To increase inspection efficiency and probability of defect detection in aircraft engines, we recommend combining Enerpac’s Sweeney digital turning tool with an IPLEX-series video borescope. Learn more about these advantages in this video.
Published May 23, 2024, in the Evident InSight Blog.
منبع: https://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/innovation-article/increase-efficiency-aircraft-engine-inspection-digital-turning-tools
This structural constraint was forcing engine inspectors and operators to work long hours. These challenges in the engine inspection can be solved by using the Sweeney digital turning tool.
Once again, a digital turning tool can be used to rotate the rotor stably at high torque.
Several issues are involved when manually rotating turbine blades.
Some aircraft engines have a gearbox in their construction, such as the PW1100G series and the V2500 engine. To turn the engine, the high-pressure system must be rotated through the gearbox. Normally, a hexagonal socket or ratchet wrench is used to rotate the rotor. A large amount of force is required to rotate the high-pressure rotor due to the gearbox. If the force is not adjusted properly, the high-pressure rotor will rotate too quickly.
Enerpac’s Sweeney digital turning tool
Attach the Sweeney digital turning tool to the engine access port, and its drive motor enables you to turn the turbine blades.
Further, the inspection process makes it difficult to memorize the location of potentially defective blades, which can lead to omissions. On top of that, it’s difficult to manually rotate the engine shaft at a constant speed so the inspector can easily check the blades’ condition.
In addition, the digital turning tool has features to prevent damage that may occur accidentally during rotation. During operation, a built-in torque overload sensor stops operation if excessive torque is generated. It can also detect if a scope is caught in a turbine component. This greatly reduces the risk of damage to expensive scopes and turbine components, enabling safe engine inspections.
Inspections using this method take one to two hours per blade stage. During the inspection, the blades must be constantly and slowly rotated at the same speed. To perform this task, another operator is required in addition to the inspector operating the video borescope. The operator in charge of manually rotating the engine shaft uses a tool and adjusts its operation in coordination with the inspector so that the blade appears on the video borescope’s inspection screen at a speed that’s easy for the inspector to perform the inspection.
For example, when inspecting a turbine blade using a video borescope, the scope is inserted through the access port and secured in a position where the blade to be inspected is fully visible. The method of inspecting the condition of each blade by fixing the scope and rotating the turbine is generally adopted for inspection efficiency.
The digital turning tool’s drive-motor output, adjustable from 30–150 ft-lb, eliminates this problem because the high torque lets the engine rotate at a steady speed. This is accomplished by a compact, powerful electric motor in the drive motor. As a result, engine inspections can be performed more efficiently than with manual rotation.
GEnx engine. Image courtesy of Georges Seguin (Okki), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The digital turning tool eliminates the need for an operator to rotate the engine shaft and provides higher efficiency than manual operation. It also provides stable operation and maintenance of rotational speed, automatic blade counting, and flagging (i.e., the ability to automatically return to a given turbine blade that has been flagged during the inspection).
Automating the rotor-shaft positioning process is made possible because turbine information for all engines supported by the Sweeney digital turning tool is standardized in the controller. The digital turning tool has prestored blade information for each compatible engine and stage, enabling blade counting and identification. It can also memorize the position of a potentially defective blade, making it easy to go back and recheck that position.
This digital turning tool has adapters and shafts specifically designed for GEnx engines to provide stable drive motor connections even in tight access port areas. After installing these adapters and shafts, the engine can be inspected safely and efficiently by connecting the drive motor to the adapter.
First, an operator is needed just for the task of rotating the turbine, leading to inefficiencies in the inspection. Also, in noisy environments or when inspecting large engines, synchronized operation between the operator responsible for rotating the turbine and the inspector is often difficult. This can lead to damage to the engine or scope due to miscommunication.
Let’s explore how the digital turning tool aids in the borescope inspection of some major aircraft engines. For example, in a GEnx engine, it’s difficult to connect a ratchet wrench to the engine for manual rotation because the access port that’s used to rotate the turbine is surrounded by pipes and wire harnesses. Also, the ratchet wrench’s range of motion is narrow, and the angle at which it can be rotated at one time is limited to 15°.
Another problem is the force required for manual rotation. For example, the GEnx engine is classified as a medium-to-large engine with 55,000 to 75,000 pounds of thrust. Manually rotating the engine using a ratchet wrench requires a considerable amount of force and stability in the rotational operation.
An effective tool to solve these issues is a digital turning tool. Here, we’ll discuss the benefits of using Enerpac’s Sweeney digital turning tool (DTT) in combination with a video borescope for aircraft engine inspections.
For organizations responsible for aircraft operation and maintenance, inspecting critical aircraft-engine components is a routine preventive maintenance procedure. These procedures help to ensure the proper operation of the aircraft for flight safety. There are many components inside the engine that must be inspected, including turbine blades, compressor blades, and combustion chambers.