Component with embedded sensor

• US 10,006,304 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Wayde R., Culp, Slade R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US15/036,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20160305271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 73112
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/06 of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools B22F7/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/103 using a roller
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/043 of metal B32B15/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/14 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/18 comprising iron or steel B32B15/011, B32B15/012 and B32B15/013 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2603/00 Vanes, blades, propellers, rotors with blades
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/18 Aircraft blades, propellers B32B2603/00
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/04 responsive to load
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/08 responsive to condition of working-fluid, e.g. pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/085 to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/147 Construction, i.e. structural features, e.g. of weight-saving hollow blades F01D5/148, F01D5/16 and F01D5/20 take precedence; blade shape F01D5/141; blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities F01D5/18; heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades F01D5/18
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/14 Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2205/00 Application of thermometers in motors, e.g. of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/02 : using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/083 : electrical
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/16 : Dials; Mounting of dials
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/14 : Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 : Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

One exemplary embodiment of this disclosure relates to an article having a multi-layer wall structure having an embedded sensor. Further, the multi-layer wall structure and the sensor are bonded together.

Claims

1. An article, comprising:

a multi-layer wall structure including an embedded sensor, the multi-layer wall structure and the sensor bonded together, wherein the article is configured for use in a gas turbine engine, and, when the article is in use, at least one layer of the multi-layer wall structure covers the sensor and protects the sensor from exposure to a core flow path of the gas turbine engine.

2. The article as recited in claim 1, wherein the multi-layer wall structure includes a plurality of metallic layers, the sensor bonded to at least two of the metallic layers.

3. The article as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the metallic layers includes more than one piece of material, wherein adjacent pieces of material establish a seam where the pieces of material abut one another, and wherein the metallic layers are arranged such that the seams are staggered relative to the seams of adjacent layers.

4. The article as recited in claim 2, wherein the metallic layers include at least one of nickel (Ni), steel, cobalt (Co), and titanium (Ti).

5. The article as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the metallic layers has a different chemical composition from at least one other metallic layer.

6. The article as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an optical fiber.

7. The article as recited in claim 1, wherein the multi-layer wall structure includes a plurality of sensors.

8. The article as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of sensors are selected from the group consisting of optical fibers, pressure transducers, temperature sensors, thermocouples, position sensors, and strain gauges.

9. The article as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor is metallurgically bonded to the multi-layer wall structure during forming of the multi-layer wall structure.

10. The article as recited in claim 1, wherein the multi-layer wall structure includes at least one of an energy harvesting layer, a communications layer, and a computation layer.

11. The article as recited in claim 1, wherein, when the article is in use, the at least one layer of the multi-wall structure is between the sensor and the core flow path and completely covers the sensor.

12. An article, comprising:

a multi-layer wall structure including an embedded sensor, the multi-layer wall structure and the sensor bonded together, wherein the multi-layer wall structure includes a substantially arcuate shape, and wherein the multi-layer wall structure provides a portion of a leading edge of an airfoil section of an engine component.

13. A method of forming an aircraft component, comprising:

embedding a sensor into a wall, the sensor bonded to the wall; and

forming a portion of an aircraft component with the wall, wherein the wall is configured to be exposed to a core flow path of a gas turbine engine when the aircraft component is in use, and wherein the sensor is embedded into the wall such that the wall protects the sensor from direct exposure to the core flow path.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein embedding step includes joining at least one layer of metallic material to the sensor.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the at least one layer of metallic material and the sensor are joined using an ultrasonic welding process.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, including shaping the wall to correspond to a portion of the aircraft component, the wall shaped to include a bend.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the wall provides a leading edge of the aircraft component.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the sensor is embedded into the wall such that a portion of the wall between the sensor and the core flow path completely covers the sensor.

19. A method of forming an engine component, comprising:

additively forming a wall by bonding a plurality of metal layers together using an ultrasonic welding process;

embedding a sensor into the wall by bonding the sensor to the metal layers during the additive forming step, wherein each of the metal layers includes a plurality of pieces of material, wherein adjacent pieces of material establish a seam, and wherein the metal layers are arranged such that the seams of adjacent layers are staggered relative to one another; and

forming a portion of an engine component with the wall.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the metal layers include at least one of nickel (Ni), steel, cobalt (Co), and titanium (Ti).

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of optical fibers, pressure transducers, temperature sensors, position sensors, and strain gauges.