4010 Borescope

Technical Training
Borescope Inspection Procedures
Student Workbook
Course No. 4010
Borescope Inspection Procedures
Student Workbook
4010
Course No. 4010
Technical Training
Technical Training
Borescope Inspection
Procedures
Student Workbook
Course No. 4010
Solar Turbines Incorporated

P.O. Box 85376
San Diego, CA 92186–5376
Solar, Saturn, Centaur, Mars, Mercury, Taurus, Titan, SoLoNOx, and Turbotronic are
trademarks of Solar Turbines Incorporated. Cat and Caterpillar are trademarks of Caterpillar Inc.
Specifications subject to change without notice. Printed in the U.S.A.
PUBLICATION NUMBER: TR4010

PROPRIETARY NOTICE
The contents of this technical training instructions manual are proprietary
data of Solar Turbines Incorporated, a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. This
material is protected under U.S. copyright law. All reproduction is prohibited
without the express written approval of Solar Turbines Incorporated.
© 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Solar Technical Training CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
1 LESSON 1 - BORESCOPE PRINCIPLES & APPLICATIONS

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.1
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.2
PRINCIPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.3
FIBER OPTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.3
LIGHT GUIDE BUNDLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.5
THE ILLUMINATION SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.5
INCANDESCENT BULBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.5
ARC/DISCHARGE LAMPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.6
IMAGE COLLECTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.6
GLASS OPTIC LENS TRAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.6
FIBER OPTIC IMAGE BUNDLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.6
BORESCOPE COMPONENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.8
BORESCOPE TYPES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.10
RIGID BORESCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.10
ADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.11
DISADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.11
FLEXIBLE BORESCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.12
ADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.13
DISADVANTAGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.13
DIGITAL BORESCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.14
ADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.15
DISADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.15
USE, CARE, AND MAINTENANCE OF BORESCOPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1.16
2 LESSON 2 - DIGITAL BORESCOPE APPLICATIONS

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.1
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.2
BORESCOPE MODELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.2
OLYMPUS IPLEX SA II R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.3
FAMILIARIZATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.3
MAJOR COMPONENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.5
REMOTE CONTROLLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.7
DISPLAY SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.9
BORESCOPE BASIC FUNCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.11
ZOOM CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.11
BRIGHTNESS CONTROL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.11
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. v

CONTENTS Solar Technical Training
Chapter Page
DIGITAL BORESCOPE OPTICAL ADAPTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.14

BORESCOPE BASIC SETUP AND INSPECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.15
MENU OPERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.18
SCOPE INSERTION, OBSERVATION, AND IMAGE CAPTURE . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.19
MOVING IMAGES TO AN EXTERNAL COMPUTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.21
IMAGE TRANSFER: USB TO A PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.22
IMAGE TRANSFER: MEMORY CARD TO A PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.23
3 LESSON 3 - STUDENT HANDS ON EXERCISE

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 3.1
BLACK BOX SIMULATOR #1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 3.3
4 LESSON 4 - COMPONENT DESCRIPTION

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.1
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.2
BORESCOPE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.2
DIRECTION OF VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.2
MAGNIFICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.2
STAGING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.3
Gas Producer Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.3
Turbine Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.3
ENGINE STATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.4
P1/T1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.4
P2 (PCD) /T2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.4
T3 (TRIT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.4
T5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.5
P7/T7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.5
ACRONYMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.5
Typical Borescope Related Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.5
GAS TURBINE COMPONENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.6
COMPRESSOR SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.6
Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.6
Variable Guide Vanes (VGV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.6
Compressor Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.7
Stators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.8
Exit Guide Vanes (EGV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.8
Compressor Diffuser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.8
COMBUSTION SECTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.10
COMBUSTOR HOUSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.10
LINER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.10
Diffusion Style Liner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.11
Effusion Cooled Liner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.12
Augmented Backside Cooled Liner (ABC) . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.13
Fuel Injectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.14
Nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.15
vi © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

Chapter Page
COMBUSTION SECTION, CONTD

Cooled Nozzles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.16
Turbine Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.17
Cooled. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.18
Tip Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.18
Torch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.20
Power Turbine Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.21
Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.22
Nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 4.22
5 LESSON 5 - PRODUCT LINE DESCRIPTION

OBJECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.1
FIELD TOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.2
GUIDE TUBES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.2
BORESCOPE SPRINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.3
BORESCOPE REMOVAL TOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.4
PRODUCT LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.4
SATURN 10/20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.7
Saturn Borescope Field Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.9
CENTAUR 40/50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.10
Centaur 40/50 Borescope Field Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.12
MERCURY 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.13
Mercury 50 Borescope Field Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.15
TAURUS 60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.16
Taurus 60 Borescope Field Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.18
TAURUS 70 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.18
Taurus 70 Borescope Field Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.21
MARS 90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.22
Mars 90/100 Borescope Field Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.25
TITAN 130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.26
Titan 130 Borescope Field Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 5.28
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. vii

Chapter Page
6 LESSON 6 - INSTRUCTOR DEMONSTRATION

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1
HANDS ON EXERCISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2
7 LESSON 7 - COMPONENT FAILURE MODES

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.1
APPLIED FORCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.2
HEAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.2
PRESSURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.2
VIBRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.3
FAILURE MODES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.3
F.O.D. (Foreign Object Damage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.4
WEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.5
ADHESIVE WEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.5
ABRASIVE WEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.6
SURFACE WEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.7
FRETTING WEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.7
EROSION WEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.8
SULFIDATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.8
H.C.F. (HIGH CYCLE FATIGUE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.9
L.C.F. (LOW CYCLE FATIGUE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.9
OVERLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.10
THERMO-MECHANICAL FATIGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.10
CORROSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.11
THERMAL DAMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.11
THERMAL EROSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.12
OTHER TYPES OF FAILURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.12
CREEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.12
STRESS RUPTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.12
DISTORTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.12
MELTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.12
STUDENT PRACTICAL EXERCISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.13
DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Tensile Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Yield Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Plastically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Deformation/Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Oxidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Varnish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Contamination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Deterioration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
Discoloration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 7.19
viii © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

Chapter Page
8 LESSON 8 - BORESCOPE SEVERITY INDEX

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 8.1
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 8.2
SEVERITY INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 8.3
SEVERITY LEVEL 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 8.3
SEVERITY LEVEL 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 8.4
NORMAL CONDITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 8.5
STUDENT EXERCISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 8.6
9 LESSON 9 - BORESCOPE INSPECTION REPORTS

OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.1
INSPECTION REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.2
REPORT TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.2
REPORT CONTENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.9
REPORT FORMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.9
ATTACHMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.10
REPORT COMPLETION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.12
PRACTICAL EXERCISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9.13
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. ix

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Page
1.1 Borescope Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2
1.2 Tyndall’s Light Pipe Experiment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4
1.3 Image Bundle Fibers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7
1.4 Image Bundle Fiber Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7
1.5 Borescope Major Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.8
1.6 Rigid Borescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.11
1.7 Flexible Borescope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.12
1.8 Flexible Borescope Articulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.13
1.9 Digital Borescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.15
1.10 Borescope Inspection Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.20
1.11 Borescope Inspection Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.24
2.1 Olympus IPLEX SA II R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3
2.2 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Main Control Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.4
2.3 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Remote Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7
2.4 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Display Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.9
2.5 Brightness Control Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.13
2.6 Borescope Optical Adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.14
2.7 Optical Adapter Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.16
2.8 Optical Adapter Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.16
2.9 Remote Controller Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.17
2.10 Remote Controller Hand Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.19
2.11 Working Length Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.20
2.12 Olympus IPLEX Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.22
4.1 Gas Producer Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3
4.2 Engine Temperature/Pressure Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. xi

Figure Page
4.3 Inlet and Variable Guide Vanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7
4.4 Compressor Diffuser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9
4.5 Standard Combustion Diffuser Liner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.11
4.6 SoLoNOx Effusion Cooled Liner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.12
4.7 ABC Liner (Augmented Backside Cooled) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.13
4.8 Standard and SoLoNOx Injectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.14
4.9 Turbine Nozzle Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.15
4.10 Turbine Nozzle Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.16
4.11 Typical Turbine Rotor With Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.17
4.12 Cooled Turbine Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.18
4.13 Typical Tip Shoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.19
4.14 Tip Shoe Segment Following 1st Stage Nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.19
4.15 Engine Temperature/Pressure Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.20
4.16 Typical Power Turbine Rotor Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.21
5.1 Borescope Guide Tubes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2
5.2 Borescope Spring and Guide Tube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3
5.3 Borescope Plug Removal Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4
5.4 Product Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5
5.5 Typical Saturn 10 Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.7
5.6 Typical Saturn 10 Port Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.9
5.7 Typical Centaur 50 H.E.D. Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.10
5.8 Typical Centaur 50 Borescope Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.12
5.9 Typical Mercury 50 Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.13
5.10 Mercury 50 Cutaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.15
5.11 Typical Taurus 60 C.E.D. Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.16
5.12 Typical Taurus 70 C.E.D. Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.18
xii © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

Figure Page
5.13 Taurus 70 Cutaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.21
5.14 Typical Mars 100 Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.22
5.15 Mars Cutaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.25
5.16 Typical Titan 130 Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.26
5.17 Titan 130 Cutaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.28
7.1 Example Foreign Object Damage (FOD). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.4
7.2 Example of Adhesive Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.5
7.3 Example of Abrasive Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.6
7.4 Example of Surface Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.7
7.5 Example of Sulfidation on a Fuel Injector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.8
7.6 Liberated Blade due to HCF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.9
7.7 Paper-Clip Failure due to LCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.9
7.8 Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue on Turbine Nozzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.10
7.9 Thermal Damage on Turbine Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.11
8.1 "Severity Level 1" Blade Liberation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.4
8.2 "Severity Level 2" Thermal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5
9.1 Sample Borescope Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.3
9.2 FESD Button Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.4
9.3 FESD Main Topics Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.5
9.4 Borescope Report Template Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.6
9.5 Borescope Report Template Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.7
9.6 Windows "Open Attachment" Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.8
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. xiii

LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
5.1 Taurus 70 & Saturn 20 Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5
8.1 Severity Level 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.3

8.2 Severity Level 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. xv

Solar Technical Training INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
This student workbook is designed to accompany the

Borescope Inspection Procedures course presented by
the Training and Technical Resources Development
Department of Solar Turbines Incorporated.
The goal of this course is to provide the technician

an overview of the procedure required to complete
an accurate and detailed borescope of a gas turbine
engine accompanied by a thorough inspection report.
The duration of the class will be 5 days.
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. xvii

INTRODUCTION Solar Technical Training
LIST OF LESSONS AND APPENDICES:
Lessons:
LESSON 1 - Borescope Principles

LESSON 2 - Digital Borescope Applications
LESSON 3 - Student Hands-On Practical Exercise

(Black Box Simulation)
LESSON 4 - Gas Turbine Component Description

LESSON 5 - Product Line & Field Tool Use Overview
LESSON 6 - Student Hands-On Practical Exercise

(Field Tool Uses)
LESSON 7 - Component Failure Modes

LESSON 8 - Borescope Inspection Severity Index
LESSON 9 - Borescope Inspection Report
LESSON 10 - Student Hands On Practical Exercise

(Borescope Inspection)
LESSON 11 - Student Hands On Practical Exercise
(Report Creation)
Appendices:
APPENDIX 1.1 - Saturn MKI and MKII Inspection

Procedure
APPENDIX 1.2 - Centaur T4000/T4500 Inspection
Procedure
APPENDIX 1.3 - Centaur Type "H" and Taurus

Inspection Procedure
APPENDIX 1.4 - Mars Inspection Procedure

APPENDIX 1.5 - Mercury 50 Inspection Procedure
xviii © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

COURSE OBJECTIVE
On completion of this course the student will be able

to:
1. Define the operational theory and capabilities of

a rigid, flexible, and digital borescope
2. Demonstrate the ability to capture and save

digital images for transfer from a digital
borescope to a field programming unit
3. Demonstrate the ability to properly use a rigid,
flexible, and digital borescope
4. Describe the internal components of a gas

turbine engine and the terminology used to
depict them
5. Describe the different engines in Solar’s product

line and the applicable borescope field tooling
for each
6. Demonstrate the ability to use borescope field

tooling to access complex regions of a gas turbine
engine
7. Describe component failure modes and how they

affect a gas turbine engine
8. Describe the three main severity levels and their
relationship to a borescope inspection
9. Describe the process used to create an accurate
and detailed borescope inspection report
10. Demonstrate the ability to perform a detailed

inspection of a gas turbine engine
11. Demonstrate the ability to create an accurate

and detailed borescope inspection report
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. xix

4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. xxi

INTRODUCTION Solar Technical Training
xxii © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

Solar Technical Training LESSON 1 - Borescope Principles & Applications
LESSON 1 - Borescope Principles & Applications
OBJECTIVES
On completion of this lesson the student will be able to:
1. Describe the purpose a borescope serves when
inspecting the internal components of a gas
turbine engine
2. Describe the overall theory and principles of

a borescope
3. Describe the principles used in the operation of a

rigid, flexible, and digital borescope
4. Define the capabilities of the 3 different

borescopes along with their advantages and
disadvantages
5. Describe the proper methods to use, care for, and
maintain a borescope inspection kit
4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 1.1

LESSON 1 - Borescope Principles & Applications Solar Technical Training
INTRODUCTION
Visual borescope inspections are one of the primary
diagnostic methods for maintaining turbo machinery.
Rigid borescopes, Flexible borescopes, and Digital
borescopes augmented with accessories such as a
camera attachment and guide tools, are used to
inspect critical components to detect early warning
signs of defects without complete disassembly of the
machine (Figure 1.1).
Figure 1.1 Borescope Inspection

Internal visual inspection of gas turbines has become
an important maintenance procedure. Field employees
and technicians are now able to inspect vital
components deep inside the engine for signs of wear,
thermal and mechanical damage, and component
integrity. The result is greater economy of operation
and safety. In addition, greater reliability achieved
through remote internal inspection reduces the
possibility of catastrophic failure.
1.2 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

PRINCIPLES
A borescope is an optical device consisting of a rigid or
flexible tube with an eyepiece on one end, an objective
lens on the other, linked together by a relay optical
system in between. The optical system is typically
consists of optical fibers used for illumination of the
remote object and a rigid or flexible protective outer
sheath. The remote object is illuminated and an
internal image is formed by the objective lens. The
image is then delivered to the technician by means of
either a lens train for a rigid borescope, or a fiber optic
bundle for a flexible/digital borescope.
FIBER OPTICS
One of the general laws of physics is that light travels
in straight lines. However in the middle of the last
century, an Irish scientist named John Tyndall
made a remarkable discovery that light could be
contained within a stream of water (Figure 1.2). In his
experiment, "The Light Pipe", a container was exposed
to sunlight above a roof and a stream of water was
allowed to flow from the side of the container to a
bowl below in a darkened room. The sunlight stayed
trapped in total internal reflection within the curving
stream, seemingly traveling around a corner.

Figure 1.2 Tyndall’s Light Pipe Experiment
This principle is used today in fiber optic

instrumentation, which utilizes thousands of
flexible optical glass fibers made of silicone to carry
illumination and imagery. Optical glass fibers act very
much like Dr. Tyndall’s stream of water; light stays
trapped in the fibers, emerging with little loss at
the end. Or simply put, the light travels through the
fibers like water in a pipe.

LIGHT GUIDE BUNDLES

In order to deliver light to the area to be inspected,
a borescope utilizes an external high intensity light
source to illuminate the object, called the light guide
bundle.
Fiber optic glass fibers are assembled in bundles,
providing the means to transmit light to the area
under inspection. Light from the light source is
transmitted through the non-coherent light guide
fiber bundle to the light window at the distal tip of
the borescope. Light sources are specially designed
to illuminate the work area with strong even light
for the best application.
NOTE
Since only light is transmitted to the
viewing area, alignment of these fibers is
not important.
THE ILLUMINATION SYSTEM

Because a borescope must function in the dark
interior of machinery, it must provide its own source
of illumination. This is accomplished through the
illumination system; which transmits light from
the light source, through the light guide bundle, to
the light window in the distal tip of the borescope,
consequently illuminating the inspection area.
The two basic types of lamps used for electric light

sources for borescopes are the incandescent lamp and
the arc/discharge lamp.
INCANDESCENT BULBS
Incandescent lamps for light sources are similar to

the familiar household lamp in which a tungsten
filament in a vacuum is heated by electrical current
and glows to incandescence. In most light source
lamps of this type, the filament glows most effectively
in an environment of inert gas.
Incandescent lamps for light sources are in the

range of 150 watts of power consumption. Borescope
light source lamps differ from household lamps in

complexity and ruggedness of construction and have

the ability to focus with a specially designed reflector
to allow as much light as possible on the end of the
fiber optic light cable.
ARC/DISCHARGE LAMPS
The arc or discharge lamp differs from a tungsten

incandescent lamp in that instead of a powering
filament in a vacuum, there is a pair of electrodes
between which an arc is struck, providing high
intensity temperature. The gap between the electrodes
is designed to be as small as possible in order to allow
the brightest arc for the most concentrated light.
IMAGE COLLECTION
While the illumination system is used to deliver high
intensity light to the inspection area, there is also the
need for the borescope to relay the collected image
back to the inspector. This is accomplished by the
image collection system, which is comprised of either a
glass optic lens train or a fiber optic image bundle.
GLASS OPTIC LENS TRAIN

The glass optic lens train contains a series of lenses
(similar to a miniature telescope) to relay images
to the end technician. The lenses are encased in a
stainless steel sheath, or working length, in diameters
that range from 6.0 to 16.0 mm.
FIBER OPTIC IMAGE BUNDLE
The properties of the fiber optic image bundle are such

that light stays trapped in the fiber much like water
in a pipe and emerges at the other end. The fiber optic
strands in the image bundle of borescopes can be as
small as 8 microns. A cladding (coating) of different
reflective glass on the fibers contains the light without
leaking light to adjacent fibers.

Figure 1.3 Image Bundle Fibers
There can be upwards of 20,000 fibers in an image

bundle (Figure 1-3) with each fiber carries a "pixel"
of optical information to the eyepiece. The resolution
depends upon the accurate alignment and size of the
fibers. The fibers are arranged coherently, that is each
fiber is aligned in exactly the same position at each
end, like a mosaic, and the image is transmitted.
Without this alignment, the transmitted image would
be scrambled or distorted (Figure 1.4).
Figure 1.4 Image Bundle Fiber Alignment

BORESCOPE COMPONENTS
While there are several models and types of borescopes
that can be used to complete a thorough inspection, the
hardware does not differ greatly from kit to kit. Many
of the same principles used in the rigid borescope apply
as well to the more current digital borescope. The
following are some of the main components used in the
operation of a borescope inspection kit (Figure 1.5).
Figure 1.5 Borescope Major Components
1. Light Source
a. Supplies the light to the borescope by
means of an arc or incandescent lamp.
2. Illumination Bundle
a. Delivers light supplied by the light source

through the borescope illuminating the
inspection area.
3. Working Length
a. Connects the technician control handle

and the distal tip together and provides a
safe means to route both the illumination
bundle and the image train/bundle.

4. Distal Tip
a. The very end of the working length, which

contains both the objective lens and the
illumination bundle lens.
5. Objective Lens
a. An image of the inspection area is formed

in the objective lens, which is located at the
tip of the working length.
6. Image Train/Bundle
a. Delivers the image gathered by the

objective lens to the technician via a
precision glass lens train or fiber optical
bundle.
7. Technician Control Handle
a. Provides the technician with the means to

view the inspection area via an eyepiece
or display screen, articulate the distal tip
to maneuver around, and allows for focus
control.

BORESCOPE TYPES
Today, with the use of borescope inspection technology,
there is less costly and more reliable ways to monitor
the turbine internal components. It is possible to
inspect in place and document the condition of such
vital components as compressor vanes and blades,
combustor liners, turbine wheels, and nozzles without
disassembling the engine.
Rigid borescopes, Flexible borescopes, and Digital

borescopes at their simplest, are optical instruments,
which penetrate small openings and allow optics
into an area that is to be inspected. They have the
capability of bathing normally dark internal areas
with bright illumination for visual examination and/or
making a photographic reproductions or videos.
RIGID BORESCOPES
A rigid borescope (Figure 1.6) utilizes an illumination
bundle coupled with a precision glass optic lens train
to allow the technician to view the inspection area.
The glass optic lenses are encased in a stainless steel
sheath, or working length, with an attached handle
assembly that contains the eyepiece, focus control, and
scanning control for the technician. A diopter ring,
much like that on a set of binoculars, is available to
allow the technician to adjust the focus as needed to
view the inspection area more clearly.

Figure 1.6 Rigid Borescope
ADVANTAGES
The advantages of the rigid borescope are that it
generally provides the best light conditions to the
inspection area providing a more superior image when
compared to the flexible/digital borescope. The costs
associated with rigid borescopes are often lower with
regards to repairs and ownership.
DISADVANTAGES
The disadvantages of a rigid borescope are that

straight-line access is required to the area under
inspection due to the fact that the working length
is rigid. The working length is typically rather
large in size as well, making it difficult to access
smaller borescope ports. In order for the technician to
capture/store/gather an image of the inspection area, a
camera must be mounted to the handle assembly by
means of a mounting kit with adapters.

FLEXIBLE BORESCOPES
The flexible borescope (Figure 1.7) has two fiber optic
bundles, which consist of the image and illumination
systems encased in a flexible sheath or insertion tube.
The flexible sheath can be moved around corners and
into places that do not have straight-line access. The
image formed by the objective lens in the tip is relayed
back to the eyepiece, not by a series of lenses, but by a
fiber optic image bundle.
Figure 1.7 Flexible Borescope
Flexible Borescopes incorporate articulation control at

the tip so the observer can guide and direct the scope
during insertion (Figure 1.8). Flexible Borescopes are
made in a variety of diameters, some as small as 3.7
mm and in various lengths up to ten feet or more with
a choice of directions of view at the tip.

Figure 1.8 Flexible Borescope Articulation
ADVANTAGES
The advantage of a flexible borescope is that it can
articulate throughout the area being inspected giving
the technician the ability to look at all aspects of a gas
turbines interior. This flexibility allows the technician
to maneuver around objects and corners inside of
the engine to inspect areas that were previously
inaccessible by a rigid borescope.
DISADVANTAGES
The disadvantage is that much like the rigid
borescope, a mounted camera will still be required in
order for the technician to capture an image of the
inspected area. The cost of ownership and repair is
also substantially higher than that of a rigid borescope
due to the implementation of the articulation controls
and the fiber optic image bundle.

DIGITAL BORESCOPES
The digital borescope (Figure 1.9) is quite similar
to flexible borescope in that it utilizes a glass fiber
optic illumination bundle to deliver light to the
inspection area. The transmitting of the image does
not require an image bundle as the image is captured
and converted into a digital signal before being sent
to the main control unit. It also has the articulation
control like the flexible borescope in that it is able
to maneuver throughout the interior of an engine
to view normally inaccessible regions. The main
components of a digital borescope are the main control
unit, technician control device, working length, distal
viewing tip, and optional display screen.
The main control unit, normally equipped with a

CPU (Central Processing Unit), supplies both the
light source as well as the ability to convert and save
the captured image into digital format. The image
viewed at the distal tip, is relayed to the main control
unit by means of a CCD (Charged-Coupled Device)
chip that converts the image for viewing on a display
screen or capture to a storage media device. Digital
borescopes also offer the means to digitally zoom in on
the subject under inspection, as well as the capability
to take digital measurements of components in the
inspection area.

Figure 1.9 Digital Borescope
ADVANTAGES
The advantages of the digital borescope are that the

technician can maneuver throughout the inspection
area while simultaneously capturing digital images
documenting the condition without the need for
camera attachments. The technician can then retrieve
these images by means of a media storage device
(USB Thumb-drive, Floppy Disk, or Compact Flash
Card) and these images can be inserted into borescope
inspection reports or saved for future screening.
DISADVANTAGES
The disadvantage of the digital borescope is the

complexity of all of the controls that are available for
use as well as the overall cost of the equipment. Digital

borescopes have a tendency to be much larger than the

rigid or flexible borescopes due to the necessity of the
main control unit and required electronics.
USE, CARE, AND MAINTENANCE OF BORESCOPES

A borescope is a complex mechanism, which
includes fiber optic bundles, control wires, electronic
instrumentation, and depending on the type of
borescope may include a graphic display screen. It is
important to follow manufacturer guidelines in order
to maintain the proper operation and functionality
of the equipment.
During an inspection, ensure to follow these
guidelines:
1. Familiarize yourself with the borescope and all

applicable equipment. Practice using the controls
and ensure that the scope manipulates freely
and completely. An incorrect function in tip
control can be misleading during an inspection
and can cause damage to the probe tip.
2. Verify that the light source is functional and
replace the bulb if necessary. Verify that the
brightness control function works that the
illumination level can be adjusted.
Make sure that you or the equipment is

not located in a hazardous environment,
with potentially explosive airborne
materials. If this not possible, an
explosion-proof light source may be
required.
3. Do not allow any of the borescope equipment to

come into contact with any liquids or potentially
corrosive materials.

4. The temperature at the tip of the probe should

never exceed 176F, Therefore, a borescope
inspection should not be performed on an engine
with a T5 greater that 150F as a general rule,
nor should the borescope tip be allowed to contact
materials that may scorch it.
5. Ensure to never leave the borescope probe, tip, or

working length protruding from and unattended
access port
6. After each use, make certain to clean any oil,
dust, and dirt off of the borescope components
using a soft cloth moistened with a gentle
cleansing agent. Pay special attention to all glass
surfaces such as eyepieces and lenses, cleaning
only with non-scratching cloth and lens cleaner.
7. Once an inspection is complete, always safely

store the borescope in the manufacturers case
ensuring that the working length and probe tip
are not pinched or bound.

NOTES:

STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. A borescope is an __________________ consisting

of a rigid or flexible tube with an ______________
on one end, an _____________ on the other, linked
together by a relay optical system in between.

2. Complete the following diagram by identifying

the major components that are part of a
borescope inspection kit.
Figure 1.10 Borescope Inspection Kit
a. _______________________________________
b. _______________________________________
c. _______________________________________
d. _______________________________________
e. _______________________________________
f. _______________________________________

3. List the some of the advantages and

disadvantages of each of the borescope types.
a. Rigid Borescope
(1) Advantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
(2) Disadvantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
b. Flexible Borescope
(1) Advantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
(2) Disadvantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________

c. Digital Borescope
(1) Advantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
(2) Disadvantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________

ANSWER KEY
1. A borescope is an ____optical device__

consisting of a rigid or flexible tube with an
___eyepiece___ on one end, an ___objective
lens__ on the other, linked together by a relay
optical system in between.

2. Complete the following diagram by identifying

the major components that are part of a
borescope inspection kit.
Figure 1.11 Borescope Inspection Kit
d. Objective Lens
e. Working Length
f. Technician Control Handle
g. Light Source
h. Illumination Bundle
a. Image Bundle

3. List the some of the advantages and

disadvantages of each of the borescope types.
a. Rigid Borescope
(1) Advantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
(2) Disadvantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
b. Flexible Borescope
(1) Advantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
(2) Disadvantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________

c. Digital Borescope
(1) Advantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________
(2) Disadvantages
(a) _____________________________
(b) _____________________________
(c) _____________________________



Solar Technical Training LESSON 2 - Digital Borescope Applications
LESSON 2 - Digital Borescope Applications
OBJECTIVES
1. Define the major components of a digital
borescope
2. Define the different menus used to navigate

through the display on a digital borescope
3. Describe the different optical adapters and their

uses as they pertain to a digital borescope
4. Describe the method used to capture and store
and image to a digital borescope
5. Describe the process used to transfer a stored
image from a digital borescope to an FPU (Field
Programming Unit)
6. Demonstrate the ability to capture, save, and

transfer a digital image from a digital borescope
to an FPU

LESSON 2 - Digital Borescope Applications Solar Technical Training
INTRODUCTION
Digital borescopes have now become one of the
standard tools required to complete in-depth and
detailed borescope inspection. Their ability to capture
images digitally for distribution by means of e-mail,
presentation, and reports has proven to be time saving
and technician friendly as opposed to rigid and flexible
borescopes. They have also allowed for more options
when viewing internal components by permitting
the technician to magnify, measure, and adjust the
lighting conditions of the viewing area.
BORESCOPE MODELS
There are 3 main digital borescope models currently
in use by Solar Turbines Field Employees in regards
to gas turbine internal inspection:
Olympus IPLEX SA II R series
Olympus IPLEX MX R Series
Everest XL Pro Series

Figure 2.1 Olympus IPLEX SA II R
For the purposes of this course, the Olympus IPLEX

SA II R (Figure 2.1) series digital borescope will be
covered in detail to further enhance the hands on
training accompanied. The Olympus IPLEX MX R and
Everest XL Pro Series borescopes will be covered in
the appendix to this manual and will be accompanied
by the manufacturers instruction manual for each.
OLYMPUS IPLEX SA II R
FAMILIARIZATION
The IPLEX SA II R series borescope is an all-in-one

system that includes everything necessary for complex
inspection tasks. All functions can be controlled from a
single handheld remote control unit, however it also

provides the ability for LAN (Local Area Network)

functions to provide experts the ability of remote
control during inspections.
It is an ideal system for fast, efficient inspection of gas
turbine engines and its ergonomic design contributes
significantly to reduced operator fatigue. When
equipped, the IPLEX SA II R incorporates two tip
adaptors lenses, which provides the ability to perform
accurate and repeatable internal measurements
using stereo triangulation technology. This system is
extremely versatile, allowing accurate measurement
of distances and surface configurations from virtually
any angle, while also allowing digital images of the
measured area to be captured.
Figure 2.2 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Main Control Unit

MAJOR COMPONENTS
There are various parts that make up a digital
borescope. Components that range from the main
control unit to the LCD display screen can be included
with digital borescope. The following are the major
components that a technician will need to be familiar
with in order to have the knowledge and capacity to
properly operate a digital borescope.
1. Case
• Contains the central processing unit (CPU),
working length, and LCD display contained
in a rugged chassis and an impact resistant
case.
2. Scope Take-up Wheel
• Allows the technician to safely rewind

the working length at the completion of
an inspection for safe storage inside the
shockproof case.
3. Insertion Tube
• The primary tool used by the viewer during
inspection. Contains both the image signal
wiring and light bundle, along with the
objective lens and light guide.
4. Remote Controller
• The main technician control for image/video

capture, tip angulations, and stereo
measurement.
5. LCD Monitor
• The LCD Monitor is the main display unit

for the borescope. It allows the technician
to see the inspection area without the need
for an eyepiece.
6. Recording Card/Slot
• The slot for installing a memory card for
captured image storage.

7. USB Port (Universal Serial Bus)
• The USB port is available for technicians

who wish to connect the borescope directly
to a secondary computer for image retrieval
or remote control operation.
8. Audio/Video Output Ports
• Allows the technician to output the still

or video image to another monitor or
computer.
9. Lamp Switch/Adjustment Knob
• Allows the technician to manually turn

on and off the illumination bundle light
source while also adjusting the intensity of
the light.
10. Illuminated Indicators
• Display the status of AC power; light power,

and data transfer status from the CPU

REMOTE CONTROLLER
Figure 2.3 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Remote Controller
1. Microphone
• Used to record voice-over data during an

inspection to note a specific point
2. Zoom Lever
• The lever is used to control the electronic

zooming or to reproduce a frozen image.
3. Angle/Lock Joystick
• The joystick used to control the angulations
of the borescope tip.

4. Meas/Enter Joystick
• The joystick used to select the menus or for

use in stereo measurement functions.
5. Index Button
• The index button displays the thumbnail
screen view of all captured or stored images.
6. Power Button
• Press to turn the main power on and off

7. Menu/Exit Button
• Press to toggle the menu display on and off.

Used to exit from a submenu and to return
to the main menu
8. Live/Gain Button
• Press to return to live image display. Used
to switch the GAIN mode when the live
image is displayed.
9. BRT/Mark
• The button is used to adjust the display

brightness or to select an image from the
thumbnail display
10. Record
• Press record to capture a still or moving
image.
11. Freeze Button
• Press to freeze an image for capture or

viewing

DISPLAY SCREEN
Figure 2.4 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Display Screen

1. Date/Time
• Displays the current date and time as set

up but the technician.
2. Title
• Allows the technician to display one line
of text detailing specific information for
inclusion in all saved/stored images or
video’s.
3. Zoom Level
• Allows the technician to see the level of

zoom currently in use.
4. Logo
• Displays the "Olympus" logo. Can be
turned on/off
5. Articulation Lock Mode Indication
• Informs the technician on whether or not

the articulation control is locked or in free
movement mode

6. Lamp Indication
• Informs the technician what the level of the

light source is currently at.
7. Freezing Indicator
• Informs the technician if the image is in
frozen mode or in live view mode.
8. External Input Indicator
• Displays whether the display is receiving

video from the borescope or an external
source.
9. Recording Indicator
• Informs the technician if the video/voice
recording function is currently active.
10. Gain Mode
• Allows the technician to verify the current

brightness level being used to enhance
the digital image.
11. Zooming Status
• Informs the technician the level of zooming

that is active if any is currently active.

BORESCOPE BASIC FUNCTIONS

The main function of a borescope is to view objects
located inside of a gas turbine engine and to create
detailed borescope reports based off of the findings.
There are many other essential features that a
borescope provides, allowing the technician to perform
a more thorough and detailed inspection. The
following information describes these features and
how they apply when using a digital borescope to
obtain information during an inspection.
ZOOM CONTROL
The zoom control function provides the technician

with the ability to "electronically zoom" in on an area
or object under inspection. This is a valuable tool as
often times it can be onerous to reach certain objects
in the inspection area or to obtain close-up images
of certain components.
A result of electronically zooming is that the image

may become slightly coarse or grainy as the zooming
ratio is increased. This is caused by the pixilation of
the image as it is electronically reformatted by the
CPU, similar to the enlarge function of a copy machine.
To "Zoom" on an object in the image, tilt the ZOOM

lever on the remote controller towards the [T] to zoom
in. To return to the original image size, tilt the zoom
lever towards the [W].
BRIGHTNESS CONTROL
During an inspection, the technician may find it
helpful to brighten the image in order to better discern
a possible defect or to lower the brightness to get
an overall better image of the inspection area. The
"Brightness Control" function allows the technician to
adjust the gain settings to either raise or lower the
brightness of the live or still image.

There are five gains available in order to adjust

the brightness provided with the Olympus digital
borescope.
1. Standard
• This is the standard brightness (Default)

control mode.
2. Boost 1
• Brightens the image slightly more than
standard gain mode, however there is the
possibility for increased noise under certain
observation conditions.
3. Boost 2
• Brightens the image slightly more than

Boost 1 mode. The dynamic range is also
expanded so that dark positions can be
observed more easily. The noise condition
increases even further in this mode.
4. Boost 3
• This mode is used when brighter than Boost

2 mode is required. The dynamic range
is further expanded. The noise condition
increases even further in this mode.
5. Low
• Low gain reduces the noise in the image,
however this mode may make the image
substantially darker than that of the
Standard mode.

Figure 2.5 Brightness Control Button
The brightness control (Figure 2.5) can be adjusted

by using the BRT/MARK button on the remote
controller. Pressing the BRT/MARK button while
viewing a live image will raise or lower the brightness
level to the desired setting. The brightness level will
cycle from the lowest level to the highest level, and
then will cycle back again depending on the amount of
times the button is pressed.

DIGITAL BORESCOPE OPTICAL ADAPTERS

During a borescope inspection, the technician may
find it necessary to change the lens/optical adapter
(Figure 2.6) on the borescope. These optical adapters
allow the technician to change the tip of the borescope
in order to adjust the field of view, direction of view,
and depth of field in order to more precisely view the
area under inspection.
Figure 2.6 Borescope Optical Adapters

Field of view references the overall view of the
inspection area in degrees and typically encompasses
40, 80, and 120 lenses allowing the technician to
specify the size of the area to be inspected.

Direction of view references the angle that the

technician can select to use in order to view the
inspection area measured in degrees. The angle’s
that are typically used are forward and side angle
view lenses.
Depth of field typically refers to the overall focus
control the technician has when viewing the inspection
area allowing the technician to select an adapter
that is suited to up-close or distant viewing of the
inspection area.
BORESCOPE BASIC SETUP AND INSPECTION

An integral part of any borescope inspection is the
proper setup of the equipment for ease of use and
proper operation. The following procedure is a general
guideline for the proper initial setup and inspection
process of the Olympus IPLEX II-R digital borescope.
1. With the main control unit case in the upright
position open the top of the case by disconnecting
the two hold down latches.
2. Raise the LCD monitor to the desired height and
secure the locking clamps on the telescoping
mounts.
3. Remove the AC power cord from the storage area

and plug in the borescope to a reliable power
source.
Never use electronic devices in an

explosive environment. Be sure to check
that the area is safe prior to initial
power up.
4. Take out the Remote Controller and hook to the
LCD display for later use.
5. Withdraw the distal end of the scope from the

scope holder.
6. Rotate the optical adapter mount

counter-clockwise to remove the optical adapter
from the scope. (Figure 2.7)

Figure 2.7 Optical Adapter Removal
The distal end of the scope will be

heated by the illumination light or
heat generated by internal electric
components. Ensure to turn off the light
source prior to removal to prevent injury
7. Inspect the lens surface (Objective Lens and

Light Guide) at the distal end of the scope.
a. If dirty, wipe clean using a soft piece of

gauze or cottons swab combined with lens
cleaning solution. (Figure 2.8)
Figure 2.8 Optical Adapter Cleaning

8. Verify that the parts at the distal end of the

scope are not loose, worn, or deformed.
9. Push the optical adapter carefully over the distal
end of the scope and turn until the adapter is
re-engaged onto the scope.
10. Check that there are no anomalies such as

cutting, deformation, or frayed wires on the
entire length of the borescope.
11. Power the unit on by pressing the "Power" button

located on the Remote Controller. (Figure 2.9)
Figure 2.9 Remote Controller Power Button
12. Open the sun shade on the LCD and verify that
the unit is powered on and that the objective
view is being displayed.

13. Test the angulations of the tip by moving the

ANGLE/LOCK joystick and verify that operation
is smooth
14. Press the ANGLE/LOCK joystick to lock the tip
at a an angle to verify that the locking function
is operational
15. Test the homing function by pressing the

CENT/MAIL button and verify that the
borescope tip returns to an approximate centered
position.
MENU OPERATIONS
Prior to a borescope inspection, the technician may
need to adjust some of the default settings in the
borescope in order to perform a more complete
inspection. Some of the default options that
the technician may change include; Title, Color
Adjustment, Image Enhancement, Exposure, Scene
Adjust.
The MENU/EXIT button on the Remote Controller

makes it possible to display the menu and perform
settings and control of various functions.
The following are general procedures for adjusting

default setups from the main menu using the
MENU/EXIT button.
1. Press the MENU/EXIT button on the Remote

Controller to access the display menu
2. Using the MEAS/ENTER joystick cycle to the

desired sub-menu to adjust.
3. Press the MEAS/ENTER joystick to select the
desired sub-menu to adjust.
4. Make the required adjustment using the Remote

Controller joystick to make any changes.
5. When the adjustment is complete press the

MENU/EXIT button.
6. Press the LIVE/GAIN button to turn off the

menu function and return to a live screen.

NOTE
To return to original factory conditions,
select the "Default" sub-menu to re-install all
factory default values.
SCOPE INSERTION, OBSERVATION, AND IMAGE CAPTURE

With the initial setup and inspection of the borescope
equipment complete, the next step is to view the
inspection area to gather data and capture images
for insertion into a detailed borescope report. The
following procedure encompasses the typical steps
required for proper scope insertion, inspection area
observation, and image capture with regards to an
Olympus IPLEX II-R digital borescope.
1. Hold the Remote Controller in using your thumb
to manipulate the joysticks and buttons for
control of the scope tip. (Figure 2.10)
Figure 2.10 Remote Controller Hand Positioning

2. Hold the insertion tube with the other available

hand (Figure 2.11)
Figure 2.11 Working Length Positioning
3. While observing the monitoring screen, confirm

the correct insertion direction and insert the
scope slowly. Perform the angulations operation
as required during insertion. Be careful not
to apply excessive pushing force, twisting, or
tension to the insertion tube.
4. Navigate to the area to be inspected using
articulation controls.
5. When the area under inspection has been

reached, focus on the object to be viewed and
adjust the zoom or brightness as necessary to
obtain a clear image.
6. Once the desired image is in view press the

"Freeze" button on the remote controller to
freeze the image.

7. When the preferred image is displayed on the

LCD display press the "Record" button on the
Remote Controller to record the frozen image
to the storage card.
MOVING IMAGES TO AN EXTERNAL COMPUTER

Images that are obtained during a borescope
inspection will most likely need to be retrieved for
either inclusion in a borescope inspection report or for
later review. This creates the requirement to be able
to transfer these captured images from the memory of
the borescope to an external computer.
With the Olympus digital borescope there are 2
methods available for the technician to transfer
images from the borescope to an external computer:
• USB Cable (Universal Serial Bus), or
• Memory card transfer.

The following are the typical procedures used to
transfer images from a borescope to an external
computer.
NOTE
A USB cable or Memory card are not typical
items supplied with the borescope via the
manufacturer. It may be required for the
technician to obtain these items prior to
the borescope inspection depending on
availability.

IMAGE TRANSFER: USB to a PC

Images can be moved or copied to a personal computer
(PC) that is connected through a USB cable utilizing
the IPLEX MANAGER software provided with the
borescope. This software should be installed in
advance in order for transfers to be possible. (Figure
2.12)
Figure 2.12 Olympus IPLEX Manager
The following is the general procedure for transferring

images stored on a borescope to a PC.
1. Connect a PC in which IPLEX MANAGER is
installed using a USB cable, and start up the
IPLEX MANAGER program.
2. Display the thumbnail screen on the borescope
display and select the images to be moved or
copied. 3. Push the MENU/EXIT button on the
Remote Controller to display the menu.
3. Push the MENU/EXIT button on the Remote
Controller to display the menu.
4. Tilt the MEAS/ENTER joystick to select either

the Move or Copy function and push the
MEAS/ENTER joystick to select.

5. If the PC and the borescope are connected

successfully a window will open allowing the
technician to select the destination for the
moved/copied files.
6. Select PC the push the MEAS/ENTER joystick to
display the move/copy confirmation window.
7. Tilt the MEAS/ENTER joystick to select "OK" on

the display screen, then push the MEAS/ENTER
joystick to start the move/copy.
8. During the move or copy operation into the PC,

the DOWNLOAD window will be displayed and
the indication lights on the borescope may flicker.
9. Once the move or copy is complete, the thumbnail

screen will re-appear signifying that the transfer
is complete.
10. Verify that the transferred images, whether

moved or copied are now present on the PC.
IMAGE TRANSFER: MEMORY CARD TO A PC

Images recorded to a memory card can be either moved
or copied to another folder in the same card, or to a PC
that has the capability of accepting the memory card.
The following is the general procedure for transferring

images stored on a memory card to a PC.
1. Ensure that once the borescope inspection is

complete that all of the desired images currently
reside on the memory card.
2. Power down the borescope by pressing the

"Power" button on the Remote Controller.
3. Allow for 60 seconds for the borescope to
completely power down, then push in the
recording card release button and remove the
memory card from the borescope.
4. Carefully insert the recording card into the open
PCMCIA card slot on a laptop, or remove the
memory card from the recording card and insert
into the memory card reader for a PC.

5. Allow for time for MS Windows to install drivers

if this is the first time inserting the card into
the PC/Laptop.
6. After the successful installation of drivers, open
Windows Explorer and select the drive (a:, b:, d:,
etc...) containing the stored images.
7. Navigate through the memory card folder

structure to find the stored images.
8. Select the images for transfer and copy them to

the desired location.
9. Once the transfer process is complete, safely

remove the recording/memory card from the PC
or laptop by using the "Safely Remove Hardware"
option from the MS Windows Taskbar.

STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. List the three main types of digital borescopes

used by Solar technicians and field employees.
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
2. Digital borescope optical adapters allow the

technician to change the tip of the borescope in
order to adjust the ________________________,
__________________________, and
_____________________________ in order to more
precisely view the area under inspection.
3. __________________________________ references
the overall view of the inspection area in degrees
and typically encompasses 40, 80, and 120
lenses allowing the technician to specify the size
of the area to be inspected.
a. Field of View
b. Depth of View
c. Depth of Field
4. If the lens of the borescope is found to be dirty,

what is the process that should be used to clean?
a. Wipe clean with paper towels and any

available cleaning agent
b. Ship to manufacturer for repair
c. Wipe clean using a soft piece of gauze or

cottons swab combined with lens cleaning
solution
d. Wipe clean using a soft piece of gauze or

cottons swab combined with an abrasive
cleaning solution

5. Using the lab supplied Olympus IPLEX SA II

R digital borescope, successfully complete the
following:
a. Inspect, power on, and setup the digital
borescope
b. Capture an image of the instructor supplied

test piece
c. Save the image to the storage card/hard

drive of the borescope
d. Connect the borescope to an FPU or Lab PC
e. Transfer the captured image to the FPU or

Lab PC from the digital borescope

ANSWER KEY
1. List the three main types of digital borescopes

used by Solar technicians and field employees.
1. Olympus IPLEX SA II R series

2. Olympus IPLEX MX R Series
3. Everest XL Pro Series
2. Digital borescope optical adapters allow the

technician to change the tip of the borescope in
order to adjust the ________________________,
__________________________, and
_____________________________ in order to more
precisely view the area under inspection.
3. __________________________________ references
the overall view of the inspection area in degrees
and typically encompasses 40, 80, and 120
lenses allowing the technician to specify the size
of the area to be inspected.
a. Field of View
b. Depth of View
c. Depth of Field
4. If the lens of the borescope is found to be dirty,

what is the process that should be used to clean?
a. Wipe clean with paper towels and any

available cleaning agent
b. Ship to manufacturer for repair
c. Wipe clean using a soft piece of gauze

or cottons swab combined with lens
cleaning solution
d. Wipe clean using a soft piece of gauze or

cottons swab combined with an abrasive
cleaning solution

5. Using the lab supplied Olympus IPLEX SA II

R digital borescope, successfully complete the
following:
a. Inspect, power on, and setup the digital
borescope
b. Capture an image of the instructor supplied

test piece
c. Save the image to the storage card/hard

drive of the borescope
d. Connect the borescope to an FPU or Lab PC
e. Transfer the captured image to the FPU or

Lab PC from the digital borescope



Solar Technical Training LESSON 3 - Student Hands On Exercise
LESSON 3 - Student Hands On Exercise
OBJECTIVES
On completion of this exercise the student will be
able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to properly use a rigid,
flexible, and digital borescope
Using the provided borescope equipment, inspect

and document the condition of the parts and
assemblies contained inside of the three different
borescope simulation containers with reference
to the following:
a. Thoroughly inspect each container
(1) Container #1 should be inspected with

a "Rigid" borescope

a "Flexible" borescope

a "Digital" borescope
b. Make note of any findings in the area
provided in this section of the student
workbook

LESSON 3 - Student Hands On Exercise Solar Technical Training
c. Data/Images collected during the inspection

should be retained for use in Lesson 9
"Borescope Inspection Reports"
NOTE
If needed, alternate simulation containers
may be used for this exercise using suitable
boxes or containers and available components.

Black Box Simulator #1:

Notes:
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NOTES:


Notes:
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NOTES:


Notes:
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Solar Technical Training LESSON 4 - Component Description
LESSON 4 - Component Description
OBJECTIVES
1. Define the common terminology used to perform
a borescope inspection
a. Definitions/Terms to describe
b. Acronyms/Short name descriptors

2. Describe the major components located inside
a gas turbine engine

LESSON 4 - Component Description Solar Technical Training
INTRODUCTION
Having knowledge of how to properly operate a rigid,
flexible, or digital borescope is only the foundation to
properly conducting a detailed borescope inspection.
The technician must also have a thorough knowledge
of the area to be inspected and the terms that are used
to describe what was found during the inspection. A
borescope inspection cannot be accurately created if
the inspector is unfamiliar the parts or assemblies
and cannot explain his/her findings while inspecting
an engine.
The following sections will familiarize the technician
with the terms, definitions, and acronyms that are
commonly used during a borescope inspection.
BORESCOPE TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

There are various terms that a technician may hear,
say, or use while performing a borescope inspection.
Having a thorough understanding of these technical
terms and phrases gives the technician a greater
knowledge of the borescope inspection process.
The following terms and definitions are commonly

used during the borescope inspection process.
DIRECTION OF VIEW
Direction of View defines the overall angle that a
borescope can see from the distal tip, expressed in
degrees. Typically found in 45, 90 and 180 degree view
patterns. The image is redirected internally to the
optical adapter by use of mirrors or prisms.
MAGNIFICATION
Magnification describes the ability to enlarge an

area or object under inspection by use of optical
adapters or digital enhancements. When using digital
enhancements, this can have a negative effect on
resolution due to the pixilation of the image.

STAGING
Gas turbine engines operate by the use of multiple

stages in the gas producer as well as in the turbine
section.
Gas Producer Stage
A stage in the gas producer section refers to a

rotating/rotor segment followed by a stationary/stator
segment. (Figure 4.1)
Figure 4.1 Gas Producer Stage
Turbine Stage
A stage in the turbine section refers to a
stationary/nozzle segment followed by a rotating/rotor
segment.

ENGINE STATIONS
A gas turbine engine is separated into different

temperature and pressure stations (Figure 4.2). The
following is a list of these stations and a description of
each:
Figure 4.2 Engine Temperature/Pressure Stations
P1/T1
The pressure and temperature taken from the inlet

of the gas turbine engine is referred to as P1/T1. The
hardware is typically mounted on the air inlet duct
and references ambient or inlet air conditions.
P2 (PCD) /T2
The pressure and temperature taken from the diffuser

portion of the gas turbine engine is referred to as
P2/T2. The hardware is typically mounted on the
diffuser and references the compressor discharge
pressure (PCD) and temperature prior to the entering
the combustion system.
T3 (TRIT)
The turbine rotor inlet temperature (TRIT) is used

to describe the temperature of the hot exhaust gases
as they leave the combustion liner and enter into the

turbine section of the engine. This temperature is too

high to be measured by any instrumentation and is
typically a calculated value.
T5
T5 is the temperature measured at the 3rd stage

turbine nozzle and is used to determine the
temperature of the exhaust gases as they leave the
engine. This measurement is obtained by use of
multiple thermocouples, and is typically the baseline
measurement used to determine the overall health
of the engine.
P7/T7
The exhaust pressure and temperature of a
gas turbine engine is referenced as P7/T7. This
measurement is typically taken at the exit of the
package or at the last remaining measurement point
of the exhaust collector/diffuser.
ACRONYMS
Acronyms are created by typically using the first
letter of each word to create a short name of the terms
being re-phrased. For instance, the term "Quality,
Health, Safety and Environment" could be shortened
into the acronym QHSE.
At times during a borescope inspection, a technician
may need to abbreviate certain terms into smaller
expressions for use in an inspection report or for ease
of description to a customer. These shortened terms
are referred to as acronyms.
Typical Borescope Related Acronyms

Some of the more common acronyms used during a
borescope inspection are as follows:
• IGV = Inlet Guide Vanes
• EGV = Exit Guide Vanes

• LE = Leading Edge
• TE = Trailing Edge

• IL = Inner Liner
• OL = Outer Liner
• IC = Inter-Cooled
• BV = Bleed Valve
• HCF = High Cycle Fatigue
• LCF = Low Cycle Fatigue

• PT = Power Turbine
• GP = Gas Producer
• HED = Hot End Drive
• CED = Cold End Drive
GAS TURBINE COMPONENTS

An important aspect of any borescope inspection is the
understanding of the different parts and components
that will be inspected. An in depth knowledge of the
internal components will lead to a more successful
inspection and will allow the technician to better
grasp the severity of an issue should one be found.
The following section details the common components

found in a gas turbine and lists a brief description of
each.
COMPRESSOR SECTION
Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV)

IGV’s (Figure 4-3) direct the flow of incoming air from
the air inlet duct into the 1st stage of the engine
compressor section. Being the entrance point into
the engine, these can provide the technician with an
excellent reference as to the cleanliness of an engine
visually without the use of a borescope.
Variable Guide Vanes (VGV)
The VGV’s (Figure 4.3) are a form of variable geometry

used for compressor surge avoidance and for SoLoNOx
control on power generation applications. They are
typically the first 4-6 sets of vanes depending on

the engine being inspected, and are simultaneously

adjusted based on a preset schedule in the control
system. They are internal to the engine and each
one is connected to a mechanical control arm on the
exterior of the engine compressor case. These control
arms are connected to actuator rings, which are
rotated simultaneously by an actuator mechanism.
Figure 4.3 Inlet and Variable Guide Vanes
Compressor Blades
Compressor blades are the components that impart

kinetic energy and also create pressure due to the
process of diffusion. Depending on the engine being
inspected there can be as many as 16 stages of rotating
compressor blades. A technician may or may not be
able to check all stages during a borescope inspection
based on the engine being inspected and the borescope
ports available.

Stators
Stators are the stationary components inside of the

compressor that further increases the incoming
pressure from the rotating blades and directs the air
into the next rotor stage. Depending on the engine
being inspected there can be as many as 16 stages of
non-rotating stators. A technician may or may not be
able to check all stages during a borescope inspection
based on the engine being inspected and the borescope
ports available.
Exit Guide Vanes (EGV)
The EGV’s are the final non-rotating components

that the compressed air must pass through prior to
entering in the diffuser section. Typically these are
visible by entering from the combustion area and
fishing the borescope into the rear of the compressor.
Compressor Diffuser
The diffuser (Figure 4.4), while not typically
considered a part of the gas producer is the final
component in the compression process. The final
pressure increase takes place in the diffuser prior
to the air entering into the combustion or cooling
section of the turbine. The diffuser section is easy to
inspect by removing either the fuel injectors or the
torch assembly.

Figure 4.4 Compressor Diffuser

COMBUSTION SECTION
COMBUSTOR HOUSING
The combustor housing, which is bolted to the aft

flange of the compressor diffuser assembly, is the
main support structure for the combustion system.
Externally, the housing supports an array of fuel
injectors, the fuel manifold(s), torch igniter, bleed
air valve, and the thermocouples that measure T5
temperature. Most or all of these components can be
removed during a borescope inspection to allow the
technician to view the combustion area.
LINER
The combustion liner is the support system for the

combustion process. It provides area for the incoming
air from the gas producer to mix with the fuel from
the fuel injectors. This mixture then combusts inside
the liner and is directed towards the 1st stage nozzle
for transformation into energy in the turbine section.
Solar uses several styles of standard and SoLoNOx
combustion liners depending on engine models and
customer emission requirements.

Diffusion Style Liner
Diffusion style liners (Figure 4.5) are typically seen

on standard combustion engines. They contain large
orifices in the inner and outer liner skin that allow
primary air to enter the liner for the combustion
process. In addition to the large orifices there are also
small orifices located behind louvers attached to the
liner. The louvers and cooling air provide a boundary
layer to protect the liner metal from the temperatures
of the combustion flame.
Figure 4.5 Standard Combustion Diffuser Liner

Effusion Cooled Liner

Effusion cooled liners (Figure 4.6) replace the large
and medium ranged holes previously found on
diffusion liners with thousands of small cooling holes
that aid in protecting the metal structure, however
limiting the emissions caused by the cooling air. These
liners are exclusively used on SoLoNOx engines due to
their compliance with low emissions technology.
Figure 4.6 SoLoNOx Effusion Cooled Liner

Augmented Backside Cooled Liner (ABC)

ABC, or Augmented Backside Cooled liners (Figure
4.7) use the process of convection to keep the liner
cooled. Therefore the secondary air needed to pass
through the liner into the combustion area has been
removed, thus eliminating the orifices found in
diffusion and effusion style liners. Impingement
cooling is effectively used to maintain acceptable
metal temperatures and prolong the life of the ABC
liner, which is exclusively used on SoLoNOx engines.
Figure 4.7 ABC Liner (Augmented Backside Cooled)

Fuel Injectors
The fuel injectors (Figure 4.8) are the means used to
deliver fuel to the combustion system. Depending on
the engine type and model the amount of injectors
used can range from 6 to 21 injectors. Standard
engines typically have more injectors that are smaller
in size compared to a SoLoNOx engine. These injectors
should be removed and inspected during any borescope
inspection, and can be an excellent means of entrance
for internal inspection of the combustion section.
Figure 4.8 Standard and SoLoNOx Injectors

Nozzles
The turbine nozzles (Figure 4.9) direct the oncoming
flow of exhaust gases resultant from the combustion
process into the subsequent turbine blades for energy
extraction. Turbine nozzles, which are separated into
segments, see the highest amount of stress of any
component internal to the engine due the extreme
pressure and temperature forces that are applied to
them from the combustion process. They are easily
inspected through the combustion liner and through
T5 temperature ports.
Figure 4.9 Turbine Nozzle Location

Cooled Nozzles
The first and second stage nozzles (Figure 4.10) receive
cooling air from Pcd air through radial tubes from the
area surrounding the combustion liner. Cooling air
is then passed along to the 2nd stage through axial
tubes. While the air delivery paths typically cannot be
inspected the cooling discharge ports on the nozzles
can be inspected while borescoping.
Figure 4.10 Turbine Nozzle Cooling

Turbine Blades
The turbine blades (Figure 4.11), which follow a
turbine nozzle section, are used to extract the energy
created from the combustion process in order to drive
the gas producer compressor. The turbine blades that
are mounted on a rotor can typically be inspected by
viewing past the turbine nozzle section, or by entering
through a removed T5 thermocouple probe.
Figure 4.11 Typical Turbine Rotor With Blades

Cooled
Typically the 1st stage turbine blades are cooled
(Figure 4.12) by pre-swirled Pcd air that is directed
into the base of the blades from a stationary nozzle
ring that faces the turbine disk at the blade root level.
Figure 4.12 Cooled Turbine Blade
Tip Shoes
Tip shoes (Figure 4.13) can be located internally on

the engine, as the outside ring set apart from the
turbine blades. They provide the means for sealing as
the turbine blades thermally expand during normal
operation. As the turbine blades experience thermal
growth, they come into close proximity or even slight
contact with the tip shoes in order to provide efficiency
during the energy extraction process. These are
located directly aft of the nozzle segments (Figure
4.14), and can be inspected while viewing the turbine
blades during a borescope inspection.

Figure 4.13 Typical Tip Shoe
Figure 4.14 Tip Shoe Segment Following 1st Stage Nozzles

Torch
The torch (Figure 4.15) is the assembly attached to
the combustor housing that provides the initial means
of light off for the engine. It has an attached tube,
which protrudes into the combustor liner allowing the
initial light off flame to enter the combustion area.
This assembly should be removed during a borescope
inspection to check for anomalies.
Figure 4.15 Engine Temperature/Pressure Stations

Power Turbine Section

The power turbine (Figure 4.16) is the section of
the engine that extracts the remaining horsepower
generated form the combustion cycle for transmission
to a driven piece of equipment. The PT typically
consists of two or three stages of blades and nozzle
segments and is the final component prior to the
exhaust duct/diffuser.
Figure 4.16 Typical Power Turbine Rotor Assembly

Blades
The power turbine blades are tied to a rotor, which
is not coupled to the gas turbine engine, but rather
transmits rotational torque to the attached driven
equipment. The blades extract the remaining power
from the combustion process in order for rotation of
the driven equipment.
Nozzles
The nozzles contained in the power turbine section

provide the guiding mechanism for the remaining
exhaust gases to be directed to the power turbine
blades. These nozzles are easily inspected through the
exhaust duct or borescope ports on the exterior of
the power turbine.

STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. ______________________ describes the ability to

enlarge an area or object under inspection by use
of optical adapters or digital enhancements.
2. Complete the following fields with the

appropriate acronym or term:
IGV = ______________________________________
EGV = ______________________________________
Leading Edge = _____________________________
TE = ________________________________________
IL = ________________________________________
Outer Liner = _______________________________
IC = ________________________________________
BV = _______________________________________
High Cycle Fatigue = ________________________
LCF = ______________________________________
3. A gas turbine engine can be separated into what

two different station types?
a. Pressure and Velocity
b. Compression and Combustion

c. Temperature and Pressure
d. Combustion and Exhaust

4. Match the following terms with the appropriate

definitions:
a. Diffuser
b. Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV)

c. Turbine Nozzles
d. Torch
e. Tip Shoes
1. _____________ provides the combustion system with

the initial spark and flame during the start sequence.
2. The final pressure increase occurs in the

__________________ section of the engine.
3. Air that enters the engine from the inlet duct is

directed by the _____________________ into the gas
producer.
4. Combustion gases enter through the

___________________________ prior to energy
extraction by the turbine rotors.
5. The __________________________ provide the surface

for the turbine blades to thermally grow into during
normal operation.

ANSWER KEY
1. ___Magnification____ describes the ability to

enlarge an area or object under inspection by use
of optical adapters or digital enhancements.
2. Complete the following fields with the

appropriate acronym or term:
IGV = Inlet Guide Vanes
EGV = Exit Guide Vanes
Leading Edge =
TE = LE
IL = Trailing Edge
Outer Liner = Inner Liner
IC = OL
BV = Bleed Valve
High Cycle Fatigue = HCF
LCF = Low Cycle Fatigue
3. A gas turbine engine can be separated into what

two different station types?
a. Pressure and Velocity
b. Compression and Combustion

c. Temperature and Pressure
d. Combustion and Exhaust

4. Match the following terms with the appropriate

definitions:
a. Diffuser
b. Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV)

c. Turbine Nozzles
d. Torch
e. Tip Shoes
1. Torch (d) provides the combustion system with the

initial spark and flame during the start sequence.
2. The final pressure increase occurs in the diffuser

(a) section of the engine.
3. Air that enters the engine from the inlet duct is

directed by the Inlet Guide Vanes (IGV) (b) into
the gas producer.
4. Combustion gases enter through the turbine

nozzles (c)prior to energy extraction by the turbine
rotors.
5. The tip shoes (e) provide the surface for the

turbine blades to thermally grow into during normal
operation.



Solar Technical Training LESSON 5 - Product Line Description
LESSON 5 - Product Line Description
OBJECTIVE
On Completion of this lesson, the student will be
able to:
1. Describe borescope field tools and there uses
during an inspection.
2. Define the different borescope port locations on

each engine in Solar’s product line.

LESSON 5 - Product Line Description Solar Technical Training
FIELD TOOLS
While using a flexible or digital borescope gives you
the capability to articulate and travel deep into the
interior of a gas turbine engine, there are certain
instances were tooling is required in order to directly
deliver the tip of the borescope to critical inspection
areas. These components or aids are called field tools.
Field tools come in different varieties depending on

the application for use and can be used to inspect
areas like the 1st stage nozzles in the combustion
area or the exit guide vanes in the gas producer.
Solar Turbines makes these field tools based on the
application or engine, and the areas or components
that should be viewed during each inspection.
Figure 5.1 Borescope Guide Tubes
GUIDE TUBES
At times, during the insertion of a flexible scope into

an inspection area, an obstacle may be encountered
that obstructs the probe. Also, a flexible scope cannot
span a large gap or void because its inherent flexibility
causes it to sag downward in the gap. In these
situations, guide tubes (Figure 5.1) are used to assist
in delivering the flexible scope to the inspection area.

Guide tubes are typically pre-formed metal tubes,

designed to take the tip of the probe directly to critical
inspection points. When performing an inspection, the
guide tube is screwed or bolted into place, and the
borescope working length is inserted into it (Figure
5-?). These guide tubes are designed for a specific
unit or model and are assigned a stand-alone part
number or field tool number for the technician to
reference when ordering.
BORESCOPE SPRINGS
During a borescope inspection, the working length may
need to be inserted deeply into the engine. The further
a borescope is inserted the more flexible, and in turn
flimsy it becomes, thus causing sag issues. A solution
to this issue of sag is the borescope spring (Figure 5.2).
A borescope spring is a firm yet flexible piece of metal
that when used in conjunction with guide tubes, gives
the technician the capability to insert a working
length into the inspection area with slight rigidity,
thus avoiding the issue of sag. It is an excellent tool
for inserting the borescope inside and outside of the
combustion liner, and for reaching deep aspects like
the exit guide vane inspection area.
Figure 5.2 Borescope Spring and Guide Tube

BORESCOPE REMOVAL TOOLS

When performing a borescope inspection, there are
times when borescope plugs will need to be removed
in order to reach an inspection area. These borescope
plugs, which reside in the engine during normal
operating conditions, have the tendency to become
jammed in there mounting location due to the thermal
cycles applied. The technician may be required to use
a borescope plug removal tool (Figure 5.3) in order to
remove these plugs to access the inspection area.
Figure 5.3 Borescope Plug Removal Tool
PRODUCT LINE
Solar Turbines has over 10 different engines currently
in production. Each engine has different components,
staging, and borescope access ports. This can make it
difficult to accurately perform a detailed inspection if
the technician in not familiar with the individuality of
each product.
Solar Turbines Incorporated product line includes:

Figure 5.4 Product Line
These various products can be broken down into

sub-categories, based on engine/model ratings (Table
5.1).
Table 5.1 Taurus 70 & Saturn 20 Ratings
Taurus 70 Saturn 20
T9701 T1402
T9701s T1501
T9702s T1601
T10301 T1602
T10301s
T10302
T10302s
Each engine design can have different model numbers,

ratings, and configurations. These styles are typically
selected by the customer at the time of purchase and
are exclusive to their requirements. An example would
be the Taurus 70 engine, which has six different
ratings, and can be configured for HED/CED,

Standard/SoLoNOx, and gas only/dual fuel. A

prospective customer could request a Taurus 70 engine
with a T9701s model rating that is dual fuel SoLoNOx.
This would provide a much different borescope
inspection than if the technician were performing
an inspection on a Saturn 20 gas only engine due to
component differences and borescope port accessibility.
The following product line descriptions will make the

technician more familiar with each product, as well as
detail the borescope ports associated with each engine
and the prospective field tooling available for each.

SATURN 10/20
The Saturn engine (Figure 5.5) was introduced into

production in 1960. Since that time there have been
more than 5000 units sold, with over 730 million
operating hours reported for those units. Some of
the major components include an 8 stage axial
flow compressor (6.5-1 pressure ratio), an annular
combustion chamber suitable for either natural gas or
liquid fuel, and a 3 stage axial turbine for transfer of
energy to the gas producer and driven equipment.
Figure 5.5 Typical Saturn 10 Engine

Early versions of the Saturn engine allowed
for field disassembly of the combustion system,
therefore a borescope inspection was not necessarily
needed during maintenance cycles. With further
advancements in design however, the capability
for field disassembly diminished, and therefore
the borescope inspection became a necessity.
Unfortunately in spite of this, when the Saturn family
of engines was developed, borescope inspection was not
the standard means of engine condition assessment.
Due to this design, there are few borescope ports for a
technician to use in order to inspect the unit.

Typically there are only five ports available for

inspection (Figure 5.6). These 5 ports are the Air
Inlet, Injector Port, Torch, Exhaust, and T5 ports
(If available). The following is a general list of the
components and sections of the engine that can be
viewed through these ports.
1. Air Inlet
a. 1st stage blades
b. 1st stage vanes

c. 2nd stage blades
2. Injector Port
a. 1st stage nozzles

b. 1st stage turbine blades
c. Combustion liner & chamber
3. Torch
a. Combustion liner & chamber
4. Exhaust
a. 3rd stage nozzles
b. 3rd stage blades
5. T5 (If Available)
a. 2nd stage turbine blades
b. 3rd stage nozzles
c. 3rd stage turbine blades

Figure 5.6 Typical Saturn 10 Port Location
Saturn Borescope Field Tools
• FT10925 - Borescope Inspection Kit
• FT10504 - Torch Inspection Tool

• FT10813 - Exhaust Inspection Tool

CENTAUR 40/50
The Centaur 40/50 engine product lines were

introduced in 1969 & 1985. Since that time there
have been more than 3500 units sold, with over 400
million operating hours between those units. The
Centaur 40/50 comes standard with a 11 stage axial
compressor, annular combustor with 12 fuel injectors,
a 2 stage gas producer turbine, and a 1 stage power
turbine for compressor applications or a 3 stage power
turbine for generator packages.
The engines themselves have seen several re-designs
over the years with the latest iteration having a more
modular approach, allowing for the use of Taurus 60
components such as power turbines.
Figure 5.7 Typical Centaur 50 H.E.D. Engine

Typically there are very few borescope ports on a

Centaur 40/50 gas turbine engines, especially on
earlier versions. The main borescope access ports are
listed in the following table.
1. Air Inlet Port
a. 1st stage blades
b. 1st stage guide vanes

c. 2nd stage blades
2. Diffuser Borescope Plugs

a. Exit guide vanes and shroud
b. 11th stage blades
3. Combustor Borescope Plugs

a. Aft end of combustor
b. Inner & outer liner
c. 1st stage nozzles

d. 1st stage turbine blades
e. 2nd stage nozzles
4. Fuel Injector
a. Combustor
b. 1st stage nozzle

c. 1st stage turbine blades
d. 2nd stage nozzles
5. Torch
a. Combustor
6. T5 Ports
a. 2nd stage nozzles

b. 2nd stage turbine blades

7. Aft Borescope Plug
Centaur 40/50 Borescope Field Tools
SoLoNOx Combustion
• FT21204 - Guide Tube Kit
Standard Combustion
Figure 5.8 Typical Centaur 50 Borescope Ports

MERCURY 50
The Mercury 50 engine was introduced in 1999. It is a
recuperated engine that is currently only offered in
the power generation application field. The Mercury
50 comes configured with a 10 stage axial compressor
(9.1:1 compression ration), an annular combustor with
8 fuel injectors, a 2-stage gas producer turbine, and
an overhead recuperator.
Figure 5.9 Typical Mercury 50 Engine
The Mercury 50 was designed with multiple access

ports available to aid in the inspection process. These
ports are detailed in the following table along with the
components that can be viewed through these ports.
1. Air Inlet
a. Inlet guide vanes
b. 1st stage blades
c. 1st stage vanes

2. #1 & #3 Bearing Access
a. #1 Bearing
b. #3 Bearing

3. 10th Stage Compressor Port
a. Exit guide vane

4. #2 Bearing Access
a. #2 Bearing
5. Borescope Plug Port

a. Tip Shoes
b. 2nd stage blades

c. 2nd stage nozzles
6. T7 Port
a. 2nd stage blades

b. 2nd stage nozzles
7. Fuel Injector
a. Combustor
b. 1st stage nozzle
c. 1st stage blades

8. Recuperator Borescope Ports (4)
a. Recuperator cells

Mercury 50 Borescope Field Tools
Figure 5.10 Mercury 50 Cutaway

TAURUS 60
The Taurus 60 gas turbine was introduced in the
early 1990’s and now has more than 2.5 million hours
of operation among sold units. The Taurus 60 gas
turbine assembly consists of a 12-stage axial flow gas
producer, an annular combustor with 12 injectors, a
two-stage turbine assembly, and a two-stage power
turbine on H.E.D. units. There is the availability for
multiple configurations of the unit including H.E.D.
or C.E.D., SoLoNOx or Standard combustion, and
natural gas or dual fuel capabilities.
The Taurus 60 gas turbine incorporates the advanced

aerodynamic and mechanical technology and design of
the Mars gas turbine. There are considerably more
borescope ports available in relation to the Saturn and
Centaur product line, giving the technician a better
opportunity for a more thorough inspection.
Figure 5.11 Typical Taurus 60 C.E.D. Engine

Typically there are five to seven borescope
ports available for inspection depending on the
model/version engine (Figure 5.11). These ports are
the Air Inlet, Injector Port, Torch, Exhaust, T5 ports,
borescope inspection plug, and power turbine port
if equipped. The following is a general list of the
components and sections of the engine that can be
viewed through these ports.

1. Air Inlet
b. 1st stage blades

c. 1st stage variable guide vanes (Obstructed)
2. Injector Port
a. Exit guide vanes

b. 1st stage nozzles

d. Combustion liner & chamber
3. Torch
a. Combustion liner & chamber

4. Exhaust
b. 3rd stage blades

5. T5

c. 3rd stage blades
6. Borescope Inspection Plug

a. 1st stage blades
b. 1st stage nozzles
c. 2nd stage blades

7. Power Turbine
a. 4th stage blades

Taurus 60 Borescope Field Tools
SoLoNOx Combustion
Standard Combustion
TAURUS 70
The Taurus 70 engine product line was introduced in

1995. Since that time there have been more than
500 units sold, with over 10 million operating hours
reported for those units. The standard configuration
for the engine consists of a 14-stage axial compressor
(16-1 Compression Ratio), 5 variable guide vane
stages, an annular combustor with 12 fuel injectors,
a 2-stage gas producer turbine, and a 2-stage power
turbine.
Figure 5.12 Typical Taurus 70 C.E.D. Engine
The initial design of the Taurus 70 allowed for an in

depth borescope inspection due to the inclusion of
many access ports (Figure 5-12). The following is a list
of the typical ports and the components that can be
viewed during the borescope inspection of a Taurus
70 engine.

1. Air Inlet
b. 0 stage blades
c. 0 stage vanes (Obstructed)
2. Fwd Compressor Port
a. 1st stage blades

b. 1st stage vanes
c. 2nd stage blades

d. 2nd stage vanes (Obstructed)
3. 4th Stage Port
a. 4th stage blades

b. 4th stage vanes
c. 5th stage blades
4. 6th Stage Port

a. 6th stage blades
b. 6th stage vanes

c. 7th stage blades
5. Aft Compressor Port
a. 12th stage blades

b. 12th stage vanes
c. 13th stage blades
6. Injector Port
a. Exit guide vanes
b. Combustor

7. Thermocouple Ports
b. 2nd stage blades

c. 3rd stage blades
8. Aft Borescope Ports

b. 1st stage blades
c. 2nd stage blades

9. Power Turbine Port
a. 3rd stage blades
b. 3rd stage nozzles

c. 4th stage blades

Taurus 70 Borescope Field Tools
SoLoNOx Combustion
Standard Combustion

General Tooling
• FT28410 - Borescope Plug Removal Tool
Figure 5.13 Taurus 70 Cutaway

MARS 90
The Mars 90/100 product line was introduced in
1979. Since that time more than 1000 units have
been sold, with over 64 million operating hours
having been reported for those units. The Mars
engine is an extremely versatile engine with many
variations in horsepower ratings and in low emissions
configurations. The standard engine configuration has
a 15-stage axial compressor (17:1 Pressure Ratio), an
annual combustor with 21 fuel injectors for standard
and 14 injectors for SoLoNOx, a 3-stage gas producer
turbine, and a 2-stage power turbine.
Figure 5.14 Typical Mars 100 Engine
1. Air Inlet

b. 1st stage blades
c. 1st stage vanes (Obstructed)

2. Fwd Compressor port
a. 1st stage vanes
b. 1st stage blades

c. 2nd stage blades
3. 3rd Stage Port
a. 3rd stage blades

b. 3rd stage vanes
c. 4th stage blades

4. 7th Stage Port
a. 7th stage vanes
b. 7th stage blades

c. 8th stage blades
5. 11th Stage Port
a. 11th stage vanes


b. 12th stage vanes

7. Fuel Injector
a. Exit guide vanes

b. Combustor


8. T5 Port
b. 2nd stage blades

9. Pyrometer Port
b. 1st stage blades

10. Power Turbine Port
a. 4th stage nozzles

b. 4th stage blades

Mars 90/100 Borescope Field Tools
SoLoNOx Combustion
Standard Combustion
Figure 5.15 Mars Cutaway

TITAN 130
The Titan 130, originally released for production in
1998, is one of the larger engines produced by Solar. It
has multiple model ratings, and configurations with
reference to fuel type and emissions capabilities. The
standard configuration for the Titan 130 includes a
14-stage axial compressor with 5 variable guide vane
stages, an annular combustor with 14 SoLoNOx fuel
injectors or 21 standard fuel injectors, a 3-stage gas
producer turbine, and a 2-stage power turbine for
CS/MD applications.
Figure 5.16 Typical Titan 130 Engine
The initial design of the unit incorporated a

substantial amount of borescope ports to allow a
technician to perform a thorough inspection of all
aspects of the engines interior. A detailed list of these
ports and components that can be inspected is listed
in the following table.
1. Air Inlet

b. 0 stage blades
c. 0 stage vanes

2. FWD Compressor Port
a. 1st stage blades
b. 1st stage vanes

c. 2nd stage blades
a. 3rd stage blades

b. 3rd stage vanes
c. 4th stage blades

4. 7th Stage Port
a. 7th stage blades
b. 7th stage vanes

c. 6th stage blades
5. 12th Stage Port

b. 12th stage vanes

6. Injectors
a. Exit guide vanes
b. Combustor
d. 1st stage turbine nozzles
7. Aft Turbine Borescope Ports

b. 1st stage blades

c. 2nd stage blades

8. T5 Ports
b. 3rd stage blade

c. 2nd stage blades
9. Power Turbine Ports
a. 3rd stage blades

b. 4th stage nozzle
c. 4th stage blades
Titan 130 Borescope Field Tools
SoLoNOx Combustion
Standard Combustion

General Tooling
• FT33410 - Borescope Plug Removal Tool
Figure 5.17 Titan 130 Cutaway

STUDENT ACTIVITY
List 3 types of borescope field tools that can be used

1. ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. _______________________ are typically
pre-formed metal tubes, designed to take the tip
of the borescope directly to critical inspection
points.
3. There are typically __________________ available
borescope access points on a Saturn 20 engine.
4. List the available borescope points on a Mars

90/100 gas turbine engine.
a. _______________________________________
b. _______________________________________
c. _______________________________________
d. _______________________________________
e. _______________________________________
f. _______________________________________
g. _______________________________________
h. _______________________________________
i. _______________________________________
j. _______________________________________

5. What are the available field tools and their

prospective field tool numbers for a Titan 130
engine?
a. _______________________________________
b. _______________________________________
c. _______________________________________

ANSWER KEY
List 3 types of borescope field tools that can be used

1. Guide Tubes
Borescope Springs
Borescope Plug Removal Tool

2. Guide Tubes are typically pre-formed metal
tubes, designed to take the tip of the borescope
directly to critical inspection points.
3. There are typically 5 available borescope access
points on a Saturn 20 engine.
4. List the available borescope points on a Mars

90/100 gas turbine engine.
a. Air Inlet
b. Fwd compressor port
c. Aft compressor port
d. 3rd stage port

e. 7th stage port
f. 11th stage port

g. Fuel injector
h. T5 port
i. Pyrometer port
j. Power Turbine port

5. What are the available field tools and their

prospective field tool numbers for a Titan 130
engine?
a. FT33303 SoLoNOx Guide Tube Kit
b. FT33306 Standard Guide Tube Kit
c. FT33410 Borescope Plug Removal

Tool 6



Solar Technical Training LESSON 6 - Instructor Demonstration
LESSON 6 - Instructor Demonstration
OBJECTIVES
able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to use borescope field
tooling to access complex regions of a gas turbine
engine.

LESSON 6 - Instructor Demonstration Solar Technical Training
HANDS ON EXERCISE
The instructor will lead a practical exercise
demonstrating the proper methods used to borescope
an engine, including the methods used to access
and inspect:
The instructor will demonstrate the proper use of

borescope field tools during an inspection.
Students/Instructor will inspect several stages of a gas

producer on a lab provided engine, with an emphasis
on the proper method to rotate the engine and view
all blades on each rotor.

Solar Technical Training LESSON 6 - Instructor Demonstration

LESSON 6 - Instructor Demonstration Solar Technical Training

Solar Technical Training LESSON 7 - Component Failure Modes
LESSON 7 - Component Failure Modes
OBJECTIVES
able to:
1. Describe the different forces applied to a gas
turbine engine during startup, normal operation,
and shutdown.
2. Describe the typical component failure modes
that can be found in a gas turbine engine.
3. Describe the failure modes associated with

different components inside a gas turbine engine.
4. Demonstrate the ability to recognize component

failure modes.
NOTE
There is a definition section located at the
end of this lesson.

LESSON 7 - Component Failure Modes Solar Technical Training
APPLIED FORCES
A gas turbine engine is subjected to many different
forces over a normal lifespan. During start-up, normal
operation, and shutdown these forces are applied to
the internal components and given specific conditions
or situations can tend to weaken or breakdown these
components.
The forces that are typically applied during operating
conditions are heat, pressure, and vibration. All
of these conditions are present whenever the
unit is operating and can be a direct cause of
early/pre-mature failure of the internal components
of a gas turbine engine.
HEAT
Heat is a force that is exerted on the engines internal
components whenever the unit is rotating or the
combustion process is active. Typically all of the
internal components of a gas turbine engine have
been designed to withstand certain temperatures
given their location in the engine. For instance 1st
stage nozzle segments are treated with a Cobalt based
coating to protect them from the intense temperatures
of the combustion flame. These extreme temperatures
generated from the combustion process can cause
certain components to pre-maturely fail if the heat is
allowed to climb higher than their set points.
PRESSURE
Pressure is a potentially damaging force that is always
present during the operation of a gas turbine engine.
The internal components of an engine are designed to
withstand high instances of pressure, however if the
design conditions are exceeded there is a potential for
weakening or failure of the components in question.
For instance, the axial thrust of the gas producer
while in normal operation is a form of pressure that
can induce strain on the thrust bearing assembly of
the engine. While the thrust bearing is designed to
accept certain thrust loads, if the design set points are
exceeded, there is a potential for component failure.

VIBRATION
Vibration is a force that can be exerted on a gas
turbine engine due to imbalance, combustion system
oscillation/rumble, or misalignment. These forces
can cause the premature failure of components due
to the high or low frequency pulsations that are
generated in the components. Typically, an oscillating
combustion liner is subjected to very high frequency
vibrations that have the potential to literally shake
the liner to pieces.
FAILURE MODES
During a borescope inspection, a technician has the
potential to find component(s) that are in a damaged
or failed condition. The primary purpose of a borescope
inspection is to find those conditions at an early stage
to provide the opportunity for repair or replacement
prior to catastrophic failure.
The following are the typical failure modes that a
technician has the possibility of viewing during a
borescope inspection.

F.O.D. (Foreign Object Damage)
Foreign object damage or F.O.D. (Figure 7.1) is the

entrance of an outside source of contamination,
which affects the performance and overall operating
conditions of the engine. This source of contamination
can range from sand to nuts, bolts, and tooling left
in an air inlet duct. These particles can be the cause
of engine failure, or can be resultant of another
failure such as blade liberation in a gas producer
compressor, causing subsequent F.O.D. damage to the
later components in the system.
Figure 7.1 Example Foreign Object Damage (FOD)

WEAR
Wear is the depletion of a material from a solid
surface, caused by the action of another solid. There
are five principle "Wear" processes that can take place
when referencing component failure in a gas turbine
engine; adhesive wear, abrasive wear, surface wear,
fretting wear, and erosion wear. The following is a
brief description of each of these five processes.
ADHESIVE WEAR
Adhesive wear (Figure 7.2) is caused when similar

metals/objects come into direct contact without the
presence of lubrication. There are various symptoms
that can be derived from adhesive wear such as
galling, scoring, or seizing. Some of the typical
components that can be susceptible to adhesive
wear are bearings, shafts, seals, gears, and splines.
Contributing factors to the condition of adhesive
wear may include high contact stress, insufficient
material hardness, excessive surface roughness of the
components, and an insufficient supply of lubrication.
Figure 7.2 Example of Adhesive Wear

ABRASIVE WEAR
Abrasive wear (Figure 7.3) is a failure mode that
occurs when two or more sliding surfaces operate in a
contaminated environment. The sliding surfaces are
typically damaged by particles that effectively cut
through one or both of the mating surfaces, resulting
in material damage or loss. Gouging, grinding,
or scratching of the affected surface generally
characterizes this failure mode. Abrasive wear is
identifiable in bearings, shafts, thrust collars &
washers, gears, and splines.
Figure 7.3 Example of Abrasive Wear

SURFACE WEAR
Surface fatigue (Figure 7.4) is a failure mode process
where the surface material of the components is
weakened by cyclic loading. Typically a contaminant
or particle becomes trapped between mating surfaces,
after several loading cycles the material becomes
dented or a crack is generated. During subsequent
cycles the crack or dent spreads, until finally the
surface fails and particles are released from the
material.
Figure 7.4 Example of Surface Wear
FRETTING WEAR
Fretting wear damage occurs when two surfaces are

subject to cyclic rubbing. Over a period of time, the
material from one or both of the surfaces in contact will
begin to deteriorate causing further failure. Fretting
damage is identifiable by the presence of rouge (Iron
oxide powder) and a rough or torn appearance of the
affected surface. Fretting is often the initiation point
for further failure modes such as fatigue cracking due
to the weakening of the materials.

EROSION WEAR
Erosion is a type of wear that involves the abrasive

action of moving fluids that have the presence of
contaminants. These contaminants are generally
found in the oil supply or the fuel gas supply to the
engine. Typical components that can be affected by
erosive wear are impellers, bearings, and seals.
SULFIDATION
Sulfidation, or sulfer-assisted oxidation, is caused by
the presence of sulfur in a gaseous form. Typically this
failure mode is identifiable in fuel injectors (Figure
7.5), combustion liners, turbine blades, and turbine
nozzles. Sulfidation is generally diagnosed in direct
relation to the fuel supply to the engine.
Figure 7.5 Example of Sulfidation on a Fuel Injector

H.C.F. (High Cycle Fatigue)

High cycle fatigue is a failure mode that causes
damage to components over a large number of loading
cycles (Figure 7.6). Typically these conditions are
identified with situations that require more than 104
cycles until the component fails. Vibration loading is
also associated with this failure condition and can be a
contributing factor in the component failure.
Figure 7.6 Liberated Blade due to HCF
L.C.F. (Low Cycle Fatigue)

Low cycle fatigue is diagnosed by damage occurring
to component(s) over a relatively low number of
loading cycles (Figure 7.7). These failures are often
associated with thermo-mechanical strains. Some of
the typical components that are subject to L.C.F. may
include turbine discs and fasteners, turbine blades,
and transfer shafts. These failures generally have a
root cause which stems from flaws in the component
material.
Figure 7.7 Paper-Clip Failure due to LCF

OVERLOAD
Overload is a condition that occurs when the applied
stress on a component exceeds the material strength
of that component. Deformation occurs when the yield
strength is exceeded, followed by separation of the
material when the ultimate tensile strength is passed.
Secondary or F.O.D. damage typically are caused
due to overload failure.
THERMO-MECHANICAL FATIGUE
Thermo-mechanical fatigue is a condition that exists
when temperature distributions vary with time
and produce cyclic thermal stresses on the affected
component(s). Over this time span, the component
material weakens, subsequently causing cracks,
pitting, and erosion of the material (Figure 7.8).
Typical components that are most susceptible to
these conditions are combustion liners, nozzles, and
turbine blades.
Figure 7.8 Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue on Turbine Nozzle

CORROSION
Corrosion is a condition where an electro-mechanical
reaction occurs between a metal and its environment.
It is typically characterized by the appearance of a
roughened surface, with possible pitting or trenching
of the affected area.
THERMAL DAMAGE
Thermal damage (Figure 7.9) is a condition that exists
when there is a chemical deterioration of a material
under very high temperature conditions. Typically
the components that are affected are subjected to
temperatures that exceed the protective coating
limits. High temperature atmospheres containing
oxygen and sulfur that are capable of oxidizing the
affected components contribute to the effects of
thermal damage.
Figure 7.9 Thermal Damage on Turbine Blades

THERMAL EROSION
Thermal erosion is a condition that exists when
the protective coating has or no longer exists on
the affected component(s). The components begin
to weaken, allowing the constant and varying
temperatures of the environment to breakdown the
material. This type of failure is typically related
to components in the combustion system and may
include turbine blades/nozzles, combustion liners,
and fuel injectors.
OTHER TYPES OF FAILURE
CREEP
Creep is the term used to describe the tendency of a

solid material to slowly move or deform permanently
under the influence of outside thermal and pressure
stresses.
STRESS RUPTURE
Stress rupture is typically the fracture of component
material as a direct result of creep in the material.
DISTORTION
Distortion is a failure mode that is represented by
a change in shape due to an applied force to the
material. While the component material may be strong
enough to not crack or otherwise fail, it is not strong
enough to support the load without change.
MELTING
Melting is the process that occurs when a component

or material is subjected to extreme thermal
temperatures, thus changing the dynamics of that
material from a solid to a liquid form. Typically this
condition is relegated to turbine blades and nozzles.

STUDENT PRACTICAL EXERCISE

During this exercise, the instructor will pass out
several training aid components ranging from
compressor blades, turbine blades, turbine nozzles,
and fuel injectors.
Using the knowledge obtained from this lesson, your

task is to list the component type, accompanied by the
failure mode associated with each component.
Component #1
Type: ______________________________
Failure Mode: _______________________
Component #2
Type: ______________________________
Failure Mode: _______________________
Component #3
Type: ______________________________
Failure Mode: _______________________
Component #4
Type: ______________________________
Failure Mode: _______________________
Component #5
Type: ______________________________
Failure Mode: _______________________

STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. What are the 5 principle "Wear" types?
a. _______________________________________
b. _______________________________________
c. _______________________________________
d. _______________________________________
e. _______________________________________
2. The 1st stage nozzles depicted in the figure

below, display what type of component damage?
Type of Damage: ___________________

3. Match the following terms with their proper

definitions:
a. L.C.F. (Low Cycle Fatigue)
b. H.C.F. (High Cycle Fatigue)

c. Overload
d. F.O.D. (Foreign Object Damage)
e. Thermal Damage
_____ When the applied stress exceeds the material

strength
_____ Damage that occurs over a relatively low
number of cycles.
_____ Damage that occurs over a high number of

cycles.
_____ Damage resultant from the introduction of

outside source of contamination.
_____ Chemical deterioration of a material under very
high temperature conditions.

ANSWER KEY
1. What are the 5 principle "Wear" types?
a. Adhesive
b. Abrasive
c. Fretting
d. Surface
e. Erosion
2. The 1st stage nozzles depicted in the figure

below, display what type of component damage?
Type of Damage: ___Thermal Fatigue___

3. Match the following terms with their proper

definitions:
a. L.C.F. (Low Cycle Fatigue)
b. H.C.F. (High Cycle Fatigue)

c. Overload
d. F.O.D. (Foreign Object Damage)
e. Thermal Damage
__C___ When the applied stress exceeds the material

strength
__A___ Damage that occurs over a relatively low
number of cycles.
__B___ Damage that occurs over a high number

of cycles.
__D___ Damage resultant from the introduction of

outside source of contamination.
__E___ Chemical deterioration of a material under
very high temperature conditions.

DEFINITIONS
Tensile Strength
The stress required to pull something such as rope,
wire or component to its breaking point.
Yield Strength
An applied stress causing a material begins to deform
plastically.
Plastically
The deformation of a material undergoing
non-reversible changes of shape in response to applied
forces such as heat or pressure stresses
Deformation/Distortion
A change in component shape due to excessive thermal

or pressure stress.
Oxidation
The process in which an oxide layer is formed at

elevated temperatures, and the base material
deteriorates.
Varnish
A thin insoluble contaminant comprised of oil

degradation by-products and sometimes depleted
additive molecules
Contamination
The presence of foreign particles or chemicals in liquid
or solid form
Deterioration
A loss of metal as a result of environmental reactions
Discoloration
A direct indication of the formation of an oxide or
sulfide on the surface of the material being examined.



Solar Technical Training LESSON 8 - Borescope Severity Index
LESSON 8 - Borescope Severity Index
OBJECTIVES
able to:
1. Define the purpose of the three main grading
scales used when borescoping a gas turbine
engine.
2. Describe the "Severity" levels associated with
failed or damaged engine components.
3. Demonstrate the ability to recognize the different

severity modes associated with the internal
components of a gas turbine engine.

LESSON 8 - Borescope Severity Index Solar Technical Training
INTRODUCTION
Borescope inspections are performed on gas turbine
engines on a regular basis to ensure proper
operation and to document equipment condition.
Some of the reasons a borescope may be required
are for maintenance intervals, cause analysis, or a
requested/recommended inspection by Solar Turbines
engineering or the equipment owner.
During these inspections, there is the possibility that
the technician may find damaged or failed components
internally on the engine. The difficult task is to
determine the severity level of the damage and how it
affects the operation of the engine. Some damage can
appear to detrimental to the engine, yet has no affect
on the operation of the unit. Other times damage may
seem to be very slight, yet this damage has a negative
affect on the operational capabilities of the engine.
These conditions can be difficult to grade due to the
fact that all of the data gathered is done so by use of a
borescope and is not being seen by the naked eye.
Whenever damage is found inside of a turbine during

inspection, the technician performing the inspection
should make detailed notes in the inspection report
and notify the district service manager for the
equipment. At no time should the technician be
responsible for condemning or removing a unit
from service unless the engine is deemed unsafe to
operate. If a unit is deemed unsafe to operate because
personnel or equipment safety is in question, then
the district service manager and customer should be
immediately notified of these conditions.

SEVERITY INDEX
When borescoping the engine, there are three
distinct grading levels that are typically used by the
inspecting technician to determine the condition of the
components internal to the engine:
1. Severity Level 1
2. Severity Level 2
3. Normal Condition
These levels of measurement should be used to

determine the condition of the components of the
engine and should be the baseline for determining
operational capability.
SEVERITY LEVEL 1
"Severity Level 1" conditions reference damaged or

failed engine components that are either unsafe to
operate or if catastrophic failure has occurred or is
eminent. These conditions will require that the engine
be replaced, repaired, or overhauled in order to bring
the unit back to operating condition.
Typically "Severity Level 1" damage is associated with
but not limited to the following symptoms:
Table 8.1 Severity Level 1
Cracks Missing blades/vanes (Figure 8-1)

Severe F.O.D. Damaged blades/vanes
Severe distortion Component separation
Severe Erosion Severe thermal damage

Whenever "Severity Level 1" conditions are found, it

is recommended that the technician immediately
notify the equipments district service manager and
the regional field engineer. This will facilitate the
process of repairing the current issue. The technician
should also make detailed notes of the problem in
the borescope inspection report and should include
clear images of the fault.
Figure 8.1 "Severity Level 1" Blade Liberation
SEVERITY LEVEL 2
"Severity Level 2" are the conditions that may be
present when borescoping an engine. These conditions
represent components that have not failed, however
show signs of deterioration or possible future failure.
These conditions typically do not give grounds to
condemn and engine, but rather mean that future
monitoring of the components in question will be
required. The engine is typically deemed safe to
operate and an immediate failure is not foreseen.
Typically "Severity Level 2" damage is associated with

but not limited to the following symptoms:

Table 8.2 Severity Level 2
Minor Pitting Slight Distortion

Corrosion Discoloration
F.O.D. Minor Cracks
Minor Blade Rub/Wear Thermal Damage (Figure 8.2)
All "Severity Level 2" issues should be reported to the

equipments district service manager and regional field
engineer immediately for review. The technician is
also required to make detailed notes with images in
the borescope inspection report so that the components
can be compared in future inspection processes.
Figure 8.2 "Severity Level 2" Thermal Damage
NORMAL CONDITION
"Normal Condition" is the provision used to term

components when nothing abnormal is found during
an inspection. Typically the technician finds the
inspected components to be in good condition without
signs of damage. Some of the components that are
inspected may show signs of wear that is normal for
the given component. These findings should be noted
on a detailed inspection report accompanied by clear
images.

STUDENT EXERCISE
The instructor will hand out several components that
are typically found internal to a gas turbine engine.
Using the knowledge learned in this lesson and in
previous lessons, the student is tasked with naming
the component, analyzing the component failure mode
if any, and assigning the component into one of the
three severity index levels.
Please list the components in the table below:
COMPONENT FAILURE MODE SEVERITY INDEX

STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. What are the 3 levels of grading used during a

borescope inspection?
a. _______________________________________
b. _______________________________________
c. _______________________________________
2. An engine was found with severe thermal

damage to the 1st stage nozzles including erosion
into the cooling path. What "Severity" category
does this condition fall under?
_____________________________________________
3. During an inspection, it is found that a few of

the inlet guide vanes have slight foreign object
damage. What "Severity" category does this
condition fall under?
_____________________________________________

NOTES:

ANSWER KEY
1. What are the 3 levels of grading used during a

borescope inspection?
a. Severity Level 1
b. Severity Level 2
c. Normal Condition
2. An engine was found with severe thermal

damage to the 1st stage nozzles including erosion
into the cooling path. What "Severity" category
does this condition fall under?
Severity Level 1
3. During an inspection, it is found that a few of

the inlet guide vanes have slight foreign object
damage. What "Severity" category does this
condition fall under?
Severity Level 2



Solar Technical Training LESSON 9 - Borescope Inspection Reports
LESSON 9 - Borescope Inspection Reports
OBJECTIVES
able to:
1. Describe the purpose of a borescope inspection
report.
2. Demonstrate the ability to obtain a borescope

template for the FESD (Field Employee Support
Documentation) site.
3. Describe the proper information and content that

should be included with a borescope report.
4. Demonstrate the ability to create a detailed

borescope inspection report.

LESSON 9 - Borescope Inspection Reports Solar Technical Training
INSPECTION REPORTS
Whenever a borescope inspection is performed,
there should always be an accompanying borescope
inspection report that is completed by the inspecting
technician. The purpose of this report is to document
the condition of the engine and all internal components
for review by the customer, district service manager,
and regional field engineer. This inspection report
should contain all of the details pertinent to describing
the equipment being inspected, all of the components
that were viewed, along with clear images detailing
the condition of the equipment.
REPORT TEMPLATES
Borescope inspection report templates (Figure 9.1)
are a simple yet effective means of creating detailed
and accurate reports. They give the technician the
capability to fill in the applicable fields with the
information and images that were gathered during the
inspection without having to generate an entire report
for each inspection. They also provide the reviewer
with a known format that is relatively easy to view
and gives the sense of familiarity.
Solar Turbines has provided several borescope

inspection report templates on the Field Employee
Support Documentation (FESD) site contained within
the Lotus Notes e-mail program.

Figure 9.1 Sample Borescope Template
These templates are available for retrieval by

following the procedure listed below:
NOTE
In order to access these templates, the user
will need Lotus Notes installed on a PC,
a valid Lotus Notes account, the FESD
database installed in Lotus Notes, and Solar
Intra-Net access.
1. Open the Lotus Notes program from either the

shortcut on the Windows desktop or through the
Windows "Start Menu"

2. Click on the FESD button in the left taskbar

(Figure 9.2)
Figure 9.2 FESD Button Icon

3. This will open a screen displaying the FESD

main topics (Figure 9.3)
Figure 9.3 FESD Main Topics Men
4. Expand the main topic six section "Report

Templates"

5. Expand section 6.3 Borescope Templates (Figure

9.4)
Figure 9.4 Borescope Report Template Section
6. Select the borescope report template that is to be

used by double-clicking

7. A main topic window will open displaying the

borescope report template as an icon (Figure 9.5)
Figure 9.5 Borescope Report Template Icon
8. Double-Click the icon to open a "Open

Attachment" window

9. Save the file to the Windows desktop of the users

computer (Figure 9.6)
Figure 9.6 Windows "Open Attachment" Box
10. Locate the saved file on the Windows desktop

to open

REPORT CONTENT
The information contained in a borescope report
should list all of the relevant information for the unit
that was inspected. The report will typically be sent to
both the end user and the local Solar district office
for review. The reviewers of the report should be able
to make a decision on the operational capabilities of
the engine, based on the information contained in the
report. These decisions may have to be made without
the reviewers actually having viewed the equipment,
this presents the need for the report to be completely
detailed in listing all aspects of the inspection as
well as all relevant information regarding the unit
configuration and operation.
A borescope report should be written so that it is

clear and easy to read. It should not contain jargon or
slang terms for components or conditions that could be
misinterpreted by the reviewers of the report. The use
of acronyms in a borescope inspection report should
remain limited, and if used, they should be defined so
that a future reviewer will understand the terms being
used. For example, the acronym IGV may appear to
be a straightforward acronym to decipher, however
the individual reviewing the inspection report may
not be familiar with that term and may possibly not
understand that it references the inlet guide vanes.
In addition to the inspection results the report should

also include operating information for the unit. This
may include a description of the duty of the unit
and the typical load on the unit as well as any site
specific relevant data. Operating parameters such as
temperatures (T5 etc.) and pressures (Pcd etc.) should
be recorded before and after the inspection.
REPORT FORMAT
The report should be clear and concise and should
include the name of the technician performing the
inspection, the date and time of the inspection, a
conclusion section that summarizes all findings and a
recommended actions section.

ATTACHMENTS
During the inspection many images may have been
captured (especially when using a digital borescope).
Some of these images should be included in the report

but only images that serve the purpose of making
the report easier to review should be included. For
example if an unusual condition is observed and an
image clearly shows the condition then that image
should be included in the report.
The following details the general information and
details that should be entered whenever a borescope
report is being created:
1. Inspector Name
2. Date/Time
3. Package Specific Information
a. Customer Name
b. Site Information
c. Project Definition Number
d. Package Serial Number

4. Engine Specific Information
a. Engine Model & Rating
b. Engine Serial Number

c. Engine Data Plate Information
d. Hours & Starts
e. Operating Parameters (before and after

inspection)

5. Condition Reporting
a. The technician should inspect and note the

condition of the following components and
sections of the engine
(1) Air Inlet
(a) The technician should document

the overall condition of the entire
air inlet assembly detailing the
overall cleanliness and integrity
of the sealing mechanisms.
(2) Compressor
(a) The technician should inspect
all of the stage of blades and
vanes that are available given
the borescope ports for each
unit type.
(3) Diffuser
(a) The exit guide vane stators and

final stage compressor blades
should be viewed though the
diffuser.
(4) Combustor
(a) Combustion Liner
- Part Number
- Type (ABC, Diffusion, etc...)
(b) Fuel Injectors
- Part Number
- Type (Dual Fuel, SoLoNOx,

etc...)

(c) Access all available turbine

nozzles/blades
The technician should document

the overall condition of the
components and include clear
images.
(5) Power Turbine (if equipped)
6. Report Summary
a. A short paraphrasing of all findings during

the inspection.
7. Recommendation
a. This field is meant for the inspector

to complete for normal conditions or
severity level 2 recommendations. This
section should not contain speculative
recommendations or opinions.
REPORT COMPLETION
A completed report should always be provided to the
district office as well as the customer. The report
should be retained so that it can be referenced during
future inspections to compare conditions.

PRACTICAL EXERCISE
The instructor will pass out a blank digital copy of a
basic borescope inspection report. The student should
complete a borescope inspection report based off
of the information obtained in Lesson 3: Black Box
Simulation.
All available information should be included along

with the supporting images that were taken during
the previous exercise. Each section of the report
will be completed as a group to form the completed
inspection report.



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4010 Borescope

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Technical Training

Borescope Inspection Procedures

Course No. 4010

Solar Turbines Incorporated

PUBLICATION NUMBER: TR4010

© 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved.

1 LESSON 1 - BORESCOPE PRINCIPLES & APPLICATIONS

2 LESSON 2 - DIGITAL BORESCOPE APPLICATIONS

4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. v

DIGITAL BORESCOPE OPTICAL ADAPTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2.14

3 LESSON 3 - STUDENT HANDS ON EXERCISE

4 LESSON 4 - COMPONENT DESCRIPTION

vi © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

COMBUSTION SECTION, CONTD

5 LESSON 5 - PRODUCT LINE DESCRIPTION

4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. vii

6 LESSON 6 - INSTRUCTOR DEMONSTRATION

7 LESSON 7 - COMPONENT FAILURE MODES

viii © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. 4010

8 LESSON 8 - BORESCOPE SEVERITY INDEX

9 LESSON 9 - BORESCOPE INSPECTION REPORTS

4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. ix

1.1 Borescope Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2

1.2 Tyndall’s Light Pipe Experiment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4

1.3 Image Bundle Fibers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7

1.4 Image Bundle Fiber Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7

1.5 Borescope Major Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.8

1.6 Rigid Borescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.11

1.7 Flexible Borescope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.12

1.8 Flexible Borescope Articulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.13

1.9 Digital Borescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.15

1.10 Borescope Inspection Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.20

1.11 Borescope Inspection Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.24

2.1 Olympus IPLEX SA II R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3

2.2 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Main Control Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.4

2.3 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Remote Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7

2.4 Olympus IPLEX SA II R Display Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.9

2.5 Brightness Control Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.13

2.6 Borescope Optical Adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.14

2.7 Optical Adapter Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.16

2.8 Optical Adapter Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.16

2.9 Remote Controller Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.17

2.10 Remote Controller Hand Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.19

2.11 Working Length Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.20

2.12 Olympus IPLEX Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.22

4.1 Gas Producer Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3

4.2 Engine Temperature/Pressure Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4

4010 © 2008 Solar Turbines Incorporated. All rights reserved. xi

4.3 Inlet and Variable Guide Vanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7

4.4 Compressor Diffuser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9

4.5 Standard Combustion Diffuser Liner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.11

4.6 SoLoNOx Effusion Cooled Liner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.12

4.7 ABC Liner (Augmented Backside Cooled) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.13

4.8 Standard and SoLoNOx Injectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.14

4.9 Turbine Nozzle Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.15

4.10 Turbine Nozzle Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.16

4.11 Typical Turbine Rotor With Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.17

4.12 Cooled Turbine Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.18