The first row of turbine blades used in power generating gas turbines has to withstand high temperatures and stress. Failure of the blades during operation can lead to very high costs for repair and loss of power-production. To investigate those blades three-dimensional (3D) x-ray tomography is used for non-destructive evaluation (NDE). The tomografic system was designed in house and consists of a microfocus x-ray tube, a precise manipulator and a high-resolution detection system based on an image intensifier coupled to a CCD camera. The system enables cone-beam data acquisition. This paper describes the methods used and discusses some results of NDE of different turbine blades.
Publication Source: International Symposium on Computerized Tomography for Industrial Applications and Image Processing in Radiology March, 15 - 17, 1999 Berlin, Germany. Proceedings BB 67-CD. Publisher:DGZfP - German Society of Non-Destructive Testing
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