Thin-film thermocouple for measuring the temperature of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161807-B2
Application number	US-201615274238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A thin-film thermocouple for measuring the temperature of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component includes a first thermocouple leg and a second thermocouple leg deposited on a surface of a CMC component, where each of the first and second thermocouple legs has a length extending from a reference end to a working end thereof. The working ends of the first and second thermocouple legs are joined at a junction region on the surface. At least one of the first thermocouple leg and the second thermocouple leg comprises silicon carbide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thin-film thermocouple for measuring the temperature of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component, the thin-film thermocouple comprising:
a first thermocouple leg and a second thermocouple leg deposited on a surface of a CMC component, each of the first and second thermocouple legs having a length extending from a reference end to a working end thereof, the working ends of the first and second thermocouple legs being joined at a junction region on the surface,
wherein at least one of the first thermocouple leg and the second thermocouple leg comprises silicon carbide.

2. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 1 , wherein the first thermocouple leg comprises a metal having a melting point above about 1600° C. and the second thermocouple leg comprises silicon carbide.

3. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 2 , wherein the first thermocouple leg comprises platinum and the second thermocouple leg does not include unreacted silicon.

4. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 2 , wherein the silicon carbide comprises doped silicon carbide.

5. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 4 , wherein the doped silicon carbide comprises a dopant selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, boron, boron carbide, beryllium, aluminum and gallium.

6. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 1 , wherein the first thermocouple leg comprises n-doped silicon carbide and the second thermocouple leg comprises p-doped silicon carbide.

7. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 6 , wherein the n-doped silicon carbide includes a dopant selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and phosphorus, and wherein the p-doped silicon carbide includes a dopant selected from the group consisting of boron, boron carbide, beryllium, aluminum and gallium.

8. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically insulating layer deposited between the surface of the CMC component and one or both of the first and second thermocouple legs.

9. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first and second thermocouple legs are deposited directly on the surface without an electrically insulating layer therebetween.

10. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 1 , further comprising first and second conductive bond pads deposited on the surface,
wherein the reference ends of the first and second thermocouple legs are in contact with the respective first and second conductive bond pads.

11. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 10 , further comprising an electrically insulating layer deposited between the surface and one or both of the first and second conductive bond pads.

12. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 1 , wherein the CMC component comprises a SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite.

13. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 1 , further comprising a third thermocouple leg deposited on the surface, the third thermocouple leg having a length extending from a reference end to a working end thereof and comprising silicon carbide,
wherein the length of the third thermocouple leg is shorter than the length of the second thermocouple leg, and
wherein the working end of the third thermocouple leg is joined to the first thermocouple leg at an additional sensing end extending from a midsection thereof between the working and reference ends, thereby defining an additional junction region for temperature measurement on a different part of the surface.

14. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 13 , further comprising a third bond pad deposited on the surface, and wherein the reference end of the third thermocouple leg is in contact with the third bond pad.

15. The thin-film thermocouple of claim 13 , wherein up to n thermocouple legs are deposited on the surface, where n is a positive integer 2≤n≤20.

16. A method of making a thin-film thermocouple, the method comprising:
depositing a first thermocouple leg on a surface of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component, the first thermocouple leg having a length extending from a reference end to a working end thereof; and
depositing a second thermocouple leg on the surface, the second thermocouple leg having a length extending from a reference end to a working end thereof, the working end of the second thermocouple leg being joined to the working end of the first thermocouple leg at a junction region on the surface,
wherein at least one of the first thermocouple leg and the second thermocouple leg comprises silicon carbide.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first thermocouple leg comprises a metal having a melting point above 1600° C. and the second thermocouple leg comprises silicon carbide.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first thermocouple leg comprises platinum and the second thermocouple leg does not include unreacted silicon.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first thermocouple leg comprises n-doped silicon carbide and the second thermocouple leg comprises p-doped silicon carbide.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the depositing of each of the first and second thermocouple legs on the surface comprises vapor deposition or spray deposition using a deposition mask having an opening corresponding to a predetermined shape of the respective first or second thermocouple leg.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Shi Jun
• Anderson Brandon

Classifications

• C04B35/71

  Ceramic products containing macroscopic reinforcing agents (C04B35/66 takes precedence {; infiltration of a porous ceramic matrix with a material forming a non-ceramic phase C04B41/00, reaction infiltration with Si in order to form SiC C04B35/573, in order to form Si3N4 C04B35/591}) · CPC title

• C04B41/009

  characterised by the material treated · CPC title

• C04B2235/3826

  Silicon carbides · CPC title

• G01K7/028 Primary

  using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon · CPC title

• C04B2237/366

  Aluminium nitride · CPC title