Zolo Technologies, Inc.

James Howell

Andrew D Sappey

Bernard Patrick Masterson

Henrik Hofvander

Michael John Estes

Lee A Sutherland

David Owenby

Qingchun Zhao

Henrick Hofvander

B P Masterson

An apparatus and methods for measuring combustion parameters in the measurement zone of a gas turbine engine. The measurement zone is defined as being between an outer casing and an engine component having a reflecting surface inside the outer casing. The apparatus comprises a laser generating a transmitting beam of light of a select wavelength and a multimode transmitting fiber optically coupled to the laser. A transmitting optic is optically coupled to the multimode optical fiber for transmitting the beam into the measurement zone. The reflecting surface is configured to provide a Lambertian reflection. A receiving optic is positioned to receive the Lambertian reflection. Means are provided in operative association with the multimode transmitting fiber for averaging modal noise induced signal level variation of light propagating within the multimode transmitting fiber.

Mitigation of optical signal noise using a multimode transmit fiber

A method of absorption spectroscopy to determine a rapidly variable gas parameter. The method includes transmitting light from a synchronization light source to a synchronization detector. The transmitted light is periodically interrupted by a moving mechanical part between the synchronization light source and synchronization detector. The output from the synchronization detector is used to generate a repeating time signal having variable phase delay. This signal is used to control the timing of laser spectroscopy wavelength scans. Multiple spectroscopic scans may be repeated at multiple selected time signal phase delay and the results averaged for each phase. Apparatus for implementing the above methods are also disclosed.

Time-synchronized TDLAS measurements of pressure and temperature in a gas turbine engine

A method of absorption spectroscopy including obtaining absorption data at multiple wavelengths along more than one line-of-sight path through a quantity of gas of interest. The method further includes identifying more than one temperature and gas species concentration bin along the multiple line-of-sight paths and creating a map of temperature and gas species concentration. The map thus created will have at least two-dimensional information derived from select temperature and gas species concentration bins identified along more than one line-of-sight path. Apparatus for implementing the above method is also disclosed.

Binning and tomography for high spatial resolution temperature and species concentration measurements

A method of calibrating an absorption spectroscopy measurement wherein the calibration method includes projecting laser light through a sample of a first quantity of a gas of interest and a second irrelevant quantity of a spectroscopically identical or similar gas (). The first and second spectroscopic absorptions of the laser light are measured over specific first and second absorption lines. A functional relationship is determined between the first and second measured spectroscopic absorptions and two unknown variables. The function relationships may then be simultaneously solved to determine one or both unknown variables and thereby obtain a measurement relating to the first quantity of the gas of interest, calibrated for the second irrelevant quantity of gas.

Two line gas spectroscopy calibration

A method of sensing a process utilizing a sensing apparatus consisting of more than one diode laser having select lasing frequencies, a multiplexer optically coupled to the outputs of the diode lasers with the multiplexer being further optically coupled to a pitch side optical fiber. Multiplexed laser light is transmitted through the pitch side optical fiber to a pitch optic operatively associated with a process chamber which may be a combustion chamber or the boiler of a coal or gas fired power plant. The pitch optic is oriented to project multiplexed laser output through the process chamber. Also operatively oriented with the process chamber is a catch optic in optical communication with the pitch optic to receive the multiplexed laser output projected through the process chamber. The catch optic is optically coupled to an optical fiber which transmits the multiplexed laser output to a demultiplexer. The demultiplexer demultiplexes the laser light and optically couples the select lasing frequencies of light to a detector with the detector being sensitive to one of the select lasing frequencies.

Method for the monitoring and control of a process

A diode laser spectroscopy gas sensing apparatus having a diode laser with a select lasing frequency, a pitch optic coupled to the diode laser with the pitch optic being operatively associated with a process chamber and oriented to project laser light along a projection beam through the process chamber. This embodiment additionally includes a catch optic in optical communication with the pitch optic to receive the laser light projected through the process chamber and an optical fiber optically coupled to the catch optic. In addition, the catch optic is operatively associated with a catch side alignment mechanism which provides for the alignment of the catch optic with respect to the projection beam to increase a quantity of laser light received by the catch optic from the pitch optic and coupled to the optical fiber and a detector sensitive to the select lasing frequency optically coupled to the optical fiber. The catch side alignment mechanism may consist of means to tilt the catch optic along a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis with both the first and second axes being approximately orthogonal to the projection beam.

Method and apparatus for the monitoring and control of a process

A pitch side optical system for use in diode laser spectroscopy consisting of more than one diode laser having select lasing frequencies with each diode laser being coupled to an end of a distinct input optical fiber. The pitch side optical system further consists of a multiplexer optically coupled to the other end of less than all of the input optical fibers with the multiplexer outputting multiplexed laser light to a pitch side optical fiber. The pitch side optical system further consists of a coupler optically coupled to the far end of the pitch side optical fiber and the far end of an unmultiplexed input optical fiber with the coupler combining the multiplexed laser light and the unmultiplexed laser light and outputting the combined light to a transmission optical fiber. Typically, the coupler is located near the combustion process. The pitch side optical system further consists of a pitch optic coupled to the transmission optical fiber. Typically, all optical fibers used in the pitch side optical system are single mode optical fibers.

A sensing apparatus consisting of more than one diode laser having select lasing frequencies, a multiplexer optically coupled to the outputs of the diode lasers with the multiplexer being further optically coupled to a pitch side optical fiber. Multiplexed laser light is transmitted through the pitch side optical fiber to a pitch optic operatively associated with a process chamber which may be a combustion chamber or the boiler of a coal or gas fired power plant. The pitch optic is oriented to project multiplexed laser output through the process chamber. Also operatively oriented with the process chamber is a catch optic in optical communication with the pitch optic to receive the multiplexed laser output projected through the process chamber. The catch optic is optically coupled to an optical fiber which transmits the multiplexed laser output to a demultiplexer. The demultiplexer demultiplexes the laser light and optically couples the select lasing frequencies of light to a detector with the detector being sensitive to one of the select lasing frequencies.

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Louisville, CO, United States of America

James Howell