A non-destructive method for condition assessment of a turbine component is provided. The method includes providing a laser generating a light pulse that heats the turbine component. An infrared image is then captured of the heated turbine component. An analysis of the turbine component for a particular characteristic of the turbine component may then be done. A system for the non-destructive condition assessment of a turbine component is also provided.

A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes a feed arm including a fuel passage for issuing a spray of fuel. A nozzle assembly is fixed at an upstream end of the feed arm having a fuel inlet in fluid communication with the fuel passage. A fiber optic cable is configured to collect burner radiation for a pyrometer input and has a first end centered within an optical connector of the nozzle assembly and a second end exposed from the spray outlet. The fiber optic cable fitted within the feed arm and nozzle assembly has a permanent bend radius preformed in the fiber optic cable. The bend radius can be equal to or greater than the minimum bend radii for the fiber optic cable to serve as a wave guide in wavelengths for monitoring combustion.

A blackbody material application system for a turbine. The system includes a blackbody material supply and a moveable hose connected to the blackbody material supply wherein the hose sprays blackbody material onto a selected area within the turbine. The system also includes a rotatable bracket that holds the hose, wherein rotation of the bracket moves the hose toward the selected area within the turbine to enable application of the blackbody material onto the selected area. In addition, the system includes a motor for rotating the bracket and a moveable arm that holds the bracket wherein the bracket is inserted through an opening in the turbine and movement of the arm enables positioning of the bracket and hose in relative close proximity to the selected area suitable for spraying blackbody material onto the selected area.

An aircraft-mounted external fire detection system includes optical circuitry and processing circuitry. The optical circuitry is mounted on an aircraft forward of an engine nacelle of the aircraft, and is configured to optically monitor an exterior of the engine nacelle for a hydrocarbon fire by detecting radiation outside of the visible light spectrum. The processing circuitry is communicatively coupled to the optical circuitry and is configured to use the optical circuitry to determine that the fire has been continuously present for more than a threshold duration, and in response, transmit a warning to an operator terminal of the aircraft.

A method of collecting radiation information of a turbine blade, the method including: 1) collecting a radiated light from the surface of the turbine blade, analyzing the radiated light using a spectrometer to calculate compositions and corresponding concentrations of combustion gas; 2) calculating an absorption coefficient of the combustion gas at different concentrations; 3) calculating a total absorption rate of the combustion gas at different radiation wavelengths under different concentrations of component gases; 4) obtaining a relationship between the radiation and a wavelength; 5) finding at least 3 bands with a least gas absorption rate; 6) calculating a distance between a wavelength of a strongest radiation point of the turbine blade and the center wavelength, and selecting three central wavelengths closest to the wavelength with the strongest radiation; and 7) acquiring radiation data of the turbine blade in the windows obtained in 6).

An infrared temperature-measurement probe, including: a probe housing; a reflector; and a reflector adjusting mechanism. The probe housing includes an inner wall, an outer wall, a cooling channel sandwiched between the inner wall and the outer wall, a chamber surrounded by the inner wall, and a light transmission hole communicating with the chamber. The reflector includes a mirror and a mirror frame. The reflector adjusting mechanism includes a motion controller, a drive coupling, and three control rods. The reflector and the three control rods are disposed in the chamber of the probe housing. The motion controller is disposed outside the chamber of the probe housing. The drive coupling is disposed between the motion controller and the three control rods, and the motion controller is adapted to move each of the three control rods via the drive coupling. The mirror is imbedded in and is supported by the mirror frame.

The present application provides a method of evaluating insulation quality in a turbine by a data acquisition system. The method may include the steps of receiving a number of operating parameters from a number of sensors, wherein the operating parameters may include casing temperatures and insulation temperatures, comparing the casing temperatures and the insulation temperatures to predetermined casing and insulation values, and altering one or more of the operating parameters and/or initiating repair procedures if the casing temperatures fall below the casing predetermined values and/or the insulation temperatures exceed the insulation predetermined values.

An apparatus for measuring temperature of turbine blades, including: a radiation collection device, a data processing module; a master control unit (MCU); a calibration module; and a motion servo. The radiation collection device includes a scan reflector, a collimator lens, a first dichroic mirror, a first focus lens, a visible and near-infrared (VNIR) detector, a second dichroic mirror, a second focus lens, a short-wave infrared (SWIR) detector, a third focus lens, and a medium-wave infrared (MWIR) detector. The calibration module includes a calibration reflection mirror and a blackbody furnace. The scan reflector, the collimator lens, the first dichroic mirror, the second dichroic mirror, the third focus lens, and the MWIR detector are disposed successively along a first optical axis; the first dichroic mirror, the first focus lens, and the VNIR detector are disposed successively along a second optical axis that is perpendicular to the first optical axis.

In one embodiment, a system includes a multi-spectral pyrometry system configured to receive a broad wavelength band radiation signal from a turbine component, to split the broad wavelength band radiation signal into multiple narrow wavelength band radiation signals, to determine emissivity of the turbine component based on the narrow wavelength band radiation signals, and to detect spall on a surface of the turbine component based on the emissivity.

A system includes a turbomachine having one or more inspection ports. An LWIR sensor is positioned in the inspection port of the turbomachine to sense thermal energy emitted by a turbomachine component. An imaging device can be operably connected to the LWIR sensor to convert signals from the LWIR sensor to a thermal image of the turbomachine component based on the sensed thermal energy. In some embodiments, the LWIR sensor configured to image a ceramic coated turbine blade.