Three-dimensional visualization and analysis method and system for non-destructive examination of a rotor bore using ultrasound

US8805625B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE
• SIEMENS ENERGY, INC. · US

Inventors

• Jingdan Zhang · Plainsboro, US
• Shaohua Kevin Zhou · Plainsboro, US
• Waheed A. Abbasi · Murrysville, US
• Chris Vierck · Oviedo, US
• Peter FALTIN · Aachen, DE
• Daniel S. Morgan · North Versailles, US
• Larry C. Himes · Greensburg, US
• Dorin Comaniciu · Princeton Junction, US
• Michael J. Metala · Murrysville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 13, 2010
• Grant date: Aug 12, 2014
• Expiry date: Jun 12, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2291/2693
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for three-dimensional (3D) visualization and analysis for automatic non-destructive examination of a rotor bore using ultrasound. Data is acquired by scanning the rotor bore with an ultrasound pulser/transducer producing a plurality of one-dimensional ultrasound scans, each scan having a plurality of sample points. Each sample point is associated with a voxel of a regular 3D grid having a plurality of voxels. A Gaussian kernel is associated with each sample point and a value for a particular voxel is determined based on a weighted sum of sample points whose kernels cover the particular voxel. The values for the other voxels of the regular 3D grid are determined similarly. A 3D visualization of the rotor bore can be displayed to a user.