AERO ENGINE INSPECTION

Non-destructive testing is extensively used on aero engine

components to ascertain their quality, integrity and
reliability. Testing methods have been continuously improved
to yield quantitative data and are being effectively used not
only for conventional defect detection but also for material
characterisation, component life estimation studies, etc.
Turbine rotor blades are life critical components in aero
engines and pose a technical challenge for inspection
owing to their complex design, manufacturing process
and operating conditions. Interpretation, evaluation and
quantifcation of the indications are diffcult and are
generally accomplished by complementary NDT methods.
This paper gives an overview of the various NDT methods
applied on a military aero engine turbine rotor blade, along
with the results obtained, and also explores the possibilities
of the application of emerging inspection technologies.
Keywords: Non-destructive testing, turbine rotor blade,
radiography, penetrant testing, eddy current testing,
ultrasonic testing.
1. Introduction
Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods are extensively
applied to ascertain the integrity and reliability of various
components used in aero engines
[1]
. Military aero engine
components are generally designed using a fail-safe approach.
The fail-safe approach provides that the component is free from
unacceptable defects; it is designed to remain intact for the
whole of its planned life
[2]
. These components are classified into
life critical, mission critical and non-critical components.
Producibility clearance ensures that the components can be inspected
by one or more NDT methods. Typical faults and defects targeted
in the NDT of gas turbine components include original defects
and deviations from manufacturing or repairs, as well as defects
in the coatings and base materials emerging and growing during
service. Apart from cracks or other discontinuities, the deviations
can also appear, for example, as wear, corrosion, excessive strain,
or blocking or inappropriate positioning of the cooling channels
[3]
.
Defects in a coating on blade surfaces may be caused by hot
corrosion and oxidation, low resistance of the blade construction
to thermal fatigue, poor high-temperature strength and endurance
of the substrate, or by a combination of these factors
[4]
. Among the
critical components, blades from the compressor and turbine are
most vulnerable to rejection. Turbine rotor blades are life critical
components in an aero engine and are responsible for conversion
of the thermodynamic energy into mechanical energy. Gas turbine
blades experience a complex thermal and mechanical loading
history during a typical cycle of operation, consisting of
start-up, steady-state operation and shutdown
[5]
. These blades are
subjected to alternating stresses, vibrations and extreme temperature
conditions and hence are likely to develop defects typical of
fatigue, creep and stress rupture
[6]
. This paper gives an overview of
the typical defects occurring on turbine rotor blades along with the
various NDT methods applied and also discusses the characterisation
and quantification of defects with relevant case studies. However,
the role of operator training and certification for the reliable
detection of these defects plays a major role, along with testing
equipment and organisational procedures
[7]
. The location of turbine
rotor blades in a typical twin-spool engine layout is illustrated in
Figure 1.
2. Turbine rotor blade
The turbine rotor blades discussed in this paper are made
from nickel-based superalloy Su247 by the investment casting
method. The castings are manufactured in ceramic shell moulds
by the directional solidifcation route under vacuum and are
further subjected to solution heat treatment and precipitation
hardening. The blades are then fnish machined in the root
region. They are fnally coated with oxidation and a corrosion-
resistant coating on the aerofoil by a diffusion pack aluminising
process. Figure 2(a) shows a photograph of the fnished blade and
Figure 2(b) shows the schematic cross-section of the aerofoil of
the blade.
M R Vijaya Lakshmi* is working as Scientist D at GTRE, Bangalore. She
has a BTech in Mechanical Engineering. She is certifed as an ASNT NDT
Level III in RT, UT, MT and PT methods and has over 12 years of experience
in NDT. She has published ten conference papers and one journal paper.
She is a trained Lead Auditor in ISO 9001:2008. She is a life member of
ISNT and a member of ASNT.
A K Mondal is working as Technical Offcer at GTRE, Bangalore. He
has a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. He is certifed as an ISNT NDT
Level II in UT, MT and PT methods and has over 21 years of experience in
NDT. He has published one conference paper. He is a life member of ISNT.
C K Jadhav is working as Scientist F at GTRE, Bangalore. He has an
MTech in Mechanical Engineering. He is Group Director of the Quality
Assurance Group and has over 30 years of experience in the felds of aero
engine assembly, NDT and engine testing. He has published one conference
paper.
B V Ravi Dutta is working as Scientist F at GTRE, Bangalore and heads
the Quality Assurance Group. He has a BE in Mechanical Engineering. He
is Group Director of the Quality Assurance Group and has over 25 years
of experience in the felds of metrology, aero engine assembly, NDT and
engine testing. He is a successful internal auditor and is the Management
Representative of GTRE. He has published one conference paper.
Sreelal Sreedhar is working as Scientist G at GTRE, Bangalore. He has an
ME in Mechanical Engineering. He is Associate Director of the Reliability
and Quality Assurance Group and has over 25 years of experience in the
felds of rotor dynamics, metrology, aero engine assembly, NDT and engine
testing. He has published four conference papers.
The authors are with the Quality Assurance Group, Gas Turbine Research
Establishment, Bangalore, India.
*Corresponding author. Tel: +91 080 2504 0743; Fax: +91 080 2524 1507;
Email: [email protected]
Overview of NDT methods applied on an aero engine
turbine rotor blade
M R Vijaya Lakshmi, A K Mondal, C K Jadhav, B V Ravi Dutta and S Sreedhar
Submitted 20.01.13
Accepted 06.03.13
DOI: 10.1784/insi.2012.55.9.482
482 Insight Vol 55 No 9 September 2013
Insight Vol 55 No 9 September 2013 483

3. NDT methods
3.1 Visual testing
Visual testing is the fundamental and preliminary NDT method
and usually precedes other methods. It can be accomplished
by the naked eye and magnifcation aids during inspection after
manufacturing and engine disassembly. In-situ inspection is carried
out in a test-bed by inserting a borescope or videoscope through
specially provided ports on the turbine casing. Figures 3(a), 3(b)
and 3(c) represent a few defects observed during visual testing of
turbine rotor blades.
3.2 Fluorescent penetrant testing
Penetrant testing is the NDT method most frequently used for
inspecting gas turbine blades and vanes. It is often recommended
to use fuorescent dye penetrant (Type I) for inspection
[1]
. Type
II penetrant examination shall not be used for fnal acceptance
examination of aerospace products
[8]
. An ultra-high sensitive
hydrophilic penetrant/emulsifer system is used for inspection.
100% inspection is carried out on the cast blades preceding the
coating operation. After coating, the blades are fnally inspected
for clearance for utilisation in the engine. Thereafter, in-service
inspection is carried out after every
disassembly to check for the initiation and
propagation of defects related to fatigue,
creep, oxidation, foreign/internal object
damage, nicks, etc. Figures 4(a), 4(b) and
4(c) show the typical defects detected on a
blade after removal from the engine.
Generally, defects such as cracks noticed
during inspection are not amenable for repair/
rework and the blades are rejected. However,
indications due to nicks or foreign object
damage may be reworked by buffing and
subjected to re-inspection. While there are
no technological developments in the area
of penetrant testing, process improvements
are continuously in progress. Studies are also being carried out to
quantify the capability and reliability of fluorescent penetrant testing
systems intended for use on gas turbine engine components
[9]
.
3.3 Ultrasonic testing
The blades under discussion are dual-walled components. These
blades are designed to ensure maximum conversion of energies
Figure 1. Schematic layout of engine showing location of turbine rotor blades
Figure 2. (a) Photograph of turbine rotor blade; (b) cross-section
of the aerofoil region of blade
Figure 3. (a) Foreign object damage (yellow arrow) and resultant
crack (red arrow) noticed under microscope; (b) pitting noticed
on trailing edge; (c) core shift in the blade
with minimum losses and hence have a complex twisted profle
with continuously-varying wall thickness. Wall thickness is one
of the critical parameters and dictates the stress-rupture life of
the blade. The cooling passages within the blades are formed by
positioning ceramic cores within the shell mould. There is the
possibility of the shifting of cores during pouring of the molten
metal, resulting in a deviation of wall thickness from nominal
values. Ultrasonic measurement using a thickness gauge is the
preferred and most popular inspection method. The scheme for
wall thickness measurement is shown in Figure 5. The criticality of
measurement is the customised calibration, probe positioning and
precise identifcation of the backwall echo.
The characterisation of creep damage in blade material using
ultrasound imaging
[10]
and in-situ inspection in the rabbet (fir
tree) of turbine blades using creeping waves
[11]
are a few of the
innumerable research works being carried out for exploring the
potential of ultrasonic testing in application to aero engine turbine
blades.
3.4 Conventional, microfocal and neutron radiography
Conventional radiography is extensively used for the 100%
inspection of the blades for examining the presence of typical
casting defects, such as unfused chaplets, shrinkage, cracks,
porosity, inclusions, etc. Furthermore, microfocal radiography can
be used to enhance the sensitivity to detect microcracks and other
fne defects
[12]
. Figure 6(a) shows the radiograph of a blade with a
root crack. Figure 6(b) reveals fner microcracks during microfocal
radiography of the blade. Neutron radiography has proven to be the
most effcient non-destructive method for the detection of residual
core material in air-cooled turbine blades
[13]
.
The deployment of real-time radiography (both conventional
and microfocal) with a digital flat-panel will greatly enhance the
speed and reliability of the inspection of turbine blades.
3.5 Computed tomography (CT)
Computed tomography is fnding increasing usage in the inspection
of blades as an effective inspection and analysis tool. Initially, a
digital radiograph (DR) of the turbine blade was obtained and then
CT slices were taken at selected locations from the DR image
[14]
.
The images are shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b). CT images provide
details of core shift, remnant core in cooling passages, if any, and
dimensions such as wall thickness, chord radius, twist, etc.
CT data in conjunction with CAD model data will be extremely
helpful in obtaining the densitometry details of blades and will
ultimately lead to an improvement in the production quality of
blades.
3.6 Eddy current testing
Eddy current testing is highly favourable for detecting and sizing
surface cracks
[15]
. The eddy current system was calibrated using a
customised reference standard and was successfully applied for
detection and quantifcation of vertical cracks on turbine blades
[5]
.
Figures 8(a) and 8(b) show the reference standard with known
defects and the signal obtained from them, respectively
[5]
. Figures
9(a) and 9(b) show the defective blade and signal obtained from
the same
[5]
.
Eddy current testing is also used for measuring coating
Figure 4. (a) Crack on the root region of blade; (b) crack on the
convex fllet originating from coating and extending into base
material; (c) crack originating from aligned porosity on trailing
edge
Figure 5. Schematic for wall thickness measurement
484 Insight Vol 55 No 9 September 2013
Insight Vol 55 No 9 September 2013 485

thickness and the development of customised probes will enhance
the inspection of leading and trailing edges and firtree location of
the blades. Furthermore, eddy current sensors are being effectively
utilised in the form of tip-timing systems for the health monitoring
of blades during engine operation.
4. Conclusions
Effort has been made to comprehensively present an overview of the
various NDT methods applied on aero engine turbine rotor blades.
Figure 8. (a) LPT rotor blade with reference defects; (b) display
screen showing signals from 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm defects
Figure 9. (a) Crack along the length of the blade; (b) screen
display and analysed signal window from cracked region
Figure 6. (a) Conventional radiograph (arrows point to the
crack in the root of the blade); (b) microfocal radiograph (red
arrows point to the root crack and yellow arrows point to the
microcracks)
Figure 7. (a) Digital radiograph; (b) tomogram of typical cross-
section of blade
It can be concluded that the in-service inspection of blades poses
greater technical challenges and demands complementary methods
for inspection and quantifcation. The possibilities of applying
advanced techniques and methods have also been explored.
5. Acknowledgements
The authors express their gratitude to the Director, GTRE, for his
continuous support in carrying out this work and giving permission to
publish the results. The authors also acknowledge the Quality Assurance
Group, Turbine Group, Materials Group, Vibration Engineering Group
and Structural Mechanics Group for their extensive technical support.
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