Instrumented component for wireless telemetry

• US 8,797,179 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG, Cree Fayetteville, Inc. (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Anand A., Mitchell, David J., Karlsson, Bjoern, Waits, Rod, Fraley, John R., Subramanian, Ramesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benlagsir, Amine
• Application Number:
  US13/015,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.01, 340/870.07
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• 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: G01D 5/48 using wave or particle radiation means G01D5/26 takes precedence
• 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) that includes a first sensor (306) in connection with a turbine blade (301) or vane (22). A first telemetry transmitter circuit (312) is affixed to the turbine blade and routes electronic data signals, indicative of a condition of the blade, from the sensor to a rotating data antenna (314) that is affixed to the turbine blade or is on a same substrate as that of the circuit. A stationary data antenna (333) may be affixed to a stationary component (323) proximate and in spaced relation to the rotating data antenna for receiving electronic data signals from the rotating data antenna. A second sensor (335) transmits electronic data signals indicative of the stationary component to a second telemetry circuit (332), which routes the signals to the stationary antenna. The stationary antenna transmits the electronic data signals to a receiver (338).

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:

at least one first sensor in connection with a rotatable component of the combustion turbine engine;

a first telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to the rotatable component, and the first telemetry transmitter circuit in electrical communication with the at least one first sensor, wherein electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the rotatable component are routed to the first telemetry transmitter circuit;

a resonant energy transfer system for powering the first telemetry transmitter circuit, wherein the resonant energy transfer system comprises a primary coil and a secondary coil, wherein the primary coil is arranged to transmit an oscillating current signal, wherein the primary coil is affixed to an area of the turbine engine in spaced relation to the secondary coil, wherein the secondary coil is in resonance at generally the same frequency as a transmitting frequency of the oscillating current signal transmitted by the primary coil, wherein the rotatable component comprises a blade having an airfoil across which expanding hot gas flows, wherein the primary coil is mounted to a casing of the combustion turbine engine, wherein the primary coil is located proximate a tip of the airfoil of the rotatable component, wherein the secondary coil comprises an electrically conductive material disposed on the airfoil of the rotatable component, wherein the electrically conductive material is in electrical communication with the first telemetry transmitter circuit;

a first data antenna affixed to the rotatable component, wherein the first data antenna is in electrical communication with the first telemetry transmitter circuit to receive the electronic data signals indicative of the condition of the rotatable component;

a second data antenna affixed to a stationary location of the combustion turbine engine in spaced relation to the first data antenna to receive from the first data antenna the electronic data signals indicative of the condition of the rotatable component;

at least one second sensor in connection with a stationary component of the combustion turbine engine; and

a second telemetry transmitter circuit powered by the energy transfer system, or another power source, the second telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to a stationary location of the combustion turbine engine, the second telemetry transmitter circuit in electrical communication with the at least one second sensor, wherein electronic data signals indicative of a condition of the stationary component are routed from the at least one second sensor to the second telemetry transmitter circuit;

wherein the second data antenna transmits to a receiver electronic data signals indicative of the condition of the stationary component, and further transmits to the receiver electronic data signals indicative of the condition of the rotatable component.

2. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the first data antenna comprises an electrically conductive material disposed on the airfoil of the rotatable component.

3. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the first telemetry transmitter circuit is configured on a substrate affixed to the rotatable blade and the first data antenna is disposed on the same substrate and in electrical communication with the first telemetry transmitter circuit, wherein the first telemetry transmitter circuit and the first data antenna on the substrate are housed in a radio frequency (RF) transparent cover.

4. The wireless telemetry system of claim 3, wherein the RF transparent cover, with the first telemetry transmitter circuit and the first data antenna, is mounted to an end face of the blade or a rotor disc facing the stationary component on which the second data antenna is mounted.

5. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the secondary coil is resonant at a frequency in a range from approximately 150 kHz to 15 MHz.

6. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the second data antenna is housed in an RF transparent cover affixed to the stationary component of the turbine engine proximate the first data antenna.

7. The wireless telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the second data antenna is supported in a holder composed of a non-conducting material mounted to the stationary component.

8. 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.

9. 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 first sensor in connection with a rotatable blade attached to a rotor disc of the combustion turbine engine;

a first telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to the blade at a location having an operating temperature of about 500°

C.;

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

a resonant energy transfer system for powering the first telemetry transmitter circuit, wherein the resonant energy transfer system comprises a primary coil and a secondary coil, wherein the primary coil is arranged to transmit an oscillating current signal, wherein the primary coil is affixed to an area of the turbine engine in spaced relation to the secondary coil, wherein the secondary coil is in resonance at generally the same frequency as a transmitting frequency of the oscillating current signal, wherein the rotatable blade has an airfoil across which expanding hot gas flows, wherein the primary coil is mounted to a casing of the combustion turbine engine, wherein the primary coil is located proximate a tip of the airfoil of the rotatable blade, wherein the secondary coil comprises an electrically conductive material disposed on the airfoil of the rotatable component, wherein the electrically conductive material is in electrical communication with the first telemetry transmitter circuit;

a first data antenna affixed to the blade or rotor disc, wherein the first data antenna is in electrical communication with the first telemetry transmitter circuit to receive electronic data signals from the first telemetry transmitter circuit;

a radio frequency (RF) transparent cover arranged to house the first telemetry transmitter circuit and the first data antenna;

a second data antenna positioned on a stationary surface of the combustion turbine engine proximate to and in spaced relation to the first data antenna for receiving electronic data signals from the first data antenna;

a second sensor in connection with a stationary component of the combustion turbine engine;

a second telemetry transmitter circuit affixed to a stationary location of the combustion turbine engine, the second telemetry transmitter circuit configured to process electronic data signals received from the second sensor, the electronic data signals indicative of an operating condition of the stationary component;

a power source, apart from the energy transfer system, for powering the second telemetry transmitter circuit; and

a receiver, in space relation to the second data antenna, the receiver arranged to receive from the second data antenna the respective electronic data signals indicative of the operating condition of the blade and the stationary component.

10. The wireless telemetry system of claim 9, 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 telemetry transmitter circuit.

11. The wireless telemetry system of claim 9, wherein the blade is one of a plurality of blades integrally formed with the rotor disc forming a blisk in a modular turbine machine wherein the compressor and turbine are separable from one another.