Sensor assembly for rotating devices and methods for fabricating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932852-B2
Application number	US-201113205371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2011
Priority date	Aug 8, 2011
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A sensor assembly is described herein. The sensor assembly includes a housing that includes an inner surface that defines a cavity within the housing, and a proximity sensor positioned within the cavity. The proximity sensor includes a first connector, a second connector, and a substantially planar sensing coil that extends between the first connector and the second connector. The sensing coil extends outwardly from the first connector such that the second connector is radially outwardly from the first connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor assembly for monitoring an operation of a device, comprising:
a housing comprising a surface that defines a cavity within the housing; and
a proximity sensor positioned within the cavity, the proximity sensor comprising a first connector, a second connector, and a planar sensing coil that extends between the first connector and the second connector, wherein the sensing coil is a unitary component fabricated from a substrate material comprising at least one of a titanium and a nickel-based superalloy, the sensing coil extends outwardly from the first connector such that the second connector is radially outwardly from the first connector, wherein the sensor assembly such configured is capable to operate in environments that include all operating temperatures from −200° C. to 1000° C.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensing coil comprises a flat bar having a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a ceramic material.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensing coil comprises a spiral shape extending outwardly from the first connector to the second connector.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises at least one opening extending through the housing, the at least one opening is sized to receive a connection cable therein to enable the proximity sensor to electrically couple to a computing device.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly produces eddy currents to generate a signal indicative of a gap between a component of the device and the sensor assembly.

7. A system for monitoring an operation of a device, the system comprising:
a computing device for monitoring a condition of the device; and a sensor assembly coupled to the computing device, the sensor assembly configured to sense a position of a component of the device, to generate a signal indicative of the sensed position, the sensor assembly comprising:
a housing comprising an inner surface that defines a cavity within the housing; and
a proximity sensor positioned within the cavity, the proximity sensor comprising a first connector, a second connector, and a planar sensing coil that extends between the first connector and the second connector, the sensing coil extends outwardly from the first connector such that the second connector is radially outwardly from the first connector; wherein the sensor assembly such configured is capable to operate in environments that include all operating temperatures from −200° C. to 1000° C.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sensing coil comprises a flat bar having a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

9. The sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the sensing coil comprises a substrate material comprising at least one of a titanium and a superalloy.

10. The sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises a ceramic material.

11. The sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the sensing coil comprises a spiral shape extending outwardly from the first connector to the second connector.

12. The sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises at least one opening extending through the housing, the at least one opening is sized to receive a connection cable therein to enable the proximity sensor to electrically couple to the computing device.

13. The sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the sensor assembly produces eddy currents to generate a signal indicative of a gap between the component and the sensor assembly.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the sensing coil is a unitary component fabricated from the substrate.

Assignees

• Lu Dan Tho
• Campbell Lam Arthur
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Lu Dan Tho
• Campbell Lam Arthur

Classifications

• G01D5/12

  using electric or magnetic means (G01D5/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02C9/00

  Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants (controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05) · CPC title

• H03K17/95

  using a magnetic detector · CPC title

• H03K17/9522

  with a galvanically isolated probe · CPC title

• G01B7/023 Primary

  for measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B7/082 and G01B7/102 take precedence) · CPC title