Rotor Blade Inspection Control for Early Abnormality Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inspection methods for turbine blades are inefficient, particularly when a critical abnormality is detected near the end of the inspection cycle, leading to wasted time and unnecessary repairs or replacements.
Innovation Solution
An inspection assistance system that includes an image sensor and control unit to acquire multiple images during rotor rotation, adding observation information and controlling a turning tool to capture specific blades for detailed inspection, optimizing the inspection process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sequential inspection of all blades is performed by rotating the rotor one turn, then all blades can be inspected, but the inspection time becomes excessively long when critical abnormalities are detected near the end of the inspection cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing multiple images of blades during rotor rotation before completing a full inspection cycle. The control unit acquires a plurality of images at different rotation angles, allowing the inspection to be interrupted and resumed without completing the full rotation, thus reducing unnecessary inspection time when abnormalities are detected early.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the necessary inspection data by capturing multiple images at different rotation angles and selectively using those images for abnormality detection. When a critical abnormality is detected in one blade, the system can stop the inspection process without requiring the rotor to complete its full rotation, thereby extracting only the essential inspection information needed to make a determination.
2Reliability
If the rotor is rotated to inspect each blade sequentially, then all blades can be observed, but unnecessary repairs or replacements are performed when abnormalities are detected late in the inspection cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures multiple images of blades at different rotation angles during rotor rotation, performing the inspection action in advance before the rotor completes its full rotation. This allows abnormality detection to occur earlier in the inspection cycle, enabling timely decisions about repairs or replacements without waiting until the end of the inspection cycle, thus improving inspection efficiency while maintaining detection accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If multiple images are captured during rotor rotation and observation information is added, then targeted inspection of specific blades is enabled, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit adds observation information to captured images based on the inspection status of each blade. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically adjust the inspection process by marking which blades require further observation, enabling operators to focus on specific blades that need attention without increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between the image capture process and the inspection decision-making process. It manages the complexity by automatically acquiring multiple images, adding observation information, and controlling the rotor rotation based on inspection needs, thereby simplifying the overall operation for users while handling the complexity internally.
Data Source
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AI summary
An inspection assistance system includes an image sensor and a control unit. The control unit acquires two or more first images from the image sensor in accordance with rotation of a rotor. The control unit adds observation information indicating that observation is necessary to at least one first image of the two or more first images. The control unit outputs a control signal to a turning tool such that an insertion unit captures an object that is visible in the at least one first image in a field of view. The control unit acquires at least one second image from the image sensor after the turning tool has rotated the rotor.