SIEMAT® Acoustic Thermography
Statement of Problem
Siemens Westinghouse Power
Corp. remanufactures combustion turbine components for the land-based power
industry. Through out the disassembly, repair, and rework processes,
nondestructive testing is used to focus operations on one repair feature at a
time, starting with the most costly or most likely to create scrap. This serial
process often entails further disassembly for successive evaluations and presses
the limitations of current inspection methods.
Proposed Solution
SIEMAT®, an acoustic thermography NDE technology, has demonstrated a superb combination of desired characteristics for gas turbine repair examinations. SIEMAT® uses high-frequency ultrasound to thermally excite defects for easy detection with an infrared camera. The aim of this project is to enhance the current SIEMAT® capabilities to allow internal inspections of components and assemblies to facilitate more accurately the repair requirements and costs prior to disassembly.
Quantifiable Benefits
The SIEMAT® system has
successfully replaced traditional NDE methods (Penetrant, Eddy Current, and
Visual Examinations) with better inspections in half the time. In addition,
SIEMAT® has no effluent, requires no pre-cleaning, no pretest acid or heat
treatment, and no post-cleaning—all direct substantial savings.
The project participants will focus their efforts on three areas of improvement:
Remote energization – An accessory tool that will allow through inspection through access ports or with minimal disassembly.
Assembly energization – A systematic method of determining energization technique for assemblies.
Teach learn mode – A field qualification and calibration capability that will eliminate the need for laboratory analysis prior to first use on a new component.
Participants
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corp. is the industry champion and is seeking the participation of DoD organic maintenance depots and companies that might benefit from the application of this new NDE technology.
NCMS Contact: Gary Burkart, (715) 416-0792, glburkart@charter.net