OPTICAL: Turbine Inspection Using Video Device.

NDT Update, November, 2002

New remote inspection delivery devices are making it possible to look deep inside steam and combustion turbines to detect component damage without taking them apart. The devices, developed through the teamwork of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Texas Genco, a subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., and Foster- Miller, Inc., can precisely deliver fiber-optic video probes through narrow spaces and around tight corners to detect erosion, cracking, and other damage on hard-to-reach components.

Periodic inspections of turbines provide information that can help guide maintenance and repair decisions. "The advantage of in situ inspection technology is that critical components may be accessed with minimal machine disassembly, reducing the cost and time normally...