Corrosion Pit Field Monitoring for Turbine Engine Life Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring corrosion in turbine engines are inadequate as they primarily focus on crack propagation and single corrosion pits, leading to inaccurate predictions of remaining useful service life, neglecting multi-dimensional characteristics and interactions of corrosion pits.
Innovation Solution
A corrosion monitoring system that uses multi-dimensional surface information of corrosion pits to quantify stress concentrations and predict remaining useful service life, incorporating optical measurements and stress analysis based on engine operating conditions, environmental exposure, and pit interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If periodic inspection methods are used to monitor corrosion, then inspection simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision and reliability of remaining life prediction deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/visual inspection methods with optical measurement systems and automated image processing algorithms. The system uses optical sensors to capture high-resolution images of corrosion pits and automatically analyzes them using computer vision techniques, eliminating the need for manual measurement while significantly improving measurement precision and enabling multi-dimensional corrosion characterization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer that processes optical measurements and correlates them with stress analysis models. This intermediary system bridges the gap between simple optical inspection and complex remaining life prediction, automatically performing stress concentration calculations and corrosion progression modeling without requiring direct mechanical intervention or complex manual analysis.
2Device complexity
If single corrosion pit measurement is performed, then inspection complexity is reduced, but reliability of remaining useful service life prediction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the corrosion assessment process into multiple independent analysis components: individual pit detection, pit characterization (depth, width, shape), stress concentration calculation for each pit, and cumulative damage analysis. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple corrosion pits systematically, analyzing each pit's contribution to overall structural integrity while maintaining computational efficiency and prediction reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional surface inspection to three-dimensional corrosion pit characterization by measuring pit depth, width, shape, and spatial distribution. This dimensional expansion enables comprehensive assessment of corrosion severity and its impact on structural integrity, providing much more reliable remaining life predictions compared to simple surface area measurements.
3Measurement precision
If multi-dimensional corrosion pit analysis is implemented, then prediction accuracy is improved, but device complexity and measurement difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces difficult manual multi-dimensional measurements with automated optical sensing and image processing systems. The optical measurement system automatically captures three-dimensional pit geometry and the computational system extracts depth, width, shape, and spatial distribution parameters through algorithmic analysis, eliminating the need for complex manual measurement procedures while achieving high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies (images and 3D models) of corrosion pits that can be analyzed computationally without physically measuring the actual pits. These digital representations preserve all geometric information and can be repeatedly analyzed using various algorithms, making multi-dimensional characterization accessible and repeatable without increasing physical measurement difficulty.
Data Source
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AI summary
An analysis controller 102 determines multi-dimensional characteristics of one or more corrosion pits 200 in equipment 104. These characteristics can include depths, widths, and/or aspect ratios of the corrosion pits 200. The controller also determines one or more stresses on the equipment 104 based on the characteristics of the corrosion that are determined. The analysis controller 102 also generates a control signal to implement one or more remedial actions to one or more of remove the one or more corrosion pits 200, repair the equipment 104, or restrict operation of the equipment 104 based on the one or more stresses that are determined.