Borescope Fluorescence and In-Situ Marking for Turbine Inspection

The patent introduces fluorescence spectroscopy as an intermediary measurement technique. The borescope delivers excitation light to the target substance and captures the emitted fluorescence spectrum, which serves as a unique identifier for different substances. This intermediary spectral measurement enables substance differentiation without requiring physical access or disassembly.

The patent replaces mechanical visual inspection with optical spectroscopic measurement. Instead of relying on human visual differentiation of substances through a borescope camera, the system uses fluorescence excitation and emission spectroscopy to automatically identify substances based on their spectral fingerprints, substituting mechanical observation with optical analysis.

The patent performs flaw marking in-situ during the borescope inspection, before engine disassembly. The system delivers marking fluid through the borescope to the identified flaw location and cures it with UV light, creating a permanent visual indicator that remains after disassembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need to reassemble and disassemble the engine solely for flaw marking purposes.

The patent integrates multiple functions into a single borescope system: visual inspection, fluorescence spectroscopy for substance identification, and in-situ flaw marking with UV-curable paint. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would traditionally require separate operations (inspection, analysis, and marking) into one unified process, eliminating redundant disassembly and reassembly cycles.

The patent changes the chemical and physical parameters of the marking paint to withstand high-temperature environments. Instead of using standard organic paints that would degrade, the system employs inorganic or heat-resistant formulations that maintain their visual properties and adhesion at turbine operating temperatures, while still being curable via UV initiation at the application stage.

The patent applies heat-resistant properties locally to the marking paint at the flaw location, while the rest of the engine components maintain their original properties. The UV-curable marking paint is applied only to the specific flaw area identified during inspection, providing localized high-temperature resistance exactly where needed for post-disassembly identification.