Self-powered sensing and transmitting device and method of fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9350319-B2
Application number	US-201414187359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2014
Priority date	Feb 24, 2014
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A self-powered sensing and transmitting circuit ( 50 ) including a power element ( 44 ) and a sensing element ( 46 ) that is powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment The circuit also includes a transmitting element ( 48 ) powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location ( 33, 55 ) remote from the circuit The power element, sensing element and transmitting element of the circuit are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration formed on a substrate ( 57 ) component exposed to operating temperatures at or exceeding 650° C.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A self-powered sensing and transmitting circuit, comprising:
a power element;
a sensing element powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment;
a transmitting element powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location remote from the circuit; and
wherein the power element, sensing element and transmitting element are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration and formed on a substrate component configured to operate at temperatures at or exceeding 650° C.

2. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising:
a dielectric layer other than the substrate component;
a piezoelectric substrate formed on the dielectric layer; and
wherein the sensing element is formed on the piezoelectric substrate.

3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the power generating element is a thermoelectric power generating element.

4. The circuit of claim 3 wherein the power generating element is a thermocouple.

5. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the sensing element comprises:
an input interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate in electrical communication with the power element; and
an output interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate and in electrical communication with the transmitting element
wherein the generally planar configuration is a linear configuration of the input interdigital transducer, the power element, the output interdigital transducer and the transmitting element along a surface of the piezoelectric substrate opposite from the dielectric layer.

6. A circuit comprising:
a component substrate;
a power element;
a sensing element powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment;
a transmitting element powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location remote from the from the component substrate; and
wherein the power element, sensing element and transmitting element are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration along a surface of the component substrate and the component and component substrate are configured to operate in an environment having operating temperatures exceeding 650° C.

7. The circuit of claim 6 further comprising:
a dielectric layer other than the component substrate;
a piezoelectric substrate formed on the dielectric layer; and,
wherein the sensing element is formed on a side of the piezoelectric substrate opposite to the dielectric layer.

8. The circuit of claim 6 wherein the power generating element is a thermoelectric power generating element.

9. The circuit of claim 8 wherein the power generating element is a thermocouple.

10. The circuit of claim 7 wherein the sensing element comprises:
an input interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate in electrical communication with the power element; and,
an output interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate and in electrical communication with the transmitting element.

11. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the planar and non-integrated circuit configuration is formed with spraying and masking techniques.

12. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a dielectric layer on the substrate component, wherein the planar circuit configuration is a linear configuration of the power element, the sensing element and the transmitting element along a side of the dielectric layer opposite from the substrate component.

13. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power element is made from a mono-elemental oxide material.

14. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the dielectric layer is formed of an aluminate material and wherein the piezoelectric substrate is formed of ordered langasite material.

15. The circuit of claim 2 , further comprising a thermal barrier coating between the dielectric layer and the substrate component, wherein the thermal barrier coating is formed of at least one of zirconate and hafniate material.

16. A component of a gas turbine engine comprising the circuit of claim 1 formed on a substrate of the component.

17. The component of claim 16 , wherein the component is one of a blade and vane within a turbine of the gas turbine engine and wherein the sensor signal is responsive to at least one of a temperature of a hot gas path within the turbine across the component, a strain on the component, and a vibration of the component.

18. The component of claim 17 , wherein component is an airfoil of the blade within the turbine of the gas turbine engine, wherein the substrate is coated with a thermal barrier coating (TBC) and wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on the airfoil between the TBC and the power element, sensing element and transmitting element.

19. The component of claim 16 , further comprising at least one transceiver located at a position along the gas turbine engine for wireless transmission of an interrogating signal to the circuit such that the circuit is configured to generate the sensor signal including data of a monitored parameter of the component of the gas turbine engine in response to the interrogating signal.

20. The component of claim 19 , wherein the component is an airfoil of a blade within a turbine of the gas turbine engine and wherein the monitored parameter is one of temperature of a hot gas path within the turbine across the airfoil, a strain on the airfoil and a vibration of the airfoil within the turbine.

Assignees

• Siemens Energy Inc

Inventors

• Mitchell David J
• Kulkarni Anand A

Classifications

• G01M15/14

  Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines · CPC title

• F01D21/003

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

• G01N2291/2693

  Rotor or turbine parts · CPC title

• F01D17/02 Primary

  Arrangement of sensing elements · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title