Abstract: A system for performing acoustic thermography inspection of a turbine blade while the blade is in place in an assembled turbine. The system includes an acoustic thermography stack with a cap and a frame that the acoustic thermography stack is slidably mounted to, said frame including an end frame portion that allows the blade to be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion. The system also includes an air cylinder that provides force to move the acoustic thermography stack up and down a rail of the frame such that the turbine blade may be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion and then excited using the acoustic thermography stack, and a casing that encases the air cylinder, a portion of the acoustic thermography stack and a portion of the frame.

Abstract: Turbine engines are inspected by insertion of a zoom image or foveated image optical head through internal passages within the engine. The zoom image optical generates a first magnified image portion or a second image portion having a wider field of view and lower magnification. The foveated image optical head has a central first image portion having higher magnification that is included within and subtended by a second image portion having a wider field of view. The foveated or zoom image first and second image portions are separately simultaneously displayed on a common display, so that navigation position of the optical head and the magnified inspection image are correlated. In this way an inspector can confirm what area of interest within the turbine has been inspected while evaluating the adjacent magnified inspection image. The dual images correlation can be documented, such as by storing the simultaneously displayed images.

Abstract: Combustion or steam turbine engines internal areas of interest are inspected by insertion of a foveated image optical head through internal passages within the engine. The foveated image optical head has a central first image portion having higher magnification and smaller field of view that is included within and subtended by a second image portion having a wider field of view and lower magnification. The foveated image optical head facilitates maneuvering the borescope optical head through the turbine engine with the wider field of view second image portion to areas of interest, then performing a more detailed inspection by viewing the higher magnification first image portion. The optical head lenses are in fixed positions, sharing a single, common optical path and a common electronic image sensor. This lens and detector arrangement facilitates construction of a compact optical head, allowing passage through small diameter engine inspection ports.

Abstract: Turbine engines are inspected by insertion of a zoom image or foveated image optical head through internal passages within the engine. The zoom image optical generates a first magnified image portion or a second image portion having a wider field of view and lower magnification. The foveated image optical head has a central first image portion having higher magnification that is included within and subtended by a second image portion having a wider field of view. The foveated or zoom image first and second image portions are separately simultaneously displayed on a common display, so that navigation position of the optical head and the magnified inspection image are correlated. In this way an inspector can confirm what area of interest within the turbine has been inspected while evaluating the adjacent magnified inspection image. The dual images correlation can be documented, such as by storing the simultaneously displayed images.

Abstract: Combustion or steam turbine engines internal areas of interest are inspected by insertion of a foveated image optical head through internal passages within the engine. The foveated image optical head has a central first image portion having higher magnification and smaller field of view that is included within and subtended by a second image portion having a wider field of view and lower magnification. The foveated image optical head facilitates maneuvering the borescope optical head through the turbine engine with the wider field of view second image portion to areas of interest, then performing a more detailed inspection by viewing the higher magnification first image portion. The optical head lenses are in fixed positions, sharing a single, common optical path and a common electronic image sensor. This lens and detector arrangement facilitates construction of a compact optical head, allowing passage through small diameter engine inspection ports.

Abstract: A system for performing acoustic thermography inspection of a turbine blade while the blade is in place in an assembled turbine. The system includes an acoustic thermography stack with a cap and a frame that the acoustic thermography stack is slidably mounted to, said frame including an end frame portion that allows the blade to be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion. The system also includes an air cylinder that provides force to move the acoustic thermography stack up and down a rail of the frame such that the turbine blade may be clamped between the cap and the end frame portion and then excited using the acoustic thermography stack, and a casing that encases the air cylinder, a portion of the acoustic thermography stack and a portion of the frame.