Gas turbines are used in numerous safety-relevant areas of life. Turbines are applied in aviation, in power plants, in the engine of locomotives as well as in industrial and municipal heat and energy generation. For guaranteeing their performance and its optimisation, regular service and maintenance of the components and used materials are absolutely necessary in order to ensure continual and climate-friendly operating. Laser scanning technology provides appropriate solutions.
Safe survey taking account of high safety standards
Due to a precisely accurate capture, measurement and documentation even of poorly accessible objects, 3D laser scanning presents an excellent possibility for a safe, cost and time saving survey of relevant components. It replaces missing documentation, as in the case of changing proprietaries, operators or changes in maintenance. In addition, it completes existing old construction drawings and memoranda with possible modifications and creates a precise and real replica of the gas turbine, its components and installation surroundings.
As a result of various safety criteria to be considered in dealing with gas turbines, the timeframe, which enables surveying the compressors, combustion chambers and turbines, is quite limited. Considering high operating temperatures at 1500 degrees as well as handling with heating gas and toxic fuels, repairing gas turbines presents a particular challenge. For detecting mechanical or thermal damage, 3D laser scanning records all relevant components. This allows a dimensionally accurate manufacturing of spare parts. Thus, an analysis from a safe distance, through contactless measurements and an uncomplicated three-dimensional registration of objects is achieved.
Precise and real replica for dimensionally accurate planning
The components’ measurement is achieved by scanning with particularly high speed. Within a few hours, large and complex geometries of a turbine can be completely recorded by laser scanning. Moreover, the installation surroundings can be scanned without any problems. Then, the point cloud generated by the laser scanner can be analysed and interpreted using different laser scanning software. Thank to interpretations and 3D modelling of the data, further analyses can be accomplished at the model. The model serves as documentation or as a basis for constructions in a customer-specific detail of presentation. The constructor doesn’t need to be present during the survey since an exact analysis and interpretation of the data is enabled due to the precise replica. The replica contains all constructively relevant data. The realistic illustration and the completeness allow the constructor or operator to take further relevant data out of the laser scans at a later date. Thus, further interruptions of the operating procedure are not needed since additional measurements will not be necessary anymore.
Laser scanning is suited for a wide range of applications
The results of 3D laser scanning are the basis for different issues, for instance for documentation and construction. Laser scanning enables the dimensionally accurate construction and the exact pre-fabrication of components, such as piping and its insulations. Thus, also collisions analyses of components or piping in the turbine’s installation surrounding are realisable. Installation scenarios in the hall’s surrounding crane simulations can be performed by laser scanning, too. This reduces the downtime enormously.
Advantages of laser scanning
Laser scanning has proved to be a fast and efficient surveying method for maintenance-relevant components and enables the illustration of complex geometries in a very short time. In its range of applications, the technology is especially suited for preventing longer interruptions of the production and, thus, it saves time and costs.
