Typically, a gas turbine is a complex piece of machinery that includes a large number of stationary as well as moving parts that come into play when the gas turbine is placed in an operating condition. As can be expected, these various parts may deteriorate or fail over time and may need to be replaced when the overall performance of the gas turbine suffers as a result of a deteriorated or failed part. However, it is generally undesirable to wait for a part to malfunction or to fail completely before replacing the failed part, especially if such a replacement necessitates shutting down the gas turbine. Consequently, in order to avoid such a situation, a gas turbine may be subjected to periodic testing in order to assess various components of the gas turbine and to ensure that the gas turbine is operating at a satisfactory level of performance.
In some cases, the periodic performance testing may be carried out by a manufacturer of the gas turbine (or by a selling entity of the gas turbine) as a part of a warranty agreement or a service contract agreement. Typically such testing is carried out on-site at a customer location after the customer has made suitable arrangements for having the gas turbine tested. Understandably, given the complexity of the gas turbine and the various operating conditions that the gas turbine may be subjected to, the on-site periodic testing can be a complex and elaborate procedure involving a significant amount of time and money on the part of the customer as well as on the part of the manufacturer or selling entity.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds