Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide apparatus and methods for determining heat transfer characteristics of an actively cooled component, such as, but not limited to, a turbine blade.

Abstract: A plurality of system checks on a turbine component inspection system are monitored, and an end user interface element to cause an inspection of a turbine component to commence is enabled only upon determining based on the monitored system checks that the inspection system is in a predetermined state of readiness, thereby ensuring each turbine component inspected is stimulated with thermal stimulus having the same characteristics. Further, a binary passed or failed indicator is displayed to unequivocally inform the operator whether a turbine component being inspected passed or failed the inspection. In a preferred embodiment, thermal images of a turbine component's response to applied thermal stimulus, as well as status of automatically launched quantitatively analyses on the turbine component's response to the applied thermal stimulus are also displayed.

Abstract: A turbine component inspection apparatus includes a first pressure vessel to store and maintain a first fluid at a first temperature and pressure, a second pressure vessel to store and maintain a second fluid at a second temperature and pressure. The first and second pressure vessels are coupled to a first fluid delivery line and a second fluid delivery line. First and second pneumatically actuated valves facilitate alternating delivery of the fluid from the first and second pressure vessels. Included in the system is a turbine component inspection fluid delivery line to deliver the alternating fluids to a turbine component, a number of sensors to detect changes in temperature and pressure of the first and second fluids, and a programmable logic control (PLC) to storing and maintaining of the first and second temperatures and pressures. As a result, a precise delivery of high temperature gases to a turbine component is facilitated, independent of inspection cycles.

Abstract: An improved infrared (IR) imaging arrangement for a turbine component inspection system includes a platform having a turbine component base feature to receive a turbine component for inspection. Disposed on the platform are a number of mirrors around the turbine component feature. The number of mirrors simultaneously reflects a number of sides/edges for detection by an IR imager. As a result, the IR imager simultaneously view more than one sides/edges of a turbine component.

Abstract: A plurality of system checks on a turbine component inspection system are monitored, and an end user interface element to cause an inspection of a turbine component to commence is enabled only upon determining based on the monitored system checks that the inspection system is in a predetermined state of readiness, thereby ensuring each turbine component inspected is stimulated with thermal stimulus having the same characteristics. Further, a binary passed or failed indicator is displayed to unequivocally inform the operator whether a turbine component being inspected passed or failed the inspection. In a preferred embodiment, thermal images of a turbine component's response to applied thermal stimulus, as well as status of automatically launched quantitatively analyses on the turbine component's response to the applied thermal stimulus are also displayed.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a body with an inside surface and an outside surface forming a hole along a predetermined length of the body, wherein the inside surface is of a predetermined size. Additionally, the heat exchanger has an inlet at one end of the predetermined length and an outlet at another end of the predetermined length. The inlet and outlet disposed on the body facilitate flow of material in and out of the body. In one embodiment, included in the body is a rod, having a number of grooves, being substantially similar in size to the inside surface, inserted into the hole along the predetermined length to provide a long travel path of the material through the body. The predetermined length is of a length sufficiently long to cause the material to exit with a stable temperature that is insensitive to a small variant of the length.

Abstract: An improved infrared (IR) imaging arrangement for a turbine component inspection system includes a platform having a turbine component base feature to receive a turbine component for inspection. Disposed on the platform are a number of mirrors around the turbine component feature. The number of mirrors simultaneously reflects a number of sides/edges for detection by an IR imager. As a result, the IR imager may simultaneously view more than one sides/edges of a turbine component.

Abstract: An improved technique in Auger electron spectroscopy which uses a standard detector which emits a voltage signal proportional to the number of electrons emitted from a surface of material under investigation at a particular energy level to which the detector is set. An improvement is in the manner of processing this voltage signal in order to ascertain the desired reading of number of electrons. The processing circuitry is electrically isolated from the rest of the system but is directly coupled to the detector. A baseline voltage signal is established at a lower edge of electron energy range of interest and that range has been scanned to determine the difference between detector signal output and the baseline output. The result is a faster and more accurate determination of detector voltage signal outputs over the region which can then better be used to determine the characteristics of the surface from which the electrons are being emitted.