Improved Process Controls for the Laser Drilling of Small Holes(1000-989)

Triton Systems, Inc., in partnership with the General Electric’s Laser Laboratory and the National Aerospace Leadership Initiative (NALI) funded Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), is developing the concurrent use of multiple sensor types and optical measurement methods to collect data. This data is then processed by an integrated control system to generate a real-time, corrective adjustment to the laser cooling hole drilling process for gas turbine components. The control system will collect data from acoustic, optical and spectral sensors related to the laser pulse and plasma plume, as well as from optical imaging devices relating to the cooling hole size, shape and positional coordinates. It will then process and compare the collected data to a data base previously characterized and correlated to targeted airflow values which have been specified for a particular gas turbine component. The real-time, in-process comparison will drive an appropriate compensating change in the laser process parameters to more closely control laser drilled hole geometry and thus cooling airflow. Tighter control of airflow will result in longer turbine component life, reduced overall production cycle times and costs and gas turbine efficiencies.