Patent ID: 7987721

Claim:
A method for determining defects in a turbine blade, comprising: configuring a probe fixing device for attachment to a portion of a blade surface and a portion of a blade root surface of a section of the turbine blade to be examined, wherein a surface of the probe fixing device is shaped to engage the portion of the blade surface and the portion of the blade root surface in a manner that fixes the probe fixing device into a particular position with respect to the section of the turbine blade to be examined; attaching the probe fixing device over the section of the turbine blade to be examined; attaching a probe to the probe fixing device; connecting the probe to a measuring and evaluation device emitting an ultrasonic pulse signal by the probe; receiving an echo signal reflected by defects or shape boundaries in the turbine blade via a phased-array ultrasonic test method; comparing the received echo signal with a reference echo signal; and determining defects by evaluating differences between the echo signal and the reference echo signal.