Shielded electromagnetic communication with functional components of a machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10051345-B2
Application number	US-201615255716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2016
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A system of a machine is provided. The system having: a network of a plurality of sensing/control/identification devices distributed throughout the machine, at least one of the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices associated with at least one sub-system component of the machine and operable to communicate through a plurality of electromagnetic signals; shielding surrounding at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices to contain the electromagnetic signals proximate to the at least one sub-system component; and a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing/control/identification devices through the electromagnetic signals, wherein the at least one of the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices has internal memory independent of the remote processing unit, the internal memory having historical data corresponding to the least one sub-system component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system of a machine, the system comprising:
a network of a plurality of sensing/control/identification devices distributed throughout the machine, each of the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices being associated with at least one sub-system component of the machine and having a physical actuation device, each of the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices operable to communicate through a plurality of electromagnetic signals;
shielding surrounding the at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices to contain the electromagnetic signals proximate to the at least one sub-system component;
shielding surrounding the plurality of electromagnetic signals; and
a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing/control/identification devices through the electromagnetic signals, wherein the shielding extends to the remote processing unit and each of the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices has internal memory independent of the remote processing unit, the internal memory having historical data corresponding to the least one sub-system component.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the shielding further comprises a metal waveguide, wherein the thickness of the metal of the waveguide is greater than a skin depth of the metal of the waveguide.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the shielding is a Faraday shield.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the shielding prevents electromagnetic signals external to the network from reaching the least one of the sensing/control/identification devices.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the shielding is a metal screen.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices is a RFID tag powered by an EM transmitting source.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the EM transmitting source is the remote processing unit.

8. A system for a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
a network of a plurality of sensing/control/identification devices distributed throughout the gas turbine engine, each of the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices being associated with at least one sub-system component of the gas turbine engine and having a physical actuation device, the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices operable to communicate through a plurality of shielded electromagnetic signals;
a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing/control/identification devices through the shielded electromagnetic signals, wherein the at least one of the plurality of sensing/control/identification devices has internal memory independent of the remote processing unit, the internal memory having historical data corresponding to the least one sub-system component; and
shielding surrounding the at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices to contain the electromagnetic signals proximate to the at least one sub-system component.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one sub-system component is part of at least one of a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section of the gas turbine engine, and the at least one sub-system component contains a parameter of interest to a control and health monitoring system, wherein the parameter of interest is one of a pressure, a temperature, a speed, a position, vibration and proximity that is stored in the internal memory independent of the remote processing unit.

10. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the shielding further comprises a metal waveguide, wherein the thickness of the metal of the waveguide is greater than a skin depth of the waveguide.

11. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the shielding prevents electromagnetic signals external to the network from reaching the least one of the sensing/control/identification devices.

12. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the shielding is metal screen or a Faraday shield.

13. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices is a RFID tag powered by an EM transmitting source.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the EM transmitting source is the remote processing unit.

15. A method of tracking data relevant to a component of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
securing a sensing/control/identification device to a sub-system component of the gas turbine engine the sensing/control/identification device having a physical actuation device;
shielding the sensing/control/identification device from external electromagnetic signals proximate to the sub-system component;
storing data relevant to the sub-system component in memory of the sensing/control/identification device; and
transmitting the data to a remote processing unit via electromagnetic signals through a waveguide, wherein the electromagnetic signals are shielded by the waveguide.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the sub-system component is part of at least one of a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section of the gas turbine engine, and the sub-system component contains a parameter of interest to a control and health monitoring system comprising the remote processing unit, wherein the parameter of interest is one of a pressure, a temperature, a speed, a position, vibration and proximity that is stored in the memory of the sensing/control/identification device.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the sensing/control/identification device is a RFID tag powered by an EM transmitting source.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the EM transmitting source is the remote processing unit.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Mantese Joseph V
• Sobanski Kurt J
• Mccabe Brian L
• Zacchio Joseph

Classifications

• F01D21/003 Primary

  Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H) · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title

• H04Q1/116 Primary

  lightning or EMI protection, e.g. shielding or grounding · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title