Continuous Flow Engine Component Repairability Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to efficiently evaluate and predict the repair needs of continuous flow engine components, such as gas turbines and steam turbines, due to their complex nature and the difficulty in assessing damage and wear over time, leading to potential catastrophic failures and significant losses from premature component exchange or inadequate repairs.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing sensor data, inspection data, and virtual models to assess damage, combined with additive and subtractive manufacturing evaluations, and a centralized evaluation system to determine the feasibility and optimal repair processes for continuous flow engine components, including unique identifiers and distributed databases for improved reliability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous flow engine components are used for extended periods to maximize utilization, then productivity increases, but the risk of catastrophic failure and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary damage assessment and repairability evaluation before catastrophic failure occurs. By continuously monitoring component conditions and predicting future damage states, the system enables proactive maintenance scheduling that prevents failures while maximizing component utilization periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where inspection data, sensor readings, and repair outcomes are continuously fed back into the evaluation model. This allows the system to learn from actual component behavior and improve its predictions of component lifespan and repairability, enabling more accurate optimization between utilization and reliability.
2Reliability
If components are replaced early to ensure reliability, then reliability improves, but productivity and resource efficiency worsen due to premature exchange
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment to determine the actual remaining service life and repairability of components. By accurately predicting when components will fail or become unreparable, the system avoids premature replacement and extends component utilization to the maximum safe limit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables components to essentially 'report' their own condition through integrated sensors and inspection data, allowing the evaluation system to determine optimal replacement timing based on actual component state rather than conservative fixed schedules.
3Measurement precision
If extensive inspection and evaluation procedures are performed to assess damage accurately, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection and evaluation process is segmented into multiple stages: initial sensor-based monitoring, targeted inspection of specific high-risk areas, and comprehensive evaluation only when needed. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high measurement precision for critical parameters while avoiding the complexity and time cost of complete component disassembly and inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation system integrates multiple functions into a single platform: damage detection, repairability assessment, repair method selection, and maintenance scheduling. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require separate specialized systems for each function.
4Ease of repair
If comprehensive repair evaluations including additive and subtractive manufacturing assessments are performed, then ease of repair improves, but device complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of multiple repair methods (additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing, hybrid approaches) before the actual repair process. By pre-assessing the feasibility, cost, and time requirements of different repair approaches based on damage characteristics, the system quickly identifies the optimal repair method without time-consuming trial and error during the actual repair process.
Solution Approach 2:
The repair evaluation system is dynamic and adaptive, adjusting its assessment depth and methodology based on the specific damage characteristics detected. For minor damages, the system performs quick assessments favoring simple repairs; for complex damages, it conducts more comprehensive evaluations of multiple repair approaches, optimizing the balance between assessment thoroughness and time consumption.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention refers to an improved method of repairing a continuous flow engine component utilizing an automatic system. Furthermore, the present invention refers to an inspection device to be utilized in such method and an evaluation system utilizing such inspection device and method. Additionally, the present invention refers to a computer program product adapted to realize the inventive method.