General Electric Company

Mario Joseph Arceneaux

Kurt Kramer Schleif

Donald Shaw

Michael Allen Ball

Andrew David Ellis

Zachary John Snider

Vincent Carmona

Robert D Jones

Peter Ping-Liang Sue

Nathan Lee Brown

Paul Walter Dausacker

Michael Davis Jacobs

Ashley Gates

John Gary Logiudice

Donald W Shaw

A mounting member for a sensor for a turbomachine having an axis is disclosed. The mounting member includes a body configured to mount to a portion of a circumferential interior surface of a casing of the turbomachine. An opening extends through a radially inner surface of the body, and is configured to position the sensor facing radially inward relative to the axis. A passage in the body extends longitudinally through the body to route a communications lead of the sensor circumferentially relative to the circumferential interior surface of the casing.

Sensor mounting for circumferential interior surface of turbomachine casing

A casing for a turbomachine is disclosed. The casing includes a casing body including an interior surface and an exterior surface. At least one sensor is coupled relative to the interior surface of the body, the at least one sensor at most only partially extending through the body. A communications lead is operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, and extends circumferentially along the interior surface of the body.

Systems and methods for sensors on circumferential interior surface of turbomachine casing

A method for determining an arrival-time of a rotor blade that includes attaching an RF reader to a stationary surface and an RF tag to the rotor blade. Time-of-flight data points are collected via an RF monitoring process that includes: emitting an RF signal from the RF reader and recording a first time; receiving the RF signal at the RF tag and emitting a return RF signal by the RF tag in response thereto; receiving the return RF signal at the RF reader and recording a second time; and determining the time-of-flight data point as being the duration occurring between the first time and the second time. The RF monitoring process is repeated until multiple time-of-flight data points are collected. A minimum time-of-flight is determined from the multiple time-of-flight data points, and the arrival-time for the rotor blade is determined as being a time that corresponds to the minimum time-of-flight.

Methods and systems for monitoring rotor blades in turbine engines

A wireless sensor antenna system for a turbomachine including a rotating blade including a passive sensor is disclosed. The wireless sensor antenna system includes an antenna extending continuously along a circumferential interior surface of a casing of the turbomachine that surrounds the rotating blade. The antenna is configured to receive a return wireless signal from the passive sensor. A power transmission element extends along the at least portion of the circumferential interior surface of the casing to power the passive sensor by emitting an electromagnetic signal to power the passive sensor.

Wireless antenna system for sensors on circumferential interior surface of turbomachine casing

A method for determining an arrival-time of a rotor blade that includes attaching an RF reader to a stationary surface and an RF tag to the rotor blade. Strength-of-signal data points are collected via an RF monitoring process that includes: emitting an RF signal from the RF reader; receiving the RF signal at the RF tag and emitting a return RF signal by the RF tag in response thereto; receiving the return RF signal at the RF reader; measuring a signal strength of the return RF signal as received by the RF reader; and determining the strength-of-signal data point as being equal to the measured signal strength. The RF monitoring process is repeated until multiple strength-of-signal data points are collected. A maximum strength-of-signal is determined from the multiple strength-of-signal data points, and the arrival-time for the rotor blade is determined as being a time that corresponds to the maximum strength-of-signal.

A method for determining an arrival-time of a rotor blade in a turbine engine that includes the steps of: having an RF reader attached to a stationary surface in the turbine engine; having an RF tag attached to a first region of the rotor blade; having a reference RF tag attached to a rotating structure near the RF tag; in relation to a first revolution of the rotor blade occurring during the operation of the turbine engine, collecting an arrival-time for each of the RF tag and the reference RF tag with the RF reader via an RF monitoring process; comparing the arrival-time of the RF tag to the arrival-time of the reference RF tag to determine an arrival-time test result for the first region of the rotor blade for the first revolution.

A system for attaching a device to a rotating shaft is provided herein. The system may include a rotating shaft, a telemetry transmitter positioned about the rotating shaft, and a housing positioned about the telemetry transmitter. The telemetry transmitter may be trapped by the housing. The system also may include a connector configured to connect the housing to the rotating shaft.

Systems and methods for attaching a device to a rotating shaft

A system for routing rotatable wire bundles which extend from a rotor shaft of a turbomachine includes a plurality of wire bundles which extend outwardly from an inner passage of the rotor shaft of the turbomachine. An annular wire barrel is coupled to an end of the rotor shaft. A plurality of thru-holes is defined within and/or by the wire barrel. The plurality of thru-holes is annularly arranged therein. Each thru-hole extends through an aft wall of the wire barrel and is circumferentially spaced from adjacent thru-holes. Each wire bundle extends individually through a corresponding thru-hole of the plurality of thru-holes.

System for routing rotatable wire bundles of turbomachine

An apparatus for determining axial spacing between conductive rings of a slip ring assembly includes a signal generator that generates an incident signal, a plurality of conductive rings axially spaced along a shaft where the plurality of conductive rings includes a first conductive ring and a second conductive ring that are axially spaced at a first axial distance. The shaft and the plurality of conductive rings are submerged in a bath of a liquid or encased in an epoxy. A first twisted wire pair is electronically coupled at to the signal generator and to inputs of the first and second conductive rings. A second twisted wire pair is electronically coupled at one end to outputs of the first and second conductive rings. A method for determining axial spacing between conductive rings of a slip ring assembly is also disclosed.

Apparatus and method for axially spacing conductive rings of a slip ring assembly

A method for routing wires from a rotor shaft of a turbomachine includes routing a plurality of wire bundles through an end portion of the rotor shaft and into an annular extension shaft which is coupled to the end portion of the rotor shaft, threading each wire bundle through a corresponding thru-hole of a plurality of thru-holes defined in an annular wire barrel, inserting the wire barrel into the extension shaft and fixedly connecting the wire barrel to the extension shaft.

Method for routing wire bundles from a rotor shaft of a turbomachine

A system for transmitting data from a rotating component of a turbomachine includes a plurality of thermal sensors coupled to corresponding rotatable components within the turbomachine where each thermal sensor generates a discrete analog signal indicative of temperature. A plurality of transmitter assemblies is coupled to an end of a rotor shaft of the turbomachine. The plurality of transmitter assemblies comprises a first transmitter assembly and a second transmitter assembly. The first transmitter assembly is configured to receive the discrete analog signals from the plurality of thermal sensors, multiplex the plurality of discrete analog signals into a single amplifier and an analog-to-digital converter to generate a single stream of digital data therefrom. The system also includes a slip ring assembly having a plurality of conductive rings where at least one of the conductive rings defines a digital signal path between the first transmitter assembly and a data acquisition system.

System and method for transmitting sensor data from a rotating component of a turbomachine

A system for dissipating thermal energy from electronic components disposed within a rotatable shaft includes an annular carrier shaft having one end formed to couple to an end of a rotor shaft. The system also includes a transmitter assembly. The transmitter includes an outer casing, a daughter board and a circuit board electronically coupled to the daughter board within an inner pocket of the transmitter housing. The circuit board comprises a strip of thermally conductive material. The transmitter assembly further includes a lid that at least partially seals the inner pocket. A contact surface of the lid is in thermal communication with the thermally conductive material of the circuit board and at least a portion of a top surface of the lid is thermally coupled to an inner surface of the carrier shaft during rotation thereof. A method for dissipating thermal energy away from the circuit board is also provided.

System and method for dissipating thermal energy away from electronic components in a rotatable shaft

A system for attaching a device to a rotating shaft is provided herein. The system may include one or more intermediate members positioned about the device. The system also may include a restraining strap configured to apply a restraining force to at least one of the one or more intermediate members to secure the one or more intermediate members to the rotating shaft. The one or more intermediate members may be configured to at least partially avert and/or disperse the restraining force of the restraining strap away from the device.

A slip ring assembly includes a pair of conductive rings consecutively positioned along a center shaft of the slip ring assembly. The pair of conductive rings are electronically coupled to a high frequency signal source via a first twisted wire pair. The pair of conductive rings are electronically coupled to a data processor via a second twisted wire pair. The first and second twisted wire pairs have constant target impedances that are substantially similar. The first and second conductive rings are axially spaced at an axial distance that is sized so as to maintain the constant target impedance across the first and second conductive rings during transmission of a high frequency signal from the high frequency signal source to the data processor. The slip ring assembly provides a method for impedance matching across the conductive rings of the slip ring assembly.

Slip ring assembly and method for impedance matching high frequency signals across the slip ring assembly

Certain embodiments herein are described to protect electronic equipment from electromagnetic interference (EMI). A cabinet and one or more associated input/output panels may be configured to block EMI from entering the interior of the cabinet where electronic equipment may be stored. The input/output panel may include a printed circuit board, an input/output header, and an input/output connector that may be configured to pass electronic signals transmitted via cables, for example, from one side of the input/output panel to another without accompanying EMI. Certain materials and components included on the printed circuit board may assist in deflecting or absorbing EMI so that it does not enter the cabinet. For example, one or more filters may also be mounted onto the printed circuit board to further filter out unwanted EMI.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Mario Joseph Arceneaux