Gas Turbine Drone Imaging for Obstructed Engine Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine inspections are often invasive, time-consuming, and expensive due to the need for manual access and the challenges of navigating obstructions within the engine.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing drones equipped with imaging devices and light sources, operated by processors that include neural networks, to autonomously navigate and inspect gas turbine engine components by identifying and overcoming obstructions to obtain unobstructed images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual inspection methods are used to inspect gas turbine engine components, then inspection personnel can directly observe and assess component conditions, but the inspection process becomes invasive, time-consuming, and requires engine shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated drone system equipped with imaging devices. The drone autonomously navigates the engine interior, captures images of components like fan blades and turbine blades, and transmits data for analysis, eliminating the need for physical manual inspection while maintaining inspection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies (images) of the engine components using imaging devices mounted on the drone. These images serve as digital representations that can be analyzed without physically touching or disrupting the engine components, enabling inspection without engine shutdown.
2Ease of operation
If inspection personnel manually access engine components for inspection, then direct observation is possible, but the process becomes invasive and requires engine disassembly or shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a drone as an intermediary device that can access the engine interior without requiring human personnel to physically enter or disassemble the engine. The drone serves as a mediator between the inspection system and the engine components, providing easy access to difficult-to-reach areas while maintaining engine integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamically movable drone platform that can navigate and position itself within the engine interior. This dynamic approach allows the inspection system to adapt to the complex three-dimensional geometry of engine components, providing ease of operation while managing system complexity through automated navigation.
3Reliability
If conventional inspection methods are used, then maintenance schedules can be followed, but inspections become expensive and require engine out-of-service status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous inspection capability by allowing the drone to inspect engine components while the engine remains in service or with minimal disruption. The imaging system can capture data continuously as the drone navigates, maintaining maintenance reliability while maximizing inspection efficiency and minimizing productivity loss.
4Ease of manufacture
If imaging devices are positioned at fixed locations for inspection, then simple setup is possible, but obstructions like inlet guide vanes block the view of target surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamically positionable drone platform that can move to multiple locations within the engine interior. This allows the imaging device to overcome obstructions by repositioning around objects like inlet guide vanes, maintaining component visibility while keeping the system setup simple through automated navigation rather than complex multi-position fixed installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from fixed two-dimensional imaging positions to three-dimensional mobile imaging positions. The drone can navigate around obstructions in the third dimension (depth within engine interior), providing complete visibility of target surfaces that would be blocked from fixed positions, while maintaining ease of setup through software-controlled navigation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes at least one drone that is equipped with an imaging device and a light source. At least one processor is configured to: operate the at least one drone to fly into a gas turbine engine to a first position with respect to a component in the gas turbine engine, operate the imaging device and the light source to take an image a target surface of the component from the first position, identify whether the image includes an obstruction blocking a portion of the target surface from view of the imaging device, in response to identifying the obstruction, operate the at least one drone to fly to a second position from which there is a line-of-sight to the target surface without the obstruction, and operate the imaging device and the light source to obtain an unobstructed image of the target surface from the second position.