Patent ID: 9709463
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: F01D,G01M,G01N,G02B

Claim:
1. A method for non-contact, internal inspection, including relative height sizing of component surface profiles, within an assembled power generation machine; the method comprising: providing an internal inspection system apparatus having: a base; an inspection scope having a proximal end for coupling to the base; an extendable elongated body defining a central axis, extended and driven by a linear drive that is capable of remote actuation by a control system; and a distal end that is insertable into an inspection port of and maneuvering within an internal cavity of an assembled power generation machine to an internal area of interest; a laser profilometer head, coupled to the inspection scope distal end, including a laser profilometer having a two-dimensional height and width scanning field of view that is capable of remote scanning field image capture by, and image transmission to a control system; and a control system coupled to the linear drive and the laser profilometer, for maneuvering the laser profilometer scanning field of view to an area of interest within the assembled power generation machine by actuation of the linear drive, for capturing a scanning field of view image thereof, and for converting said image into relative two-dimensional height/width relative sizing data; providing an assembled power generation machine having an inspection port that is in communication with an internal cavity and internal area of interest in the machine; attaching the base to the machine in a fixed position relative to the inspection port; inserting the inspection scope distal end, including the laser profilometer head, into the inspection port; coupling the inspection scope proximal end to the base; maneuvering the laser profilometer scanning field of view within the internal cavity to an internal area of interest by actuating the linear drive with the control system; capturing a scanning field of view image data of the area of interest by actuating the laser profilometer with the control system; transferring the captured image data to the control system; and converting the captured image data into two-dimensional height/width relative sizing data of the area of interest with the control system.