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An online method, system, and computer-readable code for remotely monitoring radiant energy emitted from a turbine blade (106), which may be undergoing an incipient degradation, such as a crack, in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment of the low pressure stage of a steam tur

An online method, system, and computer-readable code for remotely monitoring radiant energy emitted from a turbine blade (106), which may be undergoing an incipient degradation, such as a crack, in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment of the low pressure stage of a steam turbine. The method and system provide sufficient temporal and spatial resolution to obtain high quality infrared images of the blade areas of interest enabling the system to identify the crack at any of those areas of the blade prior to such a crack growing to a critical length.

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We claim as our invention: 1. A method for inspecting a rotationally operating steam turbine blade, with the blade potentially undergoing degradation in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment found in the last blade rows of a low pressure stage steam turbine, the method compr

We claim as our invention: 1. A method for inspecting a rotationally operating steam turbine blade, with the blade potentially undergoing degradation in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment found in the last blade rows of a low pressure stage steam turbine, the method comprising: remotely monitoring radiant energy from respective first and second areas of the gas turbine blade while the blade is rotating, the monitoring of said first area being performed with a first focal plane array imaging sensor coupled to an optical system disposed along an axis generally parallel to an axis of rotation of the blade to concurrently acquire a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said first area of the blade, wherein said first area of the blade is part of a suction side of the blade, the monitoring of said second area being performed with a second focal plane array imaging sensor coupled to an optical system disposed at an angle relative to an axis along a radial direction to provide a view substantially along said radial direction, configuring said optical system to provide a sufficient depth of field along the view substantially along said radial direction to concurrently and within-focus acquire a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said second area of the blade, wherein said second area of the blade is part of a pressure side of the blade, wherein said first and second imaging sensors are each respectively configured to sense an infrared bandwidth selected to avoid an absorption band of water vapor and being further selected to capture a sufficient amount of radiant energy in said steam turbine environment so that said plurality of thermal imaging points have sufficient resolution to identify a crack at any of said first and second areas of the blade prior to said crack growing to a critical length; processing said plurality of thermal imaging points to generate respective images of said first and second areas of the turbine blade to indicate the crack at any of said first and second areas of the turbine blade; and evaluating the crack indicated in any of the respective images, wherein said monitoring, processing and evaluating are effected within a sufficiently short period of time to avert growth of said crack to the critical length. 2. A system for inspecting a rotationally operating steam turbine blade, with the blade potentially undergoing degradation in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment of a steam turbine, the system comprising: a monitor for remotely monitoring radiant energy from respective first and second areas of the gas turbine blade while the blade is rotating, said monitor comprising a measurement triggering device, a first focal plane array imaging sensor coupled to an optical system disposed along an axis substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the blade to concurrently acquire a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said first area of the blade, wherein said first area of the blade is part of a suction side of the blade, said monitor further comprising a second focal plane array imaging sensor coupled to an optical system disposed at an angle relative to an axis along a radial direction to provide a view substantially along said radial direction, said optical system configured to provide a sufficient depth of field along the view substantially along the radial direction to concurrently and within-focus acquire a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said second area of the blade, wherein said second area of the blade is part of a pressure side of the blade, wherein said first and second imaging sensors are each respectively configured to sense an infrared bandwidth selected to avoid an absorption band of water vapor and being further selected to capture a sufficient amount of radiant energy in said steam turbine environment so that said plurality of thermal imaging points have sufficient resolution to identify a crack at any of said first and second areas of the blade prior to said crack growing to a critical length; a processor configured to process said plurality of thermal imaging points to generate respective images of said first and second areas of the turbine blade to indicate the crack at any of said first and second areas of the turbine blade; and a module configured to evaluate the crack indicated in any of the respective images, wherein operations performed by said monitor, processor and evaluating module are effected within a sufficiently short period of time to avert growth of said crack to the critical length. 3. A method for inspecting a rotationally operating steam turbine blade, with the blade potentially undergoing degradation in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment of a steam turbine, the method comprising: remotely monitoring radiant energy from an area of the gas turbine blade while the blade is rotating, said monitoring being performed with a focal plane array imaging sensor configured to concurrently acquire a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said area of the blade, said imaging sensor configured to sense an infrared bandwidth selected to avoid an absorption band of water vapor and being further selected to capture a sufficient amount of radiant energy in said steam turbine environment so that said plurality of thermal imaging points have sufficient resolution to identify a crack at the area of that blade prior to said crack growing to a critical length; processing said plurality of thermal imaging points to generate an image of said area of the turbine blade to indicate the crack at the area of the turbine blade; and evaluating the crack indicated in the image, wherein said monitoring, processing and evaluating are effected within a sufficiently short period of time to avert growth of said crack to the critical length. 4. A system for inspecting a rotationally operating steam turbine blade, with the blade potentially undergoing degradation in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment of a steam turbine, the system, comprising: a monitor configured to remotely monitor radiant energy from an area of the gas turbine blade while the blade is rotating, said monitor comprising a focal plane array imaging sensor configured to concurrently acquire a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said area of the blade, said imaging sensor configured to sense an infrared bandwidth selected to avoid an absorption band of water vapor and being further selected to capture a sufficient amount of radiant energy in said steam turbine environment so that said plurality of thermal imaging points have sufficient resolution to identify a crack at the area of that blade prior to said crack growing to a critical length; a processor configured to process said plurality of thermal imaging points to generate an image of said area of the turbine blade to indicate the crack at the area of the turbine blade; and a module configured to evaluate the crack indicated in the image, wherein operation performed by said monitor, processor and evaluating module are effected within a sufficiently short period of time to avert growth of said crack to the critical length. 5. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having a computer-readable code therein for inspecting a rotationally operating steam turbine blade, with the blade potentially undergoing degradation in a relatively low-temperature, and saturated steam environment found in the last blade rows of a low pressure stage steam turbine, the computer-readable code comprising: computer-readable code for triggering a monitoring of radiant energy from respective first and second areas of the gas turbine blade while the blade is rotating, the monitoring of said first area being performed with a first focal plane array imaging sensor coupled to an optical system disposed along an axis generally parallel to an axis of rotation of the blade, and the monitoring of said second area being performed with a second focal plane array imaging sensor coupled to an optical system disposed at an angle relative to an axis along a radial direction to provide a view substantially along said radial direction; computer-readable code for concurrently acquiring a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said first area of the blade, wherein said first area of the blade is part of a suction side of the blade; computer-readable code for concurrently acquiring a plurality of thermal imaging points spatially registered over said second area of the blade, wherein said second area of the blade is part of a pressure side of the blade, wherein said first and second imaging sensors are each respectively configured to sense an infrared bandwidth selected to avoid an absorption band of water vapor and being further selected to capture a sufficient amount of radiant energy in said steam turbine environment so that said plurality of thermal imaging points have sufficient resolution to identify a crack at any of said first and second areas of the blade prior to said crack growing to a critical length; computer-readable code for processing said plurality of thermal imaging points to generate respective images of said first and second areas of the turbine blade to indicate the crack at any of said first and second areas of the turbine blade; and computer-readable code for evaluating the crack indicated in any of the respective images, wherein said monitoring, processing and evaluating are effected within a sufficiently short period of time to avert growth of said crack to the critical length.