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6th international Charles Parsons Turbine Conference, 16 – 18 September 2003, Trinity College, Dublin
1. Introduction
Apart from boiler, steam piping and valves, the rotating components of the
turbine/generator (turbine and generator rotor) also belong to the most highly stressed
components in a power plant. Loads result for example from operating parameters, the
mode of operation of the machinery, startup processes, thermal stresses, prestressing,
residual stresses from the manufacturing process, as well as loading from the centrifugal
forces acting on the rotating components. During scheduled outages, highly-stressed
components are subjected to non-destructive testing designed to reliably detect any
possible service-induced damage (e.g. cracking) before this can lead to failure of a
component and severe consequential damage. For example, damage to a blade in the
low-pressure turbine of a South African power plant (600 MW) in January 2003 resulted
in the entire turbine generator unit being destroyed. Quite apart from the risk to
personal health, such damage can lead to unscheduled outages and plant downtime, as
well as unplanned costs for expensive repair and maintenance work on the
turbine/generator. In comparison to these risks, the cost of inspecting such highly-
stressed components is easily justified, as is the need for reliable and qualified
techniques in the field of non-destructive testing.
The following describes two examples for non-destructive techniques used on turbine
blade roots and blade attachment grooves.
Fig 1: Blade root for LP rotor with reference reflectors, Fig 2: Blade root for LP rotor with reference
pressure side reflectors, suction side
Once various suitable scanning parameters had been determined, practical tests were
able to begin on the calibration blocks. The results of investigations with phased-array
search units at various frequencies (3, 7, and 11 MHz) indicated only limited reliability.
For the customized solution (using contoured probe holders with integrated search units)
it was decided to use 5 MHz longitudinal wave search units with a transducer diameter of
6.3 mm as well as 60° shear wave search units. These search units were equipped with
Plexiglas wedges. It was then possible to contour the Plexiglas wedges so that they could
be coupled to the surface at the determined scanning positions. Figure 5 is an example
showing the scanning position for a search unit at the transition between the blade root
platform and the airfoil.
On the basis of the theoretical investigations, at least two scanning positions were
determined for each reference reflector which seemed suitable for detecting the
reflector. All the scanning positions calculated during the theoretical investigations were
checked during the practical tests on the calibration block. This confirmed that all
reference reflectors could be reliably detected, in all cases. Owing to the fact that the
different reference reflectors were able to be found using various scanning positions and
beam angles, it was decided to make use of this during the actual performance of
inspections.
Once the investigations on the calibration block had confirmed the suitability of the
selected inspection technique for the problem in hand, the contoured probe holders
mentioned above were fabricated. The probe holders are matched to the blade root
contour to guarantee exact positioning of the ultrasonic search units. Three contoured
probe holders were fabricated, each containing several ultrasonic search units. Their use
in conjunction with a 4-channel ultrasonic instrument (.Tomoscan) guarantees an
effective inspection. Once the corresponding probe holder has been brought into
position, this instrument allows the results from all the integrated search units to be
evaluated at a glance. Three contoured probe holders were made for the blade root
under investigation. When testing the page 4 of 10.inspection system, investigations
were performed using several different blades of the same type, to verify that existing
manufacturing tolerances for these large LP blades do not have any influence on the
results of the examination. It was shown that the dimensional differences existing
between the blades inspected were able to be compensated for using a gel-type couplant
and can therefore be neglected. The couplant bridges the gap between the contoured
probe holder and the blade root. Manufacturing tolerances were not found to have any
effect on test sensitivity/defect detectability.
Fig 6: Probe holder # 1 for inspecting zone # 1 in the Fig 7: Probe holder #1 on blade rootscanning
blade root. scanning positions positions
2.4 Summary
The manual ultrasonic inspection system described above was developed to provide a
reliable and cost-effective method of inspecting turbine blade roots. The main
considerations during development work were:
All these requirements are met by the inspection system. The configuration with the
contoured probe holder and a systematic inspection procedure means that only a short
introduction to the equipment is required before testing can begin.
With respect to the reliability of testing, it proved to be a considerable advantage that
each zone for examination was able to scanned from at least 2 scanning positions, thus
providing the possibility of verifying the presence of any indications detected, by
scanning from a second position.
Fig 8: Test results when inspecting Zone #1 using probe holder #1 on a blade with reference
reflectors.
Fig 9: Test results when inspecting Zone #1 using probe holder #1 on a blade without reflectors.
There are several designs of blade attachment grooves of LP turbine shafts. The grooves
can run either circumferentially (in which case the blades are inserted in sequence and
secured with a locking blade) or axially.
In the case in question, the blade attachment grooves ran circumferentially. It was
known from experience of turbines of identical design at other operators’ plants that the
grooves of blade row 6, 7, and 8 were particularly susceptible to crack formation. An
advanced ultrasonic examination technique had to be developed to provide reliable data
on the condition of blade attachment grooves without deblading the rotor.
Following analysis of the problem, it was decided to solve it by means of the ultrasonic
phased-array technique. Given the different dimensions of the blade grooves to be
inspected, different scanning positions and angles of incidence are required to examine
the highly stressed areas for cracks. This meant that the advantages of the phased-array
ultrasonic examination technique could be fully leveraged.
Following analysis of the problem, it was decided to solve it by means of the ultrasonic
phased-array technique. Given the different dimensions of the blade grooves to be
inspected, different scanning positions and angles of incidence are required to examine
the highly stressed areas for cracks. This meant that the advantages of the phased-array
ultrasonic examination technique could be fully leveraged.
The requirement to ensure that all relevant areas of the blade grooves are scanned, and
that small cracks are also reliably detected, necessitated qualification of the inspection
technique using an identical test piece. Figure 6 shows, by way of example, the profile of
the blade attachment grooves. A separate test piece was fabricated for each blade row
(row 6, 7, and 8). Each test piece reproduces the geometry of the blade groove together
with the outside profile of the turbine shaft. To ensure that incipient cracks exhibiting
different orientations were also detected, test flaws in the form of grooves with a semi-
elliptical profile were introduced at different angles in the most highly stressed areas
(inspection zones 1 and 2 in Figure 10). To ensure detection of even the smallest
incipient cracks, the dimensions of the semi-elliptical grooves used were as follows
(length in mm x depth in mm): 2 x 1, 4 x 1, 4 x 2, 8 x 2. The grooves were positioned in
inspection zones 1 and 2.
Assessment of the TD images of all scans enabled the optimum angle of incidence to be
rapidly determined. Figure 13 shows, by way of example, the TD image of a scan in
inspection zone 1 (row 8).
Fig 12: overlay of the sector scan representation with Fig 13: scan results in form of a TD image showing all
the CAD drawing of the blade attachment (row 8). test flaws. (inspection zone1, row 8)
By scanning the test pieces it was possible to demonstrate that the deployed phased-
array ultrasonic inspection technique is suitable for use in field service to examine blade
grooves of LP turbine shafts for incipient cracking in highly stressed areas in the
assembled condition (in other words without removing the blades).
All of the test flaws in inspection zone 1 and 2 of all three test pieces were detected (the
smallest test flaw was a semi-elliptical groove 2mm x 1mm).
These two examples of advanced inspection techniques demonstrate that direct
customer benefits can be delivered through the use of problem-focused techniques. Key
examples include time savings on component disassembly and reassembly, required with
conventional crack inspection techniques, but eliminated when advanced techniques are
used. Given the requirement for virtually non-stop power plant availability and the
associated reduction in plant downtimes, these kinds of in-situ service techniques are
playing an increasingly important role in the planning and performance of plant outages.
References
1. Vis Viswanathan (EPRI), David Gandy (EPRI), “Rim Attachment Cracking Promts
Developement of Life Assessment Tools”, 4. International EPRI Conference on
Welding & Repair Technology for Power Plants / July 2000, page 50.[journal]
2. Darryl A. Rosario, Peter C. Riccardella, S.S. Tang (Structural Integrity Associates
San Jose, CA, USA) “Developement of an LP Rotor Rim – Attachment Cracking
Life Assessment Code (LPRimLife)”, Power Engineering / June 2000 Marco Island,
Florida USA
3. Carlos Arrietta, Francisco Godinez, Marta Alvaro, Andres Garcia (Technatom SA),
“Blade Attachment UT Inspection using Array ”, 7 th EPRI Steam/Turbine
Generator Workshop, Baltimore, MD, August 20-24 2001 [conference]
4. Richard Fredenberg (Wes Dyne International), “Dovetail Blade Attachment
Experience using Phased Array Ultrasonic Test Techniques”, 7 th EPRI
Steam/Turbine Generator Workshop, Baltimore, MD, August 20-24 2001
[conference
5. Petru Ciorau et.al. (Ontario Power Generation Inc.) In situ examination of ABB L-
0 blade roots and rotor steeple of low-pressure steam turbine, using phased array
technology, 15 th WCNDT, Rome, 2000
6. A. Lamarre, N. Dube`, RDTech, Canada; P.Ciorau, P. Bevins, Notario Power
Generation Inc.: Feasibility study of ultrasonic inspection using paced array of
turbine blade root – Part 1, EPRI workshop July 29 – August 01, 1997
7. Hans Rauschenbach, Dr. Michael Opheys, Uwe Mann : Siemens Power Generation
Jürgen Achtzehn, IntelligeNDT Framatom: Advanced NDE Inspection Methods for
Field Service at Power Plants, 8 th European Conference on Non-Destructive
Testing, Barcelona June 17 – 21, 2002 [conference]
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