Inspection system for a gas turbine engine
An inspection system for a gas turbine engine includes a team of terrestrial drones each equipped with at least one inspection sensor and at least one processor. The processor is configured to choreograph operation of the terrestrial drones to each move along an associated drone-specific inspection path and collectively traverse an area of interest in a gas turbine engine; and operate the inspection sensor of each of the terrestrial drones to collect inspection data along the associated drone-specific inspection path.
1 . An inspection system for a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
a team of terrestrial drones each equipped with at least one inspection sensor;
at least one processor configured to:
choreograph operation of the terrestrial drones such that each of the terrestrial drones moves along an associated drone-specific inspection path and the terrestrial drones collectively traverse an area of interest in a gas turbine engine, and
operate the inspection sensor of each of the terrestrial drones to collect inspection data along the associated drone-specific inspection path,
wherein each of the terrestrial drones includes a chassis defining a first, terrestrial side and a second, opposite side, a transparent floor mounted in the chassis, and the at least one inspection sensor includes an imaging device mounted on the chassis and situated to take images of the first side through the transparent floor, and the transparent floor includes an array of feelers extending therefrom on the first side, the feelers moving across an inspection surface and exerting pressure on the floor that varies with topography of the surface, the pressure registering as a change in localized optical properties of the floor, and the imaging device illuminating the floor and the at least one processor determining the topography of the inspection surface based on the localized optical properties of the floor.
2 . The inspection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify whether there is a need for deviation of one of the terrestrial drones from the associated drone-specific inspection path and, if there is the need, provide an instruction for the one of the terrestrial drones to deviate from the associated drone-specific inspection path.
3 . The inspection system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the need is based on detection of an abnormality along a portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of a first one of the terrestrial drones, and the instruction is for the first one of the terrestrial drones to retrace the portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path and provide confirmation of the detection of the abnormality.
4 . The inspection system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the need is based on detection of an abnormality along a portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of a first one of the terrestrial drones, and the instruction is to summon a second, different one of the terrestrial drones to retrace the portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path and provide confirmation of the detection of the abnormality.
5 . The inspection system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the at least one inspection sensor includes at least one of an imaging device or a tactile sensor, the detection of the abnormality is based on the inspection data of the imaging device or the tactile sensor, and the confirmation of the detection of the abnormality is based on the inspection data of the other of the imaging device or the tactile sensor.
6 . The inspection system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the need is based on a time threshold of a first one of the terrestrial drones being exceeded for completing the associated drone-specific inspection path such that there is an uninspected portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of the first one of the terrestrial drones, and the instruction is to summon a second, different one of the terrestrial drones to move along the uninspected portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of the first one of the terrestrial drones.
7 . The inspection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one inspection sensor includes at least an imaging device and a tactile sensor.
8 . The inspection system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each drone-specific inspection path is predetermined.
9 . A method for inspecting a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
deploying a team of terrestrial drones in a gas turbine engine, each of the terrestrial drones is equipped with at least one inspection sensor;
choreographing operation of the terrestrial drones such that each of the terrestrial drones moves along an associated drone-specific inspection path and the terrestrial drones collectively traverse an area of interest in the gas turbine engine; and
operating the at least one inspection sensor of each of the terrestrial drones to collect inspection data along the associated drone-specific inspection path,
wherein each of the terrestrial drones includes a chassis defining a first, terrestrial side and a second, opposite side, a transparent floor mounted in the chassis, and the at least one inspection sensor includes an imaging device mounted on the chassis and situated to take images of the first side through the transparent floor, and the transparent floor includes an array of feelers extending therefrom on the first side, the feelers moving across an inspection surface and exerting pressure on the floor that varies with topography of the surface, the pressure registering as a change in localized optical properties of the floor, and the imaging device illuminating the floor and determining the topography of the inspection surface based on the localized optical properties of the floor.
10 . The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising identifying whether there is a need for deviation of one of the terrestrial drones from the associated drone-specific inspection path and, if there is the need, providing an instruction for the one of the terrestrial drones to deviate from the associated drone-specific inspection path.
11 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the need is based on detection of an abnormality along a portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of a first one of the terrestrial drones, and the instruction is for the first one of the terrestrial drones to retrace the portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path and provide confirmation of the detection of the abnormality.
12 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the need is based on detection of an abnormality along a portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of a first one of the terrestrial drones, and the instruction is to summon a second, different one of the terrestrial drones to retrace the portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path and provide confirmation of the detection of the abnormality.
13 . The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the need is based on a time threshold of a first one of the terrestrial drones being exceeded for completing the associated drone-specific inspection path such that there is an uninspected portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of the first one of the terrestrial drones, and the instruction is to summon a second, different one of the terrestrial drones to move along the uninspected portion of the associated drone-specific inspection path of the first one of the terrestrial drones.