FUEL SYSTEM COKING SENSOR

• US 20160356224A1
• Filed: 06/02/2016
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc), Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Farnum, David, Moloney, Ben, Dierksmeier, Douglas D., Sweeney, Patrick C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,196,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/22 Fuel supply systems
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/30 Preventing corrosion or unwanted deposits in gas-swept spaces
• 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 2260/607 Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/945 Liquid or solid deposits of macroscopic size on surfaces, e.g. drops, films, or clustered contaminants
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8422 Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/14 of an electrically-heated body in dependence upon change of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An improved system, apparatus and method may be configured for detecting coking in a gas turbine engine. The system may comprise one or more heatable collecting elements configured to be positioned in a fuel supply passage having an inlet and an outlet. The apparatus heatable collecting may be configured to generate heat at or over a fuel system temperature range to induce coking in at least one of the heatable collecting elements. The apparatus may also include a sensor configured to detect an indication of coking on the heatable collecting elements and, in response to the coking indication, communicate a coking condition signal to an engine control.

Claims

1. A coking sensor system for use in a gas turbine engine, comprising:

at least one heatable collecting element having first and second surfaces, the at least one heating element being configured to be positioned in a fuel supply passage having an inlet and an outlet, the at least one of the heatable collecting element being configured to generate heat at or over a fuel system temperature range to induce coking on at least one of the first and second surfaces, and

a sensor configured to detect an indication of coking on at least one heatable collecting element and, in response to the coking indication, communicate a coking condition signal to an engine control.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an inlet pressure sensor positioned with respect to the inlet, an element pressure sensor positioned with respect to the at least one heatable collecting element, and an outlet pressure sensor positioned with respect to the outlet.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the coking indication based on a relative pressure increase of the element pressure sensor relative to the inlet and outlet pressure sensors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an optical sensor in communication with a light source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a temperature sensor disposed in communication with the at least one heatable collecting element.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a proximity sensor positioned relative to the fuel supply passage.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a vibration sensor positioned relative to the at least one heatable collecting element.

8. A method for operation of a coking detection system for a gas turbine engine, comprising;

providing at least one heatable collecting element having first and second surfaces, the at least one heatable collecting element being configured to be positioned in a fuel supply passage having an inlet and an outlet;

measuring a fuel system temperature range downstream of the at least one heatable collecting element using a downstream sensor;

heating the at least one heatable collecting element to approximately the fuel system temperature range;

detecting an indication of coking on at least one of the first and second surfaces using an upstream sensor; and

communicating, in response to the coking indication, a coking condition signal to an engine control.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the upstream sensor includes an inlet pressure sensor positioned with respect to the inlet, an element pressure sensor positioned with respect to the at least one heatable collecting elements, and an outlet pressure sensor positioned with respect to the outlet.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the upstream sensor is configured to detect the coking indication based on a relative pressure increase of the element pressure sensor relative to the inlet and outlet pressure sensors.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the upstream sensor includes an optical sensor in communication with a light source.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the upstream sensor includes a temperature sensor disposed in the at least one heatable collecting element.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the upstream sensor includes a proximity sensor positioned relative to the fuel supply passage.

14. A gas turbine engine system with coking detection, comprising:

a compressor;

a combustor;

a fuel system having a fuel supply passage connecting the compressor and the combustor, the fuel system having a coking sensor system including

at least one heatable collecting element having first and second surfaces and being configured to be positioned in the fuel supply passage having an inlet and an outlet, the at least one heatable collecting element being configured to generate heat at or over a fuel system temperature range to induce coking with respect to at least one of the first and second surfaces, and

a sensor configured to detect an indication of coking with respect to at least one of the first and second collecting elements and, in response to the coking indication, communicate a coking condition signal to an engine control.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes an inlet pressure sensor positioned with respect to the inlet, an element pressure sensor positioned with respect to the at least one heatable collecting element, and an outlet pressure sensor positioned with respect to the outlet.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the coking indication based on a relative pressure increase of the element pressure sensor relative to the inlet and outlet pressure sensors.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes an optical sensor in communication with a light source.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes a temperature sensor disposed in the at least one heatable collecting element.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes a proximity sensor positioned relative to the fuel supply passage.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes a vibration sensor positioned relative to the at least one heatable collecting element.