HARSH ENVIRONMENT SENSOR SYSTEM AND DETECTION METHODS

• US 20110029282A1
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Berkcan, Ertugrul, Hardwicke, Canan Uslu
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/10 Power supply of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system for measuring a plurality of operating parameters of an object in a harsh environment is provided. The system includes a first energy transceiver system configured to transceive energy signals. The system also includes a transcieved modulant coupled to the first energy transceiver system. The system further includes a second energy transceiver system at least partially disposed on the object and capable of being interrogated by the first energy transceiver system. The second energy transceiver system still further includes a sensing system. The system also includes a processor coupled to the first energy transceiver system. The processor is configured to determine of the plurality of the operating parameters of the object in the harsh environment based upon the transceived modulant.

Claims

1. A system for measuring a plurality of operating parameters of an object in a harsh environment, said system comprising:

a first energy transceiver system configured to transceive energy signals;

a transceived modulant coupled to the first transceiver system;

a second energy transceiver system at least partially disposed on the object and capable of being interrogated by the first transceiver system, wherein the second transceiver system comprises a sensing system; and

a processor coupled to the first transceiver system, which processor is configured to determine the plurality of the operating parameters of the object in the harsh environment based upon the transceived modulant.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises an interface element and a sensor.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the interface element comprises a dielectric element.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the dielectric element comprises of glass, zirconia, magnesia, alumina, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitor, an inductor, a nano-scale NEMS device, a micro-scale MEMS device, a meso-scale directly printed device.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the meso-scale directly printed device comprises circuitry deposits further comprising of a conductor, a resistor, a capacitor and an antenna.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the operating parameters comprises temperature, strain, pressure, clearance, and displacement.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second energy transceiver system further comprises a sensor circuit.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second energy transceiver system further comprises a sensor interface element, a sensing modulant, an energy conversion component, an energy transformer, a compensating component and an energy interface element.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the energy interface element of the second energy transceiver system further comprises a transceiver antenna.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the energy conversion component is configured to convert a received energy to another energy form for transmission and modulation of the sensing modulant.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the compensating component is a modulant and is configured to vary with noise parameters.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the energy transformer is configured to shift the frequency range of operation of the circuit and amplify the resulting frequency shift for detection at the first energy transceiver system.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the sensor interface element comprises a capacitor in parallel with an inductor to form a resonance circuit.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the sensing modulant of the second energy transceiver system is an impedance in the resonance circuit

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises an operating parameter responsive material comprises a high magnetic permeability material, a high dielectric material, a high Curie point material, a high permittivity material.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the high magnetic permeability material comprises Nickel, Iron, Cobalt, Manganese, Chromium, Copper, and Gold.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the high dielectric material comprises hafnium silicate, zirconium silicate, hafnium dioxide, alumina, magnesia, and zirconium dioxide.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first energy transceiver system and the second energy transceiver system is coupled wirelessly by an interrogation channel, which interrogation channel is a magnetic channel.

20. A method of measuring an operating parameter of an object in a harsh environment, comprising:

transceiving electromagnetic signals via a first energy transceiver system;

modulating a transceived modulant located in the first energy transceiver system via wireless coupling with a second energy transceiver system, wherein the second energy transceiver system is at least partially disposed on the object; and

calculating one or more operating parameters of the object in the harsh environment via a processor based upon the transceived modulant.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the wireless coupling between the first energy transceiver system and the second energy transceiver system is via an energy interface system.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising sensing the plurality of operating parameters via a sensing system in the second energy transceiver system based on a modulation of a sensing modulant in the sensing system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said calculating operating parameters comprises measuring at least one of temperature and strain of the object in the harsh environment.