Optical viewing system for monitoring a wide angle area of interest exposed to high temperature

Abstract

The present invention comprises a wide angle lens optical viewing system for the non-destructive monitoring of a high temperature area of interest with a confined space access, in particular, in a gas turbine engine. A novel cooling scheme is claimed that functions to cool the wide angle lens. Further, a method of monitoring an annular combustor region in the gas turbine via the optical viewing system is presented.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to optical based monitoring systems and, more particularly, to optical based monitoring systems for monitoring a high temperature, wide angle area of interest such as an annular combustion chamber. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Gas turbine engines are known to include a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section. Many components that form the turbine section, such as the stationary vanes, rotating blades and surrounding ring segments, are directly exposed to hot combustion gasses that can exceed 1500 C and travel at rotational velocities approaching the speed of sound. [0003] In some gas turbine engines, the combustion section is a 360° plenum, more commonly referred to as an annular combustor. Annular combustors typically have ceramic tiles arranged on the inner wall of the annular combustor to insulate the combustor cylinder from the hot, combusted gas. [0004] However, these ceramic tile...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The present invention provides an optical viewing system for the non-destructive monitoring of a high temperature area of interest with a confined space access, comprising an IR imaging device; an optical probe, having a shaft, a wide angle IR objective lens, and a relay optics unit; a cooling system adapted to cool the wide angle IR objective lens; and a processor that converts a detected image to a digital signal and display the digital signal on a visual monitor.

Problems solved by technology

However, these ceramic tiles have been known to detach from the inner wall and can enter the flow stream, become lodged in the first row vanes, resulting in local flow blockage.

This flow blockage may result in significant damage to turbine components downstream of the first row vanes.

Alternatively, in-situ visual inspections may be performed without engine disassembly by using a borescope inserted into a gas turbine engine, but such procedures are labor intensive, time consuming, costly, and require that the gas turbine engine be shut down.

However, each of these methods and apparatus has appreciable disadvantages.

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