Investigation into Dual-Probe Laser Ultrasonic-Based Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Blade Microcrack Detection
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract In environments with high temperatures and pressures, heavy-duty gas turbine blades run over extended periods of time. The long-term action of complex mechanical loads and thermal stresses, which can change material properties and cause fatigue fractures in components, directly affects the service life and safety of gas turbines. Turbine blade failure may result from these fissures. Laser ultrasonic has shown particularly encouraging results in high-temperature and in-service detection of fatigue microcracks in heavy-duty gas turbine blades. The ultrasonic signal utilized in laser ultrasonic testing links the material’s microstructure qualities with microcrack defects due to the uneven microstructure of turbine blades, which results in insufficient detection accuracy. This paper proposes a dual-probe laser ultrasonic testing method. Both the direct ultrasonic signals and the ultrasonic signals passing through the crack within the micro-area range are simultaneously detected by the two probes. The ratio of the two describes the characteristics of the ultrasonic signals. Numerical analysis was used for theoretical verification. A hardware and software framework was developed for the detection of dual-probe laser ultrasonic turbine blades. Simulated blade microcracks were studied experimentally. The findings demonstrate that the dual-probe strategy can greatly increase the detection accuracy and decrease the relative error of micro-crack detection on the turbine blade surface from 18.0 to 14.2% when compared to the traditional method. Give an example for applications in laser ultrasonic engineering.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Ultrasonics and Acoustic Wave Propagation · Bladed Disk Vibration Dynamics · Thermography and Photoacoustic Techniques
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (26)
Show source-provided references
1. Liu, R. and Huang, C. Z., Data-driven modeling approach of heavy-duty gas turbine with physical constraint by MTGNN and Transformer, Control Eng. Pract., 2024, vol. 151, p. 17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conengprac.2024.10601410.1016/j.conengprac.2024.106014 ↗
2. Wu, W., Wang, K., Wang, X. Y., and Yang, L. H., The effects of load conditions and structural parameters on fretting wear of annular flat in heavy-duty gas turbine, Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. Part J.-J. Eng. Tribol., 2025, vol. 239, no. 1, pp. 109–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350650124127791610.1177/13506501241277916 ↗
3. Xie, F., Li, D. J., and Zhang, W. X., Long-term failure mechanisms of thermal barrier coatings in heavy-duty gas turbines, Coatings, 2020, vol. 10, no. 11, p. 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings1011102210.3390/coatings10111022 ↗
4. Jamroz, M., Piwowarski, M., Ziemiański, P., and Pawlak, G., Technical and economic analysis of the supercritical combined gas-steam cycle, Energies, 2021, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/en1411298510.3390/en14112985 ↗
5. Ma, Y. J. et al., Multi-objective performance optimization and control for gas turbine part-load operation energy-saving and NOx emission reduction, Appl. Energy, 2022, vol. 320, p. 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.11929610.1016/j.apenergy.2022.119296 ↗
6. Mirhosseini, A. M., Nazari, S. A., Pour, A. M., Haghighi, S. E., and Zareh, M., Failure analysis of first stage nozzle in a heavy-duty gas turbine, Eng. Fail. Anal., 2020, vol. 109, p. 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.10430310.1016/j.engfailanal.2019.104303 ↗
7. Neidel, A., Giller, M., Riesenbeck, S., and Wöhl, E., High cycle fatigue failure of burner feeder line in a heavy-duty gas turbine engine, Prakt. Metallogr.-Pract. Metallogr., 2019, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 48–60. https://doi.org/10.3139/147.11050710.3139/147.110507 ↗
8. Radaelli, F., Amann, C., Aydin, A., Varfolomeev, I., Gumbsch, P., and Kadau, K., A probabilistic model for forging flaw crack nucleation processes for heavy duty gas turbine rotor operations, J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power-Trans. ASME, 2022, vol. 144, no. 12, p. 9. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.405604410.1115/1.4056044 ↗
9. Davis, G., Nagarajah, R., Palanisamy, S., Rashid, R. A. R., Rajagopal, P., and Balasubramaniam, K., Laser ultrasonic inspection of additive manufactured components, Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol., 2019, vol. 102, nos. 5–8, pp. 2571–2579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-018-3046-y10.1007/s00170-018-3046-y ↗
10. Liu, P. P., Jang, J. H., Yang, S. Y., and Sohn, H., Fatigue crack detection using dual laser induced nonlinear ultrasonic modulation, Opt. Lasers Eng., 2018, vol. 110, pp. 420–430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optlaseng.2018.05.02510.1016/j.optlaseng.2018.05.025 ↗
11. Selim, H., Delgado-Prieto, M., Trull, J., Picó, R., Romeral, L., and Cojocaru, C., Defect reconstruction by nondestructive testing with laser induced ultrasonic detection, Ultrasonics, 2020, vol. 101, p. 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultras.2019.10600010.1016/j.ultras.2019.106000 ↗
12. Kou, X., Pei, C. X., and Chen, Z. M., Fully noncontact inspection of closed surface crack with nonlinear laser ultrasonic testing method, Ultrasonics, 2021, vol. 114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultras.2021.10642610.1016/j.ultras.2021.106426 ↗
13. Liu, S. F., Li, C. F., Huang, P. F., Qiao, X., Wang, Y. W., and Zhao, S., Investigating microstructural and tribological properties of WTaMoHfNi high-entropy refractory alloy applied to GTD-111 superalloy by ultrasonic-assisted laser cladding, Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater., 2024, vol. 120, p. 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2023.10654810.1016/j.ijrmhm.2023.106548 ↗
14. Meng, J. J. et al., Quantitative evaluation of fatigue cracks on compressor blades using laser ultrasonic technology under high-temperature conditions, NDT & E Int., 2025, vol. 154, p. 15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ndteint.2025.10340210.1016/j.ndteint.2025.103402 ↗
15. Swornowski, P. J., Scanning of the internal structure part with laser ultrasonic in aviation industry, Scanning, 2011, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 378–385. https://doi.org/10.1002/sca.2026010.1002/sca.20260 ↗
16. Qin, F. et al., Influence mechanism of gas turbine blade thickness on photoacoustic signals to guide defect imaging detection, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 2023, vol. 72, p. 12. https://doi.org/10.1109/tim.2023.332909010.1109/tim.2023.3329090 ↗
17. Park, S. K., Baik, S. H., Cha, H. K., Cheong, Y. M., and Kang, Y. J., Nondestructive inspection system using optical profiles and laser surface waves to detect a surface crack, J. Korean Phys. Soc., 2010, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 333–337. https://doi.org/10.3938/jkps.56.33310.3938/jkps.56.333 ↗
18. Wang, C. Y. et al., Laser-generated surface waves for quantitative detection of inclined surface cracks based on finite element analysis, Nondestr. Test. Eval., 2024, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 687–700. https://doi.org/10.1080/10589759.2023.222367910.1080/10589759.2023.2223679 ↗
19. Yi, D. C., Pei, C. X., Liu, T. H., and Chen, Z. M., Inspection of cracks with focused angle beam laser ultrasonic wave, Appl. Acoust., 2019, vol. 145, pp. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2018.09.01210.1016/j.apacoust.2018.09.012 ↗
20. Liu, X. F. et al., Directional solidification casting technology of heavy-duty gas turbine blade with liquid metal cooling (LMC) process, China Foundry, 2019, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41230-019-8121-y10.1007/s41230-019-8121-y ↗
21. Xu, H. et al., Degradation behavior of microstructures and mechanical properties of GTD111 turbine blade after long-term service, Rare Metal Mater. Eng., 2023, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 2057–2062.
22. Choi, S., and Jhang, K. Y., Internal defect detection using laser-generated longitudinal waves in ablation regime, J. Mech. Sci. Technol., 2018, vol. 32, no. 9, pp. 4191–4200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-0817-110.1007/s12206-018-0817-1 ↗
23. Stratoudaki, T., Clark, M., and Wilcox, P. D., Laser induced ultrasonic phased array using full matrix capture data acquisition and total focusing method, Opt. Express, 2016, vol. 24, no. 19, pp. 21921–21938. https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.24.02192110.1364/oe.24.021921 ↗
24. Lévesque, D. et al., Inspection of thick welded joints using laser-ultrasonic SAFT, Ultrasonics, 2016, vol. 69, pp. 236–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultras.2016.04.00110.1016/j.ultras.2016.04.001 ↗
25. Choi, S. and Jhang, K. Y., Thermal damages on the surface of a silicon wafer induced by a near-infrared laser, Opt. Eng., 2014, vol. 53, no. 1, p. 7. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.Oe.53.1.01710310.1117/1.Oe.53.1.017103 ↗
26. Choi, S. and Jhang, K. Y., Influence of repetitive pulsed laser irradiation on the surface characteristics of an aluminum alloy in the melting regime, J. Mech. Sci. Technol., 2015, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 335–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-014-1131-110.1007/s12206-014-1131-1 ↗