• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.738-744
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• 2011

The reliability of blade root fixing section is required to endure the centrifugal force and vibration stress for the last stage blade of steam turbine in thermal power plant. Most of the domestic steam turbine last stage blades have finger type roots. The finger type blade is very complex, so the inspection had been performed only on the exposed fixing pin cross-section area due to the difficulty of inspection. But the centrifugal force and vibration stress are also applied at the blade root finger and the crack generates, so the inspection method for finger section is necessary. For the inspection of root finger, inspection points were decided by simulating ultra-sonic path with 3D modeling, curve-shape probe and fixing jig were invented, and the characteristics analysis method of ultrasonic reflection signal and defect signal disposition method were invented. This invented method was actually executed at site and prevented the blade liberation failure by detecting the cracks at the fingers. Also, the same type blades of the other turbines were inspected periodically and the reliability of the turbine increased.