Engine component life monitoring system and method for determining remaining useful component life

1. A method for determining a relationship between a metal temperature of a turbine component and an operating condition of a turbine housing the component, comprising:

develop a thermal model of the turbine component;

measure a plurality of turbine operating parameters for a period of time;

reduce the number of operating parameters;

develop an operating history by reviewing the operating parameters for the turbine;

identify a damage mechanism to be evaluated for the turbine component based on the turbine operating history;

develop an algorithm based on the operating parameters to approximate the component metal temperature;

develop rule sets of algorithms; and

use the rule sets of algorithms to determine the turbine component metal tempemture so the component metal temperature is humanly perceptible.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the algorithm to calculate metal temperature has as few inputs as possible to reliably repeat component temperature calculation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the relationship between metal temperature and turbine operating conditions is determined real time.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the relationship between metal temperature and turbine operating conditions is determined non real time.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the turbine operating parameters include: shell pressure, blade path exit temp, turbine mass flow rate, compressor inlet guide vane setting, electrical load, and combinations thereof.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the damage mechanism is selected from the group consisting of: low cycle fatigue, high cycle fatigue, thermo-mechanical fatigue, and combinations thereof.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the period of time is a 24 hour period of time.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal temperature calculation algorithm calculates a repeatable component metal temperature for the same set of turbine operating conditions.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal temperature is calculated at a location on the component where the temperature is greatest.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal temperature is calculated at a location on the component that corresponds to the location where the damage fraction for the damage mechanism will be greatest.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the component is a coated turbine component.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the damage mechanism to be evaluated depends on the operating history the engine has experienced.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a component life curve is developed that correlates the component life as a function of the component metal temperature for a specific damage mechanism.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the component feature is a component serial number.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the component is tracked per an identifiable feature of the part.

16. A method for determining consumed operating life for a turbine component, comprising:

recording a plurality of engine operating parameters for the turbine during a period of time;

calculating a component temperature estimate based upon the recorded parameters for the period of time, using a method that calculates a relationship between the component temperature and the recorded plurality of engine operating parameter, comprising:

developing a thermal model of the turbine component;

reducing the number of operating parameters;

developing an operating history by reviewing the operating parameters for the turbine;

identifying a damage mechanism to be evaluated for the turbine component based on the turbine operating history;

developing an algorithm based on the operating parameters to approximate the component metal temperature;

developing rule sets of algorithms;

using the rule sets of algorithms to determine the component metal temperature;

evaluating a damage mechanism of the component;

obtaining the turbine parameters necessary to determine a life consumption for the damage mechanism based on the calculated condition estimates;

calculating a damage fraction for each damage mechanism using the turbine parameters;

summing the calculated damage fractions;

obtaining the amount of component life remaining based upon the cumulated damage fractions; and

working the component based on the amount of component life remaining.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the cumulated damage fraction is used as an indicator to determine when to remove the component from service.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the cumulated damage fraction is to determine when to refurbish the component and return to service.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein if the component is replaced a component damage history is reset to a given value.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein if the component is refurbished the component damage history is reset or continued.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein component damage is tacked via a component serial number.

22. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the condition estimate is component metal temperature or component stress pairs.

23. A system for determining an amount of remaining useful life in a turbine component comprising:

a turbine engine monitoring device;

an algorithm for determining the component metal temperature, the algorithm comprising the steps of:

develop a thermal model of the turbine component;

measure a plurality of turbine operating parameters for a period of time;

reduce the number of operating parameters;

develop an operating history by reviewing the operating parameters for the turbine;

identify a damage mechanism to be evaluated for the turbine component based on the turbine operating history;

develop an algorithm based on the operating parameters to approximate the component metal temperature;

develop rule sets of algorithms;

use the rule sets of algorithms to determine the component metal temperature; and an algorithm for determining a component damage fraction.

24. The system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein a storage device is used to store a plurality of collected turbine operating parameters.