Measurement system having a capacitance probe and an optical probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12455213-B2
Application number	US-202318104756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2023
Priority date	Feb 1, 2023
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A measurement system is provided that includes a probe assembly. The probe assembly includes a capacitance probe and an optical probe. The capacitance probe includes a capacitance sensor that forms a sensor face of the probe assembly. An aperture projects axially through the capacitance sensor to the sensor face. The optical probe is configured with an optical line of sight through the aperture into a volume adjacent the sensor face.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A measurement system, comprising:
a probe assembly including a capacitance probe and an optical probe;
the capacitance probe comprising a capacitance sensor that forms a sensor face of the probe assembly, wherein an aperture projects axially through the capacitance sensor to the sensor face; and
the optical probe configured with an optical line of sight through the aperture into a volume adjacent the sensor face.

2. The measurement system of claim 1 , further comprising a blade tip clearance measurement system comprising the capacitance probe.

3. The measurement system of claim 1 , further comprising a blade time of arrival measurement system comprising the optical probe.

4. The measurement system of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is coaxial with the capacitance sensor.

5. The measurement system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bladed rotor; and
a duct wall circumscribing the bladed rotor and forming an outer peripheral boundary of the volume;
the probe assembly projecting through a port in the duct wall to the volume.

6. The measurement system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wall forming a peripheral boundary of the volume;
the probe assembly projecting through a port in the wall to the volume; and
the capacitance sensor attached to the wall.

7. The measurement system of claim 6 , wherein the capacitance sensor is clamped onto the wall.

8. The measurement system of claim 6 , further comprising an insulator electrically decoupling the capacitance sensor from the wall.

9. The measurement system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a nut thread onto a threaded shaft of the capacitance sensor; and
the wall captured axially between a head of the capacitance sensor and the nut.

10. The measurement system of claim 9 , further comprising an electrical lead electrically coupled to the capacitance sensor through the nut.

11. The measurement system of claim 1 , wherein
the optical probe comprises an optical fiber at least partially defining the optical line of sight into the volume; and
the optical fiber is disposed within the aperture.

12. The measurement system of claim 11 , wherein the optical fiber projects axially across the capacitance sensor.

13. The measurement system of claim 11 , wherein
the optical probe further comprises a second optical fiber at least partially defining a second optical line of sight into the volume; and
the second optical fiber is disposed within the aperture and adjacent the optical fiber.

14. The measurement system of claim 11 , further comprising:
an optical sheath covering a portion of the optical fiber;
the optical fiber projecting axially out from the optical sheath and into the capacitance sensor.

15. The measurement system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a mount fixing the optical sheath to the capacitance sensor; and
the mount electrically isolating the optical sheath from the capacitance sensor.

16. A measurement system, comprising:
a blade tip clearance measurement system comprising a first probe, the first probe comprising a first probe sensor that forms a sensor face, wherein an aperture projects axially through the first probe sensor to the sensor face; and
a blade time of arrival measurement system comprising a second probe, the second probe projecting through the aperture to a volume adjacent the sensor face.

17. The measurement system of claim 16 , wherein
the first probe is configured as a capacitance probe; and
the first probe sensor is configured as a capacitance sensor.

18. The measurement system of claim 16 , wherein
the second probe is configured as an optical probe; and
the optical probe comprises an optical fiber projecting axially through the aperture and across the first probe sensor.

19. A measurement system, comprising:
a probe assembly including a capacitance probe, an optical probe and a housing structure;
the capacitance probe comprising a capacitance sensor housed within the housing structure; and
the optical probe comprising an optical fiber, and an end portion of the optical fiber housed with the capacitance sensor within the housing structure.

20. The measurement system of claim 19 , wherein the capacitance sensor circumscribes the end portion of the optical fiber.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp
• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Warren Eli
• Hackett Bryan J

Classifications

• G01D5/268

  using optical fibres (G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01D5/24

  by varying capacitance · CPC title

• G01B11/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00) · CPC title

• G01B11/026

  by measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B11/0608 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B7/044

  using capacitive means · CPC title