US 11,885,228 B2
System and method for inspecting fan blade tip clearance relative to an abradable fan case
Subramanya Shankar, Bengaluru (IN); Marc Christopfel, Evendale, OH (US); Brian G. Quinn, West Chester, OH (US); Omar A. Ramirez, Queretaro (MX); and Sean M. O′Melia, Evendale, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/667,793.
Prior Publication US 2023/0250730 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. F01D 21/00 (2006.01); F01D 11/14 (2006.01); G01B 11/14 (2006.01); G01C 9/02 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 21/003 (2013.01) [F01D 11/14 (2013.01); F05D 2260/30 (2013.01); F05D 2260/80 (2013.01); F05D 2270/305 (2013.01); F05D 2270/804 (2013.01); G01B 11/14 (2013.01); G01C 9/02 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining a fan blade clearance of a fan case relative to a fan rotor, the system comprising:
a bracket having a first end directly affixed to an outer surface of a spinner cone located at a center of the fan rotor, the bracket being configured to hold a laser module between adjacent fan blades connected to the fan rotor, the laser module being attached at a second end of the bracket opposite the first end thereof;
the bracket further configured to hold an inclinometer, the inclinometer configured to measure a circumferential position of the laser module;
the laser module comprising a laser sensor configured to transmit a laser beam toward the fan case as the fan rotor is rotated to receive a reflected laser beam from the fan case, thereby defining a path length indicative of a distance between the laser module and the fan case for a plurality of points disposed circumferentially around the fan case;
the laser module further configured to transmit distance measurements to a computing device for the plurality of points;
the inclinometer configured to transmit circumferential position measurements to the computing device; and
the computing device configured to process the distance measurements and the circumferential position measurements to determine a clearance distance between a fan blade and the fan case at the circumferential position, wherein based on the determined clearance distance exceeding a threshold a corrective action is initiated.