Self-powered sensing and transmitting device and method of fabricating the same

• US 9,350,319 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mitchell, David J., Kulkarni, Anand A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US14/187,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 310311-371
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F05D 2230/90 Coating; Surface treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/14 Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2693 Rotor or turbine parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2462 Probes with waveguides, e.g. SAW devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/25 Constructional features of resonators using surface acoustic waves devices for manipulating acoustic surface waves in general G10K11/36
• 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 self-powered sensing and transmitting circuit (50) including a power element (44) and a sensing element (46) that is powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment The circuit also includes a transmitting element (48) powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location (33, 55) remote from the circuit The power element, sensing element and transmitting element of the circuit are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration formed on a substrate (57) component exposed to operating temperatures at or exceeding 650° C.

Claims

1. A self-powered sensing and transmitting circuit, comprising:

a power element;

a sensing element powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment;

a transmitting element powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location remote from the circuit; and

wherein the power element, sensing element and transmitting element are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration and formed on a substrate component configured to operate at temperatures at or exceeding 650°

C.

2. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a dielectric layer other than the substrate component;

a piezoelectric substrate formed on the dielectric layer; and

wherein the sensing element is formed on the piezoelectric substrate.

3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the power generating element is a thermoelectric power generating element.

4. The circuit of claim 3 wherein the power generating element is a thermocouple.

5. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the sensing element comprises:

an input interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate in electrical communication with the power element; and

an output interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate and in electrical communication with the transmitting element

wherein the generally planar configuration is a linear configuration of the input interdigital transducer, the power element, the output interdigital transducer and the transmitting element along a surface of the piezoelectric substrate opposite from the dielectric layer.

11. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the planar and non-integrated circuit configuration is formed with spraying and masking techniques.

12. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a dielectric layer on the substrate component, wherein the planar circuit configuration is a linear configuration of the power element, the sensing element and the transmitting element along a side of the dielectric layer opposite from the substrate component.

13. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the power element is made from a mono-elemental oxide material.

14. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the dielectric layer is formed of an aluminate material and wherein the piezoelectric substrate is formed of ordered langasite material.

15. The circuit of claim 2, further comprising a thermal barrier coating between the dielectric layer and the substrate component, wherein the thermal barrier coating is formed of at least one of zirconate and hafniate material.

16. A component of a gas turbine engine comprising the circuit of claim 1 formed on a substrate of the component.

17. The component of claim 16, wherein the component is one of a blade and vane within a turbine of the gas turbine engine and wherein the sensor signal is responsive to at least one of a temperature of a hot gas path within the turbine across the component, a strain on the component, and a vibration of the component.

18. The component of claim 17, wherein component is an airfoil of the blade within the turbine of the gas turbine engine, wherein the substrate is coated with a thermal barrier coating (TBC) and wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on the airfoil between the TBC and the power element, sensing element and transmitting element.

19. The component of claim 16, further comprising at least one transceiver located at a position along the gas turbine engine for wireless transmission of an interrogating signal to the circuit such that the circuit is configured to generate the sensor signal including data of a monitored parameter of the component of the gas turbine engine in response to the interrogating signal.

20. The component of claim 19, wherein the component is an airfoil of a blade within a turbine of the gas turbine engine and wherein the monitored parameter is one of temperature of a hot gas path within the turbine across the airfoil, a strain on the airfoil and a vibration of the airfoil within the turbine.

6. A circuit comprising:

a component substrate;

a power element;

a sensing element powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment;

a transmitting element powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location remote from the from the component substrate; and

wherein the power element, sensing element and transmitting element are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration along a surface of the component substrate and the component and component substrate are configured to operate in an environment having operating temperatures exceeding 650°

C.

7. The circuit of claim 6 further comprising:

a dielectric layer other than the component substrate;

a piezoelectric substrate formed on the dielectric layer; and

,

wherein the sensing element is formed on a side of the piezoelectric substrate opposite to the dielectric layer.

8. The circuit of claim 6 wherein the power generating element is a thermoelectric power generating element.

9. The circuit of claim 8 wherein the power generating element is a thermocouple.

10. The circuit of claim 7 wherein the sensing element comprises:

an input interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate in electrical communication with the power element; and

,

an output interdigital transducer formed on the piezoelectric substrate and in electrical communication with the transmitting element.