Sensor for detecting hydrocarbon in a static drain line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709458-B1
Application number	US-201514623007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A hydrocarbon leak detection sensor having a hydrocarbon indicator paint applied to a surface exposed to a flow in which the presence of a hydrocarbon is detected. The sensor is located at a low point in a static drain line that is connected to a main fuel line of a liquid propellant rocket engine between a main fuel valve and a fuel injector of a combustion chamber. The sensor includes a housing with a flow inlet port and a flow outlet port with an optical device opposed to a removable plug that secures a target disk with a hydrocarbon indicator paint applied to an exposed surface. A light source is used to illuminate the hydrocarbon indicator that changes color from white to red in the presence of a hydrocarbon.

First claim

We claim the following:

1. A liquid propellant rocket engine with a hydrocarbon leak detection sensor comprising:
a main fuel valve;
a combustion chamber of the rocket engine;
a fuel injector discharging into the combustion chamber;
a main fuel line connecting the main fuel valve to the fuel injector;
a low static point drain line connected to the main fuel line between the main fuel valve and the fuel injector; and,
a hydrocarbon leak detection sensor connected to the low static point drain line to detect a presence of a hydrocarbon in the main fuel line.

2. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 1 , and further comprising:
the hydrocarbon leak detection sensor includes a hydrocarbon indicator and an optical device with a light source both located opposite from the hydrocarbon indicator in a flow path.

3. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 2 , and further comprising:
the optical device and the light source are offset from one another at an angle.

4. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 3 , and further comprising:
the optical device is directly opposed to the hydrocarbon indicator while the light source is offset from the hydrocarbon indicator.

5. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 2 , and further comprising:
the optical device and the light source are formed as an integral piece.

6. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 2 , and further comprising:
the hydrocarbon indicator is formed on a surface having a plurality of holes to allow for passage of a flow within the flow path.

7. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 1 , and further comprising: the hydrocarbon indicator is formed on a screen that allows for a flow to pass through.

8. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 1 , and further comprising: the hydrocarbon indicator is part of a removable plug secured to a flow path of the hydrocarbon leak detection sensor.

9. The liquid propellant rocket engine of claim 8 , and further comprising:
the removable plug includes a cone-shaped member on which the hydrocarbon indicator is formed.

10. A hydrocarbon leak detection sensor to detect for the presence of a hydrocarbon is a gas flow, the hydrocarbon leak detection sensor comprising:
a housing;
an optical device port in the housing;
a light source port in the housing;
a plug port in the housing located opposite to the optical device port;
a flow inlet port in the housing;
a flow outlet port in the housing;
an optical device secured in the optical device port;
a light source secured in the light source port;
a fluid flow path formed within the housing and connecting the flow inlet port to the flow outlet port;
a removable plug secured within the plug port;
a hydrocarbon indicator secured on the plug and facing the optical device; and,
a static drain line tube connected to the flow inlet port; whereby,
a fluid flow having a hydrocarbon present will flow from the static drain line tube and through the fluid flow path such that the hydrocarbon indicator will display a certain color that can be detected by the optical device.

11. The hydrocarbon leak detection sensor of claim 10 , and further comprising:
the optical device port is located on a top end of the housing; and,
the removable plug port is located on a bottom end of the housing.

12. The hydrocarbon leak detection sensor of claim 11 , and further comprising:
the light source port is located in the housing offset from the optical device port.

13. The hydrocarbon leak detection sensor of claim 11 , and further comprising:
the flow inlet port is located on an upper section of the housing adjacent to the optical device port; and,
the flow outlet port is located on a lower section adjacent to the removable plug port.

14. The hydrocarbon leak detection sensor of claim 10 , and further comprising:
the optical device and the light source both close off the ports to form a closed fluid passage from the flow inlet port to the flow outlet port within the housing.

15. The hydrocarbon leak detection sensor of claim 10 , and further comprising:
the hydrocarbon indicator is coated on a target disk; and,
the target disk is secured within the housing by the removable plug such that the hydrocarbon indicator can be replaced by replacing the target disk.

Assignees

• Garvin Elizabeth D
• Miller Timothy J
• Pinera Alex
• Florida Turbine Tech Inc

Inventors

• Garvin Elizabeth D
• Miller Timothy J
• Pinera Alex

Classifications

• G01J3/50

  using electric radiation detectors · CPC title

• G01M3/38 Primary

  by using light (G01M3/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02K9/00

  Rocket-engine plants, i.e. plants carrying both fuel and oxidant therefor; Control thereof · CPC title

• G01M3/042

  by using materials which expand, contract, disintegrate, or decompose in contact with a fluid (G01M3/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/78

  producing a change of colour · CPC title