INSTRUMENTED COMPONENT FOR WIRELESS TELEMETRY

• US 20110133950A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG, Wolfspeed, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cree Fayetteville, Inc. (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Anand A., Subramanian, Ramesh, Mitchell, David J., Fraley, John R., Waits, Rod, Karlsson, Bjoern
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.28
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/12 Blades specially adapted for radial flow machines or engines F01D5/04; blade roots F01D5/30; rotors with blades adjustable in operation F01D7/00; stator blades F01D9/02
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2223/38 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2231/10 for component failures
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 3/00 Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/18 Rotary transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• 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 telemetry system for use in a combustion turbine engine (10) having a compressor (12), a combustor and a turbine (16) that includes a sensor (306) in connection with a turbine blade (301) or vane (22). A telemetry transmitter circuit (312) may be affixed to the turbine blade with an electrical connecting material (307) for routing electronic data signals from the sensor (306) to the telemetry transmitter circuit, the electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the turbine blade. A resonant energy transfer system for powering the telemetry transmitter circuit may include a rotating data antenna (314) affixed to the turbine blade or on a same substrate as that of the circuit. A stationary data antenna (320) may be affixed to a stationary component such as a stator (323) proximate and in spaced relation to the rotating data antenna for receiving electronic data signals from the rotating data antenna.

Claims

1. A wireless telemetry system for monitoring operating conditions of a component of a combustion turbine engine having a compressor and a power turbine, the wireless telemetry system comprising:

a sensor in connection with a compressor or turbine component;

a telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to the component;

an electrical connecting material on the component for routing electronic data signals from the sensor to the telemetry transmitter circuit, the electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the component;

a resonant energy transfer system for powering the telemetry transmitter circuit including a primary coil that transmits an oscillating current signal and is affixed to an area of the turbine engine in spaced relation to a secondary coil comprising an electrically conductive material on the component in electrical communication with the telemetry transmitter circuit, wherein the secondary coil is in resonance at generally the same frequency as a transmitting frequency of the oscillating current signal;

a first data antenna affixed to the component and in electrical communication with the telemetry transmitter circuit routing the electronic data signals indicative of the condition of the turbine blade from the telemetry transmitter circuit to the first data antenna; and

,

a second data antenna affixed to an area of the turbine engine proximate and in spaced relation to the first data antenna that receives data signals, indicative of the condition of the component and transmitted from the first data antenna.

2. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the component is at least one rotating blade of a plurality of blades on a rotor disc in the compressor or power turbine and the blade having an airfoil portion across which expanding hot gas flows, and the turbine and compressor blades are disposed within a casing wherein the primary coil is mounted to the casing proximate a tip of the foil of the rotating blade and the secondary coil comprises the electrically conductive material deposited on the airfoil.

3. The wireless telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the first data antenna comprises an electrically conductive material deposited on the airfoil portion of the compressor or turbine blade.

4. The wireless telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the telemetry transmitting circuit is configured on a substrate affixed to the rotating blade and the first data antenna is disposed on the same substrate and in electrical communication with the telemetry transmitting circuit, wherein the telemetry transmitting circuit and the first data antenna on the substrate are housed in an RF transparent cover.

5. The wireless telemetry system of claim 4, wherein the RF transparent cover, with the telemetry transmitter circuit and the first data antenna, is mounted to an end face of the blade or a rotor disc facing a stationary component on which the second data antenna is mounted.

6. The wireless telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the telemetry transmitter circuit is a component of a telemetry transmitter assembly comprising a cover affixed to a mounting bracket and covering the telemetry transmitter circuit which is disposed between the cover and the mounting bracket, wherein the cover having a flange oriented perpendicular to a direction of G-forces exerted on the telemetry transmitter assembly when the combustion turbine is in operation.

7. The wireless telemetry system of claim 6, wherein telemetry transmitter assembly comprising:

the mounting bracket having a first thermal expansion coefficient that is substantially the same as a thermal expansion coefficient of the blade; and

,

an electronics package having a second thermal expansion coefficient different from the first thermal expansion coefficient, wherein the telemetry transmitter circuit is contained within the electronics package.

8. The wireless telemetry system of claim 7, further comprising a layer of ceramic fiber woven fabric between the electronics package and an inside surface of the mounting bracket.

9. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, the rotating secondary coil assembly operates at a frequency of between approximately 150 kHz to 15 MHz.

10. The wireless telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the second data antenna is housed in an RF transparent cover affixed to a stationary component of the turbine engine proximate the first data antenna.

11. The wireless telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the second data antenna is supported in a holder composed of a non-conducting material mounted to the stationary component.

12. The wireless telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the antenna or the telemetry transmitter circuit are fixed to a location on the blade having an operation temperature of up to or about 500°

C.

13. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the turbine engine is a modular system including the compressor and turbine engine that are separable from one another.

14. A wireless telemetry system for monitoring operating conditions of a component of a combustion turbine engine having a compressor and a power turbine, the wireless telemetry system comprising:

a sensor in connection with a turbine or compressor blade attached to a rotor disc;

a telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to the blade;

a first electrical connecting material deposited on the turbine blade for routing electronic data signals from the sensor to the telemetry transmitter circuit, the electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the blade;

a resonant energy transfer system for powering the telemetry transmitter circuit;

a first data antenna affixed to the blade or rotor disc and in electrical communication with the telemetry transmitter circuit for routing electronic data signals from the telemetry transmitter circuit to the first data antenna; and

,

a second data antenna positioned on a stationary surface of the compressor or turbine proximate to and in spaced relation to the first data antenna for receiving the electronic data signals from the first data antenna.

15. The wireless telemetry system of claim 14, wherein the telemetry transmitter circuit is formed on a substrate affixed to the blade or the rotor disc and the first data antenna is disposed on the same substrate as that of the wireless telemetry transmitter circuit, and the telemetry transmitter circuit and first data antenna are housed in an RF transparent cover affixed to the blade or rotor disc.

16. The wireless telemetry system of claim 14, wherein the resonant energy transfer system includes a primary coil that transmits an oscillating current and is affixed to at a stationary location of the turbine or compressor proximate to and in spaced relation to a secondary coil comprising an electrically conductive material affixed to the blade or rotor disc wherein the secondary coil is in resonance at generally a same transmitting frequency as the oscillating current signal.

17. The wireless telemetry system of claim 16, wherein the rotating blade includes an airfoil operatively connected to the rotor disc wherein in the secondary coil comprises an electrically conductive material deposited on a tip of the airfoil and the primary coil is affixed to a casing of the compressor or turbine proximate to the tip of the blade and the secondary coil.

18. The wireless telemetry system of claim 14, wherein the blade one of a plurality of blades is integrally formed with the rotor disc forming a blisk in a modular turbine machine wherein the compressor and turbine are separable from one another.

19. The wireless telemetry system of claim 14, wherein the telemetry transmitter circuit is a first telemetry transmitter circuit and the system further comprises:

a second telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to a stationary location of the compressor or turbine proximate and in electrical communication with the second data antenna;

a power source in electrical communication with the second telemetry transmitter circuit;

one or more sensors positioned on stationary components of the compressor or turbine that transmit electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the stationary components to the second telemetry transmitter circuit;

wherein the second telemetry transmitter circuit routes the electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the stationary components to the second data antenna; and

,

the second data antenna transmits electronic data signals indicative of the operating condition of the stationary and rotating components to a receiver mounted in a casing of the compressor or turbine.

20. The wireless telemetry circuit of claim 19, wherein the second data antenna is disposed on a same substrate supporting the second telemetry transmitter circuit.

21. The wireless telemetry circuit of claim 19, wherein the rotating and stationary components of the compressor or power turbine are disposed within a casing and the system further comprises a receiver mounted within the casing and the second data antenna is configured as a transceiver and transmits the electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the blade and data indicative of a condition of a stationary component to the receiver.

23. The wireless telemetry device of claim 21, wherein the energy transfer system is a resonant energy transfer system comprising a power transmitting device affixed to a stationary location in the turbine or compressor that transmits an oscillating current signal and is affixed to the casing of the turbine or compressor in spaced relation to power receiving device, wherein the receiving device is in resonance at generally the same frequency as a transmitting frequency of the oscillating current signal.

22. A wireless telemetry system for monitoring operating conditions of a component of a combustion turbine engine having a compressor and a power turbine including stationary and rotating components housed within one or more casings, the wireless telemetry system comprising:

a sensor in connection with a turbine or compressor blade wherein the blade includes an airfoil portion operatively connected to a rotor disc;

a telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to the blade;

an electrical connecting material on the turbine blade for routing electronic data signals from the sensor to the telemetry transmitter circuit, the electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the blade;

an energy transfer system for powering the telemetry transmitter circuit comprising a power receiving device, wherein the telemetry transmitter circuit is fabricated on a substrate and the power receiving device is on the same substrate;

a first data antenna fabricated on the same substrate as the telemetry transmitter circuit and the power receiving coil and in electrical communication with the telemetry transmitter circuit for routing electronic data signals from the telemetry transmitter circuit to the first data antenna;

a second data antenna positioned on a stationary surface of the compressor or turbine proximate to and in spaced relation to the first data antenna for receiving the electronic data signals from the first data antenna.

24. The wireless telemetry system of claim 22, wherein the resonant energy system operates within the turbine or compressor at a location having an operating temperature of up to about 500°

C. and the power receiving device operates at a resonant frequency of between 250 kHz to 15 MHz.