Comprehensive Inspection of Turbine Hot Section Blades and Vanes Using Active Thermography

At present, turbine NDE is typically a time consuming collection of inspections that includes manual testing of holes and channels for blockages, multiple flow tests and various inspection technologies such as ultrasound, eddy current and radiography. Thermography has also become a widely method used to perform various inspections. However, many of thermographic inspections require different equipment, set-up, procedures and training. In the proposed STTR program, we will determine whether it is feasible to consolidate the entire suite of thermographic inspections into a single inspection station that would perform a comprehensive assessment of the condition of a hot section blade or vane. The system would check for blockages, cracks, measure wall and TBC thickness, and check for core shift as well as TBC delamination. We anticipate that consolidation of some of the more widely implemented tasks such as detection of delamination or wall thickness will be relatively straightforward. However, novel approaches will be required to improve less robust thermographic methods, such as blockage or crack detection. BENEFITS: The proposed system will reduce inspection time and increase inspector efficiency for both manufacturers and end users of airborne turbine components. Time consuming manual inspections that are currently performed could be eliminated, and all critical inspections would be performed at a single inspection station, using a single procedure. A scaled-up version of the system could also be used for inspection of land-based turbines, with similar benefits to users.