbomachinery component by applying a validation analysis based on a plurality of validation zones, wherein each validation zone in the plurality of validation zones comprises a time prior to a fired hours milestone at which the turbomachinery component is inspected to observe the deterioration, wherein the processor is configured to validate, via the CBRL validation system, a validated turbomachinery component to operate in a turbomachinery beyond a service time of the turbomachinery component, wherein a first service time for a first validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a manufacturer recommended number of fired hours, a second service time for a second validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a hot gas path inspection (HGPI) interval, a third service time for a third validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a combustion inspection (CI) interval, and a fourth service time for a fourth validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a major inspection (MI) interval, and wherein the validated turbomachinery component improves the operational life of the turbomachinery by operating in the turbomachinery beyond the service time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the turbomachinery component data comprises a component list, an engineering data, a contract data, an economic data, a regulatory data, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the engineering data comprises a part schematic, a photograph, a free-body diagram, a list of material used in manufacturing the turbomachinery component, a stress/strain model, a temperature analysis model, a computer aided design (CAD) model, a finite element analysis (FEA) model, a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), a low cycle fatigue (LCF) life prediction model, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model, a parametric solid model, a non-parametric solid model, a 3-dimension to 2-dimension FEA mapping model, a Montecarlo simulation, a data mining model, a linear regression model, a non-linear regression model, a tolerance data, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein CBRL validation system comprises a service and repair shop configured to repair the turbomachinery component.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the CBRL validation system is configured to create a work instruction for inspection, repair, or a combination thereof, of the turbomachinery component in the service and repair shop, track the turbomachinery component when in use by the turbomachinery, and review the performance of the turbomachinery component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the CBRL approval system is configured to determine if the turbomachinery component includes a deterioration observable in a field environment, in a service and repair shop, or in a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the CBRL approval system is configured to use an engineering team, a design team, a reliability team, a repair team, or a combination thereof, to approve the turbomachinery component.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the CBRL validation system is configured to use a panel, an engineering team, a contractual services team, a reliability team, a condition based maintenance team, a contract performance manager, a repair team, or a combination thereof, to validate the turbomachinery component.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the turbomachinery comprises a gas turbine, a steam turbine, a wind turbine, a hydroturbine, a compressor, a pump, or a combination thereof.

10. A method, comprising:

approving via processor, a turbomachinery component for use in a condition based replacement life (CBRL) activity, wherein the approving the turbomachinery component comprises;

determining if a first deterioration of the turbomachinery component is observable in a field environment via a plurality of sensors;

determining if a second deterioration of the turbomachinery component is observable in a service and repair shop;

approving the turbomachinery component based at least in part on the determining the if the first and the second deteriorations are observable;

deriving a maximum part life that exceeds a manufacturer originally estimated life for the turbomachinery component based on an analysis of and outage rate, a scrap profile, or a combination thereof, wherein the scrap profile comprises a number of parts for the turbomachinery component that fall out of operations, are found to be undesired for operations, or a combination thereof; and

validating the turbomachinery component after the approving the turbomachinery component for use in the CBRL activity, wherein the validating the turbomachinery component comprises;

inspecting the turbomachinery component, repairing the turbomachinery component, or a combination thereof;

tracking a usage of the turbomachinery component in a turbomachinery after the inspecting, the repairing, of the combination thereof;

evaluating a performance of the turbomachinery component in the turbomachinery, wherein the evaluating the performance of the approved turbomachinery component in the turbomachinery comprises creating a plurality of validation zones each validation zone comprising a time prior to a fired hours at which a status review of defect trends is performed on a fleet of turbomachinery having the turbomachinery component, wherein the CBRL activity comprises using the turbomachinery component as a validated turbomachinery component in the turbomachinery beyond a service time of the turbomachinery component, wherein a first service time for a first validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a manufacturer recommended number of fired hours, a second service time for a second validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a hot gas path inspection (HGPI) interval, a third service time for a third validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a combustion inspection (CI) interval, and a fourth service time for a fourth validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a major inspection (MI) interval, and wherein the validated turbomachinery component improves the operational life of the turbomachinery by operating in the turbomachinery beyond the service time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein approving the turbomachinery component based at least in part on the determining if the first and the second deteriorations are observable comprises:

if the first deterioration is observable, then determining if a field inspection schedule is suitable;

if the field inspection schedule is not suitable, then determining that the turbomachinery component is not approved for the CBRL activity;

if the field inspection schedule is suitable, then determining if the deterioration is within an acceptable limit;

if the deterioration is not within the acceptable limit, then determining that the turbomachinery component is not approved for the CBRL activity; and

if the deterioration is within the acceptable limit, then determining that the turbomachinery component is approved for the CBRL activity.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining if the first deterioration of the turbomachinery component is observable in the field environment comprises performing a borescope inspection of the turbomachinery, performing an enhanced borescope inspection of the turbomachinery, performing a visual inspection of the turbomachinery, performing a remote visual inspection of the turbomachinery, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining if the second deterioration of the turbomachinery component is observable in the service and repair shop comprises performing a dye penetrant inspection, an electromagnetic testing, an ellipsometry, a guided wave testing, a hardness testing, an impulse excitation technique (JET), an infrared testing, a thermal testing, a thermographic inspection, a laser testing, a leak testing, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a near-infrared spectroscopy, an optical microscopy, a positive material identification (PMI), a radiographic testing, an electron microscope testing, an ultrasonic testing, a heat exchanger life assessment system testing, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the evaluating the performance of the approved turbomachinery component in the turbomachinery comprises creating a second validation zone based on the milestone, and holding the status review of defect trends occurring during the first validation zone, the second validation zone, or combination thereof, to evaluate the performance of the turbomachinery component in the turbomachinery.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to execute;

an approval system configured to approve a turbomachinery component for use in a turbomachinery beyond a service time of the turbomachinery component, and to determine if a first deterioration of the turbomachinery component is observable via a plurality of sensors;

derive a maximum part life that exceeds a manufacturer originally estimated life for the turbomachinery component based on an analysis of an outage rate, a scrap profile, or a combination thereof, wherein the scrap profile comprises a number of parts for the turbomachinery component that fall out of operations, are found to be undesired for operations, or a combination thereof; and

a validation system configured to inspect the turbomachinery component, to repair the turbomachinery component, or a combination thereof;

to apply a validation analysis of the turbomachinery component based on a plurality of validation zones to derive a validated turbomachinery component, wherein each validation zone in the plurality of validation zones comprises a time prior to a fired hours milestone at which the turbomachinery component is inspected to observe the deterioration and to use the turbomachinery component in a turbomachinery after the inspection, the repair, or the combination thereof, of the turbomachinery component, wherein a first service time for a first validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a manufacturer recommended number of fired hours, a second service time for a second validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a hot gas path inspection (HGPI) interval, a third service time for a third validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a combustion inspection (CI) interval, and a fourth service time for a fourth validation zone for the turbomachinery component comprises a major inspection (MI) interval, and wherein the validated turbomachinery component improves the operational life of the turbomachinery by operating in the turbomachinery beyond the service time.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the validation system is configured to analyze a performance of the turbomachinery component after the use of the turbomachinery component in the turbomachinery.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the analyze the performance of the turbomachinery comprises determining a defect trend, an emerging defect, or a combination thereof.