STATE MONITORING SYSTEM HAVING A BORESCOPE DEVICE FOR A GAS TURBINE

Abstract

The invention relates to a monitoring system for a gas turbine, in particular for an aircraft engine. The monitoring system comprises at least one borescope device that is able to be mounted in a borescope opening of a gas turbine housing and has a housing, in which at least one optical sensor device for acquiring images of at least one inner region of the gas turbine is arranged, and an evaluation device that is able to be connected to the at least one borescope device in order to exchange data and is designed to inspect the at least one inner region for the presence of a fault on the basis of the at least one image acquired by way of the sensor device. The invention furthermore relates to a borescope device to an evaluation device and to a gas turbine.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a gas turbine, comprising: at least one borescope device mounted in a borescope opening of a gas turbine housing and has a housing in which at least one optical sensor device for acquiring images of at least one inner region of the gas turbine is arranged; and an evaluation device that is coupled to the at least one borescope device to exchange data and is configured and arranged to inspect the at least one inner region for the presence of a fault on the basis of the at least one image acquired by way of the sensor device.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the borescope device has a thread, by which the borescope device is mounted on a counter-thread of the gas turbine housing and/or wherein the borescope device in the mounted state tightly seals the gas turbine housing by a sealing device.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the borescope device comprises at least one light source, by which the inner region of the gas turbine is illuminated.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the borescope device comprises at least one cooling channel, through which a cooling medium is guided.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein an end region of the housing that is on a side of a gas channel has a geometry that is fitted to a predetermined installation site of the borescope device on the gas turbine housing, and in the mounted state of the borescope device, assures a predetermined orientation at least of the at least one sensor device inside the gas turbine housing, and/or wherein the end region of the housing on the side of the gas channel has an aerodynamically adapted geometry relative to the predetermined installation site of the borescope device on the gas turbine housing, and/or wherein the end region of the housing on the side of the gas channel is provided with a protective glass that is resistant to high temperatures.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the borescope device is coupled to the evaluation device via a detachable plug connection for exchange of data, and/or is coupled to an electrical energy source for power supply.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is coupled to a plurality of borescope devices for data exchange and of inspecting for the presence of a fault in a respectively assigned inner region of the gas turbine housing on the basis of the respective acquired images.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is configured and arranged for carrying out an inspection of the at least one inner space, as a function of a rotor speed of at most 20 rpm of the gas turbine and/or an operational state of the gas turbine, and/or wherein the evaluation device is configured and arranged for carrying out an on-board inspection and/or an off-board inspection of the acquired images.

9. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device comprises a memory unit for storing the acquired images and/or an inspection result, and/or wherein the evaluation device is configured and arranged for comparing at least one acquired image with at least one stored image during the inspection, and/or wherein the evaluation device is configured and arranged for considering at least one historical inspection result during the inspection, and/or wherein the evaluation device is configured and arranged to be self-learning.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is configured and arranged for: creating a report on the results of the inspection; and/or producing a warning if a fault has been identified during the inspection; and/or producing an “all clear” if a fault has not been identified during the inspection; and/or producing information on the a type and/or location of a fault identified during the inspection; and/or prompting a maintenance of the gas turbine if an error has been identified during the inspection.

11. A borescope device for a monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the borescope device is mounted in a borescope opening of a gas turbine housing of a gas turbine and has a housing, wherein at least one optical sensor device for acquiring images of at least one inner region of the gas turbine housing is arranged, wherein, for exchange of data, the borescope device is coupled to at least one evaluation device of the monitoring system.

12. An evaluation device for a monitoring system according to claim 1, being configured and arranged for inspecting the at least one inner region of the gas turbine housing for the presence of a fault on the basis of the at least one image acquired by way of the sensor device.

13. A gas turbine, comprising a gas turbine housing with at least one borescope opening, wherein at least one monitoring system according to claim 1 is provided, wherein at least one borescope device of the monitoring system is mounted in the borescope opening and is coupled to an evaluation device of the monitoring system.

14. The gas turbine according to claim 13, wherein the at least one borescope device is mounted, preferably permanently, in a region of a compressor stage and/or in a region of a turbine stage of the gas turbine.

15. The gas turbine according to claim 13, wherein the at least one borescope device is mounted in the region of a guide vane ring, and/or in that the at least one sensor device of the borescope device is aligned for acquiring images of a predetermined rotating blade region.

16. An evaluation device for a monitoring system, which, for data exchange, is connected to at least one borescope device according to claim 11, and is configured and arranged for inspecting the at least one inner region of the gas turbine housing for the presence of a fault on the basis of the at least one image acquired by way of the sensor device.

17. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the gas turbine is an aircraft engine.

18. The gas turbine according to claim 14, wherein the at least one borescope device is mounted permanently.

19. The gas turbine according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined rotating blade region is a blade tip region, a blade leading edge region, and/or a blade trailing edge region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE

[0022] Additional features of the invention result from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features named above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features named below in the description of the figures and/or in the figures shown alone can be used not only in the combination indicated in each case, but also in other combinations, without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, embodiments that are not explicitly shown and explained in the figures, but proceed from the explained embodiments and can be produced by separate combination of features, are also to be viewed as comprised and disclosed by the invention. Embodiments and combination of features that thus do not have all features of an originally formulated independent claim are also to be viewed as disclosed. Moreover, embodiments and combination of features that depart from the combination of features presented in references back to the claims or deviate from these are to be viewed as disclosed particularly by the embodiments presented above.

[0023] Here, the single FIGURE shows a schematic excerpt of a gas turbine having a monitoring system according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The single figure shows a schematic excerpt of a gas turbine 10 having a monitoring system according to the invention 12. Of the gas turbine 10, only a part of a gas turbine housing 14 is illustrated, in which a rotor (not shown) having two rotating blade rings 16a, 16b and a guide vane ring 18 lying between them is arranged. In addition, exemplary run-in linings 20 for the rotating blade rings 16a, 16b are shown on the side of the housing. In the region of the guide vane ring 18 is found a borescope opening 22 with a counter thread 23, into which a borescope device according to the invention 24 is screwed for permanent assembly via a thread 25, instead of a sealing plug (borescope plug). The latter has a housing 26, in which at least one optical sensor device 28, for example a camera, for acquiring images of at least one inner region of the gas turbine housing 14 is arranged. In the mounted state, the housing 26 is sealed in a gas-tight manner relative to the gas turbine housing 14 by a sealing device 27 configured presently as an O-ring, so that the borescope device 24 can remain permanently inserted, thus also during the operation of the gas turbine 10. Additionally, in the example of embodiment shown, a basically optional light source 30 is also present, by which the trailing edges of the rotating blades of the rotating blade ring 16a are illuminated. The sensor device 28 is correspondingly aligned on the trailing edges of the rotating blades and comprises the field of view characterized by the reference character I. The geometry of the end of the borescope device 24 on the side of the gas channel is thereby preferably configured such that an optimal alignment and positioning of camera(s) 28 and light source(s) 30 are possible without influencing the flow in the gas channel. By a level-specific design with defined insertion position and installation of the borescope device 24 (smart plug), in corresponding embodiments, a correct orientation of the camera(s) 28 on the desired regions (e.g., blade tips, leading and trailing edges) of the blades lying upstream or downstream (compressor or turbine blades) is automatically assured. The power supply and the data exchange of the acquired images with an evaluation device 34 of the monitoring system 12 are carried out in the present example by way of lines integrated in the housing 26, as well as via a plug connection 32 with a connecting cable 36 on the screwing-in end of the borescope device 24. In an analogous way, additional borescope devices 24 can be connected to the evaluation device 34. Depending on the configuration of the guide vanes each time (distance, airfoil geometry, etc.), one or a plurality of borescope devices 24 can be incorporated between the guide vanes 18, in order to make possible the desired view to the structures lying upstream and downstream. For insertion positions with higher ambient or gas temperatures, the borescope device 24 can be cooled, for example, by the existing engine cooling air, in order to protect the camera(s) 28 and light source(s) 30. For this purpose, a cooling channel (not shown) can be provided in housing 26, through which a cooling medium can be guided. Embodiments with protective glass are also possible.

[0025] During each shutdown process of the gas turbine 10 or also selectively after particular events, the images of borescope device(s) 24 are characterized, for example, by speeds of <20 rpm. In general, in order to obtain an optimal data processability for the analysis with a sufficient image quality, the recording speed range per borescope device 24 or per insertion position can be adjusted individually. The integrated image processing software of the monitoring system 12 can therefore assign multiple recordings to the same blade or the same housing structure by way of component markings or image features that are present. The image analysis software of the evaluation device 34 preferably carries out a comparison with earlier image recordings, e.g., of the last shutdown process, reports at which sites changes are recognizable, and creates a report of results. Preferably, a manual inspection is recommended as soon as possible only in case of anomalies. It may be provided that the evaluation device 34 is designed as self-learning and results from historic inspections are stored in memory and considered correspondingly for the current inspection in the analysis software or in the evaluation algorithms. Depending on the installed system in each case, the analysis can take place either on-board or also can be carried out off-board after transmission of the image recordings to an external evaluation device 34.

[0026] The parameter values indicated in the documentation for the definition of process conditions and measurement conditions for characterizing specific features of the subject of the invention, even if found within the framework of deviations—for example, based on measurement errors, system errors, weighing errors, DIN tolerances and the like,—are to be viewed as encompassed by the scope of the invention.