The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 01, 2013
Filed:
Oct. 16, 2008
Boris Sheikman, Minden, NV (US);
Jack E. Howard, Gardnerville, NV (US);
Brandon Rank, Minden, NV (US);
Raymond Verle Jensen, Gardnerville, NV (US);
Boris Sheikman, Minden, NV (US);
Jack E. Howard, Gardnerville, NV (US);
Brandon Rank, Minden, NV (US);
Raymond Verle Jensen, Gardnerville, NV (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring clearance in a rotary machine are provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a method for monitoring clearance between a rotatable member and a stationary member in a rotary machine. The method may include providing a flex circuit capacitance sensor. The flex circuit capacitance sensor may include at least one capacitance sensing layer, at least one shielding layer adjacent to the capacitance sensing layer, at least one ground layer adjacent to the shielding layer, and a set of conducting leads connected to the capacitance sensing layer. Further, the method may include mounting the capacitance sensor between a portion of the rotatable member and a portion of the stationary member. Clearance may be determined between the rotatable member and the stationary member based at least in part on a capacitance indication from the capacitance sensor.