Method and Apparatus for Spectroscopic Measurements in the Combustion Zone of a Gas Turbine Engine

• US 20080289342A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onpoint Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Zolo Technologies, Inc. (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Masterson, Bernard Patrick, Sappey, Andrew D., Hofvander, Henrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,544,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/793
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/28 Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/14 Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines

Abstract

A method for measuring combustion parameters within a combustion zone of a gas turbine engine, the combustion zone being defined between an inner and outer casing. The method comprises transmitting a beam from a transmit optic optically coupled to a bore in the outer casing off a portion of the inner casing and receiving a portion of the beam reflected off the inner casing with a receiving optic optically coupled to a bore in the outer casing. An apparatus for practicing the method comprises a laser generating a beam and a transmitting/receiving optics pair, the transmitting/receiving optics pair being configured for operative association with a port in an outer casing of a gas turbine engine, whereby the transmitting/receiving optics are in optical communication by reflecting the beam off a portion of an inner casing.

Claims

1. A method of measuring combustion properties within a combustion zone of a gas turbine engine, the combustion zone being defined between an inner and an outer casting, the method comprising:

a) transmitting a beam from a transmit optic optically coupled to a port in the outer casing off a portion of the inner casing; and

b) receiving a portion of the beam reflected off the portion of the inner casing with a receiving optic optically coupled to a port in the outer casing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmit optic and the receiving optic are optically coupled to the same port.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the port is a preexisting borescope port provided by the engine manufacturer to observe a turbine blade during servicing.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising in step a), transmitting a beam comprising a plurality of discrete multiplexed wavelengths.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

c) demultiplexing the portion of the beam received by the receiving optic into discrete wavelengths; and

d) detecting at least one discrete wavelength of the demultiplexed beam.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

e) determining the concentration of at least one combustion species based upon the intensity of the at least one detected wavelength.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising in step e), determining the concentration of a plurality of combustion species based upon the intensity of a plurality of detected discrete wavelengths.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

f) altering engine input parameters in response to select concentrations of the combustion species.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising monitoring the concentration of the at least one combustion species to determine engine malfunction.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising prior to step a), treating the portion of the inner casing to improve its reflectivity.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 further comprising first and second ports in the outer casing operatively associated with the combustion chamber the transmitting optic being optically coupled with the first port and the receiving optic being optically coupled with the second port.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 wherein the portion of the inner casing is treated to improve its reflectivity.

11. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a combustion zone between an inner and outer casing;

a port in the outer casing operatively associated with the combustion chamber substantially opposite a portion of the inner casing; and

a transmitting and receiving pair of optics optically coupled with the port, the transmitting and receiving pair of optics being configured so that the transmitting optic transmits a beam off the portion of the inner casing and the receiving optic receives at least a portion of the beam reflected off the portion of the inner casing.

14. An apparatus for measuring combustion parameters of a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine having a combustion zone defined between an inner and an outer casting and port in the outer casing, the apparatus comprising:

a laser generating a beam of light;

a transmitting optic optically coupled to the laser transmitting the beam; and

a receiving optic, the receiving optic and the transmitting optic being configured for operative association with the port in the outer casing of the gas turbine engine, whereby the transmitting optic and the receiving optic are optically coupled by reflecting the beam off a portion of the inner casing.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

a plurality of lasers each generating a beam of a discrete wavelength; and

a multiplexer optically coupled to the plurality of lasers for multiplexing the discrete wavelength beams into a multiplexed beam, the multiplexer being optically coupled to the transmitting optic.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a demultiplexer optically coupled to the receiving optic; and

a detector optically coupled to the demultiplexer for detecting each discrete wavelength beam received by the receiving optic.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a computer coupled to each detector, the computer being programmed to determine a concentration of at least one combustion species based upon an output of the detectors.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising the computer being programmed to control engine input parameters as a function of the concentration of the at least one combustion species.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the computer is programmed to determine engine malfunction based upon the concentration of the at least one combustion species.