Patent ID: 7499815

Claim:
A method of generating radial clearance data for a radial clearance between locations on at least two parts in a machine, the method comprising the steps of: rendering an image of a cross section view of at least a portion of the machine on a display; identifying the locations on the two parts on the rendered cross section; automatically determining a radial stack path between the identified locations; supplying dimension data for at least components within the machine through which the radial stack path extends, the dimension data for each component including a nominal dimension and an associated tolerance; determining the radial clearance between the two parts determining the radial clearance between the two parts in three dimensions when the machine is not operating, based at least in part on the determined radial stack path and using a Monte Carlo algorithm that simulates building a plurality of machines and accounts for the nominal dimension and associated tolerance for each component; using deflection data representative of radial deflections of at least the identified locations during machine operation at one or more machine operating conditions; and generating data representative of the radial clearance between the identified during the machine operation at the one or more machine operating conditions.