Tip clearance probe including anti-rotation feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077992-B2
Application number	US-201213600299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2012
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A tip clearance probe includes at least one anti-rotation feature within the probe housing that prevents a sensor component from rotating when the tip clearance probe fails due to extraordinary wear and tear.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tip clearance probe comprising:
a housing defining an axis;
a sensor component retained within said housing;
a sensor face on a first axial end of said housing, wherein said sensor face is angled relative to said axis; and
an anti-rotation feature within said housing, wherein said anti-rotation feature is operable to prevent said sensor component from rotating about said axis.

2. The tip clearance probe of claim 1 , wherein said anti-rotation feature comprises:
at least one anti-rotation pin aligned with said axis; and
at least one anti-rotation insulator interfacing with said sensor component and engaged with one of said at least one anti-rotation pins.

3. The tip clearance probe of claim 2 , wherein said sensor component comprises at least one shaped opening operable to receive said at least one anti-rotation insulator.

4. The tip clearance probe of claim 2 , wherein each of said at least one anti-rotation insulators comprises a center opening shaped to receive one of said at least one anti-rotation pins.

5. The tip clearance probe of claim 2 , wherein each of said at least one anti-rotation pins comprises a rod defining a rod axis, and wherein said rod axis is aligned with said housing axis.

6. The tip clearance probe of claim 1 , further comprising at least one insulator within said housing, wherein said at least one insulator contacts the sensor component and a housing wall and is operable to maintain said sensor component within said housing.

7. The tip clearance probe of claim 6 , wherein said housing comprises an internal catching lip feature operable to catch said sensor component when said at least one insulator fails.

8. The tip clearance probe of claim 6 , wherein said at least one insulator is a ceramic insulator.

9. The tip clearance probe of claim 1 , further comprising a tip clearance probe cap on a second axial end of said housing, and wherein any component between said tip clearance probe cap and said sensor face is maintained under a compressional force.

10. A method for preventing rotation of a sensor component within a sensor housing comprising the steps of:
allowing a sensor component to drop a set distance and catching a portion of the sensor component using a housing feature such that said sensor component does not drop out of said housing; and
preventing said sensor component from rotating as the sensor component drops using at least one anti-rotation pin and at least one retention feature engaged with said sensor component.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of allowing a sensor component to drop a set distance and catching a portion of the sensor component using a housing feature such that said sensor component does not drop out of said housing further comprises allowing said retention feature and said at least one anti-rotation pin to drop said set distance.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of allowing a sensor component to drop a set distance and catching a portion of the sensor component using a housing feature such that said sensor component does not drop out of said housing occurs when an insulator for maintaining said sensor component within said housing experiences a failure.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of preventing said sensor component from rotating as the sensor component drops using at least one anti-rotation pin and at least one retention feature engaged with said sensor component comprises each of said anti-rotation pins contacting an edge of an opening in the sensor component receiving the at least one anti-rotation pin.

14. A turbine engine comprising:
a gas path including a plurality of rotors and stators;
a clearance probe configured to detect a clearance between at least one of said rotors and an outer air seal of said gas path, wherein said clearance probe comprises;
a housing defining a tip clearance probe axis;
a sensor component retained within said housing;
a sensor face on a first axial end of said housing, wherein said sensor face is angled relative to said axis; and
an anti-rotation feature within said housing, wherein said anti-rotation feature is operable to prevent said sensor component from rotating about said axis.

15. The turbine engine of claim 14 , wherein said anti-rotation feature comprises:
at least one anti-rotation pin aligned with said tip clearance probe axis; and
at least one anti-rotation insulator interfacing with said sensor component and engaged with one of said at least one anti-rotation pins.

16. The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein said sensor component comprises at least one shaped opening operable to receive said at least one anti-rotation insulator.

17. The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein each of said anti-rotation insulators comprises at least one retention ring, and wherein a center opening of said at least one retention ring is shaped to receive one of said at least one anti-rotation pins.

18. The turbine engine of claim 15 , wherein each of said at least one anti-rotation pins comprises a rod defining a rod axis, and wherein said rod axis is aligned with said tip clearance probe axis.

19. The turbine engine of claim 14 , further comprising at least one insulator within said housing, wherein said at least one insulator contacts the sensor component and a housing wall and is operable to maintain said sensor component within said housing.

20. The turbine engine of claim 19 , wherein said housing comprises an internal catching lip feature operable to catch said sensor component when said at least one insulator fails.

21. The tip clearance probe of claim 1 , wherein said sensor face is a planar sensor face.

Assignees

• Warren Eli Cole
• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Warren Eli Cole

Classifications

• F01D21/04

  responsive to undesired position of rotor relative to stator {or to breaking-off of a part of the rotor}, e.g. indicating such position · CPC title

• G01D11/16 Primary

  Elements for restraining, or preventing the movement of, parts, e.g. for zeroising (caging of moving parts when not in use G01D11/20) · CPC title

• G01B21/16

  for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects · CPC title

• F01D21/003

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