IP Library Granted Patent US 9,494,486
Granted Patent B2
US 9,494,486 · App. 14/007,269 · Granted Nov 15, 2016

Method of inspecting impacts observed in fan casings

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,494,486
App. No.
14/007,269
Granted
Nov 15, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for inspecting impacts present on an internal face of a fan casing, the method including: spotting a first impact present on the internal face of the fan casing; delimiting an inspection area containing the first impact; spotting the various impacts present in the delimited inspection area, the various spotted impacts forming a set of impacts to be considered; measuring, for each impact that is to be considered, the depth of length of the impact; for each impact to be considered, determining a harmfulness value, using at least one chart relating the depth and length of each impact to be considered to a level of harmfulness; determining, for the inspection area containing the first impact, a total harmfulness value by adding together the harmfulness level determined for each impact to be considered.

Claims (19)

1. A method for inspecting impacts present on an internal face of a fan casing, said method comprising:

spotting a first impact present in the internal face of the fan casing;

delimiting an inspection area including said first impact;

spotting different impacts present on the delimited inspection area, said different spotted impacts forming a set of impacts to be considered;

measuring, for each impact to be considered, the depth and length of said impact;

for each impact to be considered, determining a level of harmfulness value, using at least one chart relating the depth and length of each impact to be considered to a level of harmfulness, wherein for the depth of the impact, the chart provides different levels of harmfulness that depend on the length of the impact;

determining, for the inspection area including the first impact, a total level of harmfulness value by adding the level of harmfulness determined for each impact to be considered.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein delimiting the inspection area containing the first impact is performed by a mask.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the mask is rectangular in shape and has the following characteristics:

a first side of the mask has a dimension between a fifth part of a chord of casing vanes and the length of the chord of said vanes;

a second side of the mask has a dimension between the fifth part of the chord of said vanes and the height of a blade of said vanes.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the dimensions of the mask depend on the location of the inspection area, a first mask having first dimensions being used for an upstream zone of the casing and/or a second mask having second dimensions being used for an abradable zone of the casing and/or a third mask having third dimensions being used for a downstream zone of the casing.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first mask is rectangular in shape, having a length 71 millimeters within ten percent, and a width 20 millimeters within ten percent, and/or the third mask is square in shape, having a side 250 millimeters within ten percent.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein each mask is associated with a specific chart used for determining a level of harmfulness from depth and length information of each impact to be considered.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein delimiting the inspection area containing the first impact is performed by tracers and an associated calculator.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each chart relates a measured value of the depth of the impact to be considered and a range of values comprising a measured value of the length of the impact to be considered to a level of harmfulness.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the range of values comprising the measured value of the length of the impact to be considered has an amplitude of at least 5 millimeters for impacts having a length lower than 30 millimeters.

10. The method according to claim 1 , comprising, prior to the measuring, excluding from the set of impacts to be considered the impacts having a depth lower than 0.1 millimeters.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the chart correlates the level of harmfulness to the depth of the impact for different ranges of lengths of impacts.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE COVER SHEET TO REMOVE APPLICATION NOS. 10250419, 10786507, 10786409, 12416418, 12531115, 12996294, 12094637 12416422 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 046479 FRAME 0807. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Aug 24, 2018
From: SNECMA
To: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
Reel/Frame 046939/0336 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 23, 2018
From: SNECMA
To: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
Reel/Frame 046479/0807 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2013
From: TRAN, JULIEN; LAVIGNOTTE, RICHARD
To: SNECMA
Reel/Frame 031274/0267 →