The performance of the turbine has a direct impact on the production capability and competitiveness of an industry. The turbine needs to perform at its optimum level to ensure continued production in the factory consistently. Any slight issue needs to be identified and rectified early enough to prevent downtimes that always have adverse effects on the performance of any firm. Avoiding them as much as possible should be the norm of every company. This is why proper turbine testing and inspection need to be conducted to identify any defects for immediate repair. To facilitate this process, you will need to work with an efficient Borescope. This is an optical equipment used in visually inspecting the areas of a turbine, for instance, impeller blades and gas path, just to mention a few. However, for this inspection process to be successful, you will need to use the right Borescope for this task. There are a number of factors you need to consider to make the right selection. They include:
Buy From A Reliable Supplier
Finding the right borescope for turbine inspection is not an easy task. First, you need to ensure you have a reliable supplier for this equipment. Unfortunately, there is a possibility you might end up purchasing a faulty one which will ultimately have a negative impact on your turbine inspection procedure. You will generate inaccurate borescope inspection reports and thus make an incorrect judgment. To avoid such occurrences, ensure you buy from the right supplier. This will require you to carry out research or read reviews on some of the readily available reputable suppliers. Analyses each one of them and decide on which one to supply you with a quality borescope.
Articulation
Turbine inspection is not a simple procedure. It needs not only the use high level of expertise but also the right tools. If you intend to use a borescope to inspect the turbine’s inner parts, ensure it can capture very quality images. It needs to have a great tip articulation to make fine adjustments so that it is well-positioned to take clear shots of the different parts of the turbine. An articulating borescope will also penetrate past the tight activities to ensure you can view all areas inside the machine. Therefore, comprehensive and accurate borescope inspection reports will be generated to identify the parts that are damaged and need repair.
Lighting
Inspecting the dark spaces in the turbine can be a very stressful process without great lighting. This is because you will not be able to see all parts, especially those in dark areas, due to lack of light. So, as you choose your borescope, ensure it offers the right lighting to provide you with enough amount of light for your gas turbine inspection process. You will get quality images that can be easily analyzed to know what is negatively impacting the generator or turbine’s performance.
Length and Diameter
The length and diameter of a borescope do matter a lot, especially when inspecting the turbine. This equipment has to easily enter inside the turbine in order to capture clear shots of every part. Therefore, the borescope should not have a larger diameter than the holes in the turbine. It will not be able to access and navigate inside the generator or steam turbine. Make sure it always has the appropriate diameter for better accessibility.
Conclusion
Conducting thorough turbine inspections entails reaching to even the most remote parts inside your turbine. Since a turbine is a very critical piece of equipment, you must ensure it is properly maintained to prevent downtime in the industry. Part of ensuring the turbine is operating at an optimum level always is proper testing and inspection. A borescope is one of the important tools used in the inspection process to check all the parts inside the turbine visually. This helps in identifying dirt, debris, and particles that are likely to damage the turbine. They are removed early enough to prevent them from causing any damages. Furthermore, the borescope captures the images of the parts which need repair and maintenance services. This will prompt the relevant authority to carry out the necessary repair and ensure the turbine is up and running within the shortest time possible.