Optical Corrosion Monitoring for Equipment Life Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring corrosion in equipment, such as turbine engines, often fail to accurately predict the remaining useful life due to limited examination of corrosion beyond pitting, leading to inaccurate scheduling of remediation and potential equipment failure.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses multi-dimensional optical measurements of corrosion pits to quantify stress concentrations, allowing for predictive maintenance by characterizing corrosion based on pit dimensions and operational characteristics, and implementing remediation actions without removing the equipment from service, including cleaning, coating, and adjusting operating parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If periodic inspection is used to check corrosion, then equipment can be monitored for corrosion existence and progression, but measurement precision and comprehensiveness of corrosion assessment are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical inspection methods with optical measurement systems. Optical sensors and imaging systems capture corrosion pit characteristics non-contactly, providing precise three-dimensional measurements of pit depth, width, and shape without requiring physical contact or disassembly of equipment components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates optical copies or images of corrosion pits using imaging systems. These optical replicas allow for detailed analysis of corrosion morphology, enabling measurement of pit characteristics and assessment of corrosion progression without physically disturbing the actual corrosion sites on the equipment.
2Reliability
If equipment is removed from service for remediation, then thorough cleaning and coating can be applied, but equipment availability and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary protective coatings and remediation treatments during scheduled maintenance intervals before corrosion becomes critical. By monitoring corrosion progression continuously, the system allows remediation to be performed at optimal times during planned shutdowns, maximizing the use of equipment availability while preventing corrosion-related failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-monitoring corrosion detection systems that continuously assess corrosion conditions and trigger alerts when remediation is needed. This allows the equipment to essentially monitor itself, enabling maintenance teams to plan remediation during scheduled downtime rather than experiencing unexpected failures that would require unscheduled removal from service.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive corrosion monitoring is implemented, then remaining useful life prediction accuracy improves, but data processing complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback loops where optical measurement data from corrosion pits is continuously fed into predictive models. The system compares measured corrosion rates against predicted rates, refines remaining useful life estimates, and adjusts monitoring frequency accordingly. This feedback mechanism improves prediction accuracy while managing computational complexity through adaptive data processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the corrosion assessment into separate analytical components: optical image acquisition, pit detection and characterization, corrosion rate calculation, and remaining life prediction. Each segment can be processed independently, allowing for optimized computational approaches at each stage and reducing overall system complexity through modular data processing architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the accuracy of predicting equipment life and reduces corrosion-related failures by optimizing remediation schedules based on real-time data, thereby extending the equipment's useful life and maintaining performance.
Implementation Method 1
measuring one or more multi-dimensional characteristics of a corrosion pit in the equipment using an optical sensor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A corrosion maintenance scheduling and implementation system and method measure one or more characteristics 200 of corrosion in equipment 104 before and after implementation of a corrosion remediation action, determine one or more of a change in the one or more characteristics 200 of the corrosion between before and after implementation of the corrosion remediation action, one or more historical operational characteristics 200 of the equipment 104, or one or more forthcoming operational characteristics 200 of the equipment 104, and modify a schedule of the corrosion remediation action for the equipment 104 based on one or more of the one or more characteristics 200 of corrosion that are measured, the change in the one or more characteristics 200 of the corrosion, the one or more historical operational characteristics 200 of the equipment 104, and/or the one or more forthcoming operational characteristics 200 of the equipment 104.