Micro thermal imaging system for turbine engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10830132-B2
Application number	US-201615142539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section fluidly coupled to the compressor section, a turbine section fluidly coupled to the combustor section, and a drive shaft coupled to the turbine section and the compressor section. The turbine engine also includes a plurality of internal components coupled to one of the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section, and the drive shaft. The turbine engine also includes at least one micro infrared sensor coupled to at least one of the plurality of internal components. The micro infrared sensor is configured to detect a surface temperature of the plurality of internal components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine engine comprising:
a compressor section;
a combustor section having a combustor housing that is fluidly coupled to the compressor section;
a turbine section fluidly coupled to the combustor section, the turbine section including turbine blades that rotate within the turbine section;
a drive shaft coupled to the turbine section and the compressor section; and
at least one infrared sensor attached to at least one exterior surface of the turbine section, said at least one infrared sensor configured to detect a surface temperature of one or more of the combustor housing or the drive shaft while the turbine blades rotate within the turbine section.

2. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor comprises a casing, an optical dome, an infrared receiver, a filter, at least one lens, and a communications port coupled to the casing, the communications port configured to send data from the infrared receiver to a controller in a thermal imaging system.

3. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor is configured to detect the surface temperature of the one or more of the combustor housing or the drive shaft in a location that is upstream of the at least one infrared sensor.

4. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor is attached to an exterior surface of at least one of the turbine blades, wherein the at least one infrared sensor is configured to detect the surface temperature of the combustor housing that is stationary relative to the turbine blades while the at least one of the turbine blades and the at least one infrared sensor moves.

5. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor is embedded into a surface of at least one of the turbine blades.

6. The turbine engine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor is a micro infrared sensor.

7. A method of manufacturing a turbine engine comprising:
fluidly coupling a compressor section with a combustor housing;
fluidly coupling a turbine section having rotatable turbine blades with the combustor section;
coupling a drive shaft to the turbine section and the compressor section;
attaching at least one infrared sensor to at least one exterior surface of the turbine section, the at least one infrared sensor attached to the at least one exterior surface to detect a surface temperature of one or more of the combustor housing or the drive shaft while the turbine blades rotate.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor includes an optical dome coupled to a casing, an infrared receiver coupled to the casing and configured to capture light through the optical dome, a filter, at least one lens, and a communications port configured to send data from the infrared receiver to an external network.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein attaching the at least one infrared sensor to the at least one exterior surface of the turbine section further includes embedding the at least one infrared sensor in a surface of the at least one of the turbine blades.

10. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein attaching the at least one infrared sensor to the at least one exterior surface of the turbine section further includes positioning the at least one infrared sensor such that the at least one infrared sensor detects the surface temperature of the one or more of the combustor housing or the drive shaft in a location that is upstream of the at least one infrared sensor.

11. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the at least one infrared sensor is a micro infrared sensor.

12. A turbine engine comprising:
turbine blades configured to rotate a drive shaft; and
an infrared sensor embedded within one or more of the turbine blades, wherein the infrared sensor is configured to measure a temperature of one or more surfaces inside the turbine engine while the turbine blades and the infrared sensor are moving,
wherein the infrared sensor is configured to measure the temperature of another moving component while the turbine blades and the infrared sensor are moving.

13. The turbine engine of claim 12 , further comprising a turbine casing in which the turbine blades are disposed, wherein the infrared sensor is configured to measure the temperature inside the turbine casing.

14. The turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the infrared sensor is embedded in a first turbine blade of the turbine blades and is configured to measure the temperature of another, second turbine blade of the turbine blades.

15. The turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the infrared sensor comprises an optical dome, an infrared receiver, and a communications port configured to send data from the infrared receiver to a controller in a thermal imaging system.

16. The turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the infrared sensor is configured to measure the temperature of a stationary component other than a combustor housing while the turbine blades and the infrared sensor are moving.

17. The turbine engine of claim 12 , wherein the infrared sensor is configured to measure the temperature of one or more of a stator blade, at least one of the turbine blades, or a casing while the infrared sensor is moving.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wang Guanghua
• Wetzel Todd Garrett
• Dees Jason Edward

Classifications

• H04N23/23

  from thermal infrared radiation · CPC title

• F01D21/003 Primary

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

• F05D2270/80

  Devices generating input signals, e.g. transducers, sensors, cameras or strain gauges · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title

• G01J5/0022

  for sensing the radiation of moving bodies · CPC title