Automated Combustor Inspection System with Multi-DOF Camera Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current inspection methods for gas turbine combustors are plagued by low repeatability and dependence on skilled technicians, making it difficult to capture high-quality, consistent images of internal components, especially due to the manual manipulation of cameras and limited resolution.
Innovation Solution
An automated inspection system with a camera support shaft offering three degrees of freedom, including lateral extension, rotation, and tilt, coupled with a data management system that stores images with position coordinates, enabling high-resolution image capture and remote analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual inspection methods are used with video scopes and technicians, then flexibility in positioning the camera is achieved, but repeatability of inspection data is very low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical manipulation of video scopes with an automated robotic inspection system. The robot uses programmable motion control to position cameras, eliminating human variability and achieving consistent, repeatable inspection data while maintaining the ability to access complex geometries through automated path planning and multi-degree-of-freedom positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system performs self-positioning and self-inspection through automated robotic manipulation. The robot autonomously navigates to inspection points, positions cameras, captures images, and processes data without requiring skilled technicians to manually manipulate equipment, thereby achieving both operational flexibility and data repeatability.
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution imaging is achieved through varying optics and manual manipulation, then image quality may be improved, but the inspection process becomes heavily dependent on technician expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual optical manipulation with automated robotic positioning and digital imaging systems. The robot uses programmable control to achieve consistent high-resolution imaging through precise camera positioning and automated focus control, eliminating the need for technicians to manually adjust optics while maintaining or improving image quality through standardized automated procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies and models of the inspection process through automated image capture and processing. Rather than relying on technician expertise to interpret visual data in real-time, the system captures high-resolution images and uses automated image processing algorithms to analyze defects, thereby reducing dependence on human expertise while maintaining measurement precision.
3Reliability
If automated systems are introduced to improve repeatability, then inspection consistency is improved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the inspection system into modular functional components: robotic positioning systems, camera modules, image processing units, and data management systems. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier maintenance and upgrades, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high repeatability through coordinated operation of standardized modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic inspection system is designed with multi-functional capabilities that can inspect various combustor geometries and configurations using the same basic platform. The system uses programmable motion control and adaptable camera positioning to handle different inspection scenarios, thereby achieving high repeatability across multiple applications without requiring separate specialized systems for each inspection type.
Data Source
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AI summary
An inspection system (10) formed at least from an inspection system housing (12) including at least one internal chamber (14) that supports an extendible camera support shaft (16) extending distally through a pilot nozzle port (18) into a combustor (20) of a gas turbine engine (22) is disclosed. The inspection system (10) may include a camera (24) capable of capturing high quality images together with position coordinates. Thus, the inspection system (10) enables images in a combustor (20) of a gas turbine engine (22) to be captured and recaptured at a subsequent outage so that the images may be analyzed and compared for preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and the like. The inspection system (10) may include three degrees of freedom for the camera (24) mounted on the extendible camera support shaft (16).