Non-contact strain measurement

• US 10,402,716 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Cook, III, Grant O., Twelves, Wendell V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tran M.
• Application Number:
  US14/903,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20160161242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0025 Applying surface layers, e.g. coatings, decorative layers, printed layers, to articles during shaping, e.g. in-mould printing moulding on preformed layers as inserts B29C70/68; applying fluent material to surfaces in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/42 for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/08 PI, i.e. polyimides or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0058 Liquid or visquous
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/12 of short lengths, e.g. chopped filaments, staple fibres or bristles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/251 Particles, powder or granules expandable particles B29K2105/046
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• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/082 Blades, e.g. for helicopters
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• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/205 Metallic coating
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• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2603/00 Vanes, blades, propellers, rotors with blades
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 : of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/281 : comprising polyimides
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• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 : Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1641 : Organic substrates, e.g. resin, plastic
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1653 : Two or more layers with at least one layer obtained by electroless plating and one layer obtained by electroplating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1657 : Electroless forming, i.e. substrate removed or destroyed at the end of the process
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• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/021 : including at least one metal alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/023 : only coatings of metal elements only
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• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/02 : Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/20 : Separation of the formed objects from the electrodes with no destruction of said electrodes
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• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/16 : for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/12 : using electric or magnetic means G01D5/06 takes precedence
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• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 : the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

Non-contact strain measurement systems and their method of use to detect strain on rotating components are disclosed. A non-contact strain measurement system comprises magnetic materials plated onto a rotatable component in addition to appropriate encoders and controller. The magnetic materials are spaced apart a first distance D₁ when the component is not rotating, and a second distance D₂ when the component is rotating. The encoders and controller are utilized to detect strain on the rotating component. A method of using the system to detect strain on a rotating component includes detecting the first distance D₁ then detecting the second distance D₂, and calculating the strain imparted onto the component from a difference between D₁ and D₂.

Claims

1. A system for determining strain imparted to a rotating fan blade in a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:

a first magnetic target plated onto the fan blade at a first initial position;

a first encoder for detecting a first actual position of the first magnetic target when the fan blade is rotating;

a second magnetic target plated onto the fan blade at a second initial position;

a second encoder for detecting a second actual position of the second magnetic target when the fan blade is rotating;

the first and second initial positions being spaced apart by a first distance when the fan blade is not rotating;

the first and second actual positions being spaced apart by a second distance when the fan blade is rotating at a rotational velocity sufficient to impart a measurable strain to the fan blade;

a controller for receiving first and second signals from the first and second encoders respectively indicative of the first and second actual positions respectively, the controller programmed to calculate the second distance from the first and second signals and programmed with an algorithm to calculate strain imparted onto the fan blade from a difference between the second distance and the first distance, wherein the fan blade is fabricated from a polymer, a reinforced polymer, a polymer matrix composite, a ceramic, or a ceramic matrix composite.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second encoders are integrated together in a single housing.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second encoders and the controller are integrated together in a single housing.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second targets are electroplated onto the fan blade.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second targets are electroless plated onto the tan blade.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second targets have thicknesses ranging from about 2.5 to about 20 microns.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first encoder includes a Hall effect sensor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the second encoder includes a Hall effect sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second encoders include Hall effect sensors.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second targets may be removed from the fan blade by peeling.

11. A system for determining strain imparted to a fan blade assembly in a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:

a first magnetic target plated onto the fan blade assembly at a first initial position;

a first encoder for detecting a first actual position of the first magnetic target when the fan blade assembly is rotating;

a second magnetic target plated onto the fan blade assembly at a second initial position;

a second encoder for detecting a second actual position of the second magnetic target when the fan blade assembly is rotating;

the first and second initial positions being spaced apart by a first distance when the fan blade assembly is not rotating;

the first and second actual positions being spaced apart by a second distance when the fan blade assembly is rotating at a rotational velocity sufficient to impart a measurable strain to the fan blade assembly;

a controller for receiving first and second signals from the first and second encoders respectively indicative of the first and second actual positions respectively, the controller programmed to calculate the second distance from the first and second signals and programmed with an algorithm to calculate strain imparted onto the fan blade assembly from a difference between the second distance and the first distance, wherein the fan blade assembly comprises a fan blade fabricated from a polymer, a reinforced polymer, a polymer matrix composite, a ceramic, or a ceramic matrix composite.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first and second targets are electroless plated onto the fan blade.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first and second targets have thicknesses ranging from about 2.5 to about 20 microns.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the first encoder, the second encoder or both include a Hall effect sensor.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the first and second targets are electroplated onto the fan blade.

16. A method for determining strain imparted to a fan blade in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

plating a first magnetic target onto the fan blade at a first initial position;

plating a second magnetic target onto the fan blade at a second initial position that is spaced apart from the first initial position by a first distance;

detecting a first actual position of the first magnetic target when the fan blade is rotating;

detecting a second actual position of the second magnetic target when the fan blade is rotating;

calculating a second distance between the first and second actual positions when the fan blade is rotating;

calculating strain imparted onto the fan blade from a difference between the first distance and the second distance, wherein the fan blade assembly comprises a fan blade fabricated from a polymer, a reinforced polymer, a polymer matrix composite, a ceramic, or a ceramic matrix composite.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second targets are electroplated onto the fan blade.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second targets are electroless plated onto the fan blade.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second targets have thicknesses ranging from about 2.5 to about 20 microns.