Remote-Mount Optical Probe for Gas Turbine Thermal Imaging Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal imaging techniques for gas turbine engines face challenges due to the large size of long-wave infrared (LWIR) cameras, which are difficult to integrate within the limited space of the engine, and flexible mounting schemes that can lead to misalignment and differential thermal growth issues.
Innovation Solution
A thermal imaging device is integrated with the gas turbine engine, featuring a main body mountable to the fan duct or a separate structure and a probe mounted to the engine casing, transmitting optical signals across an air gap with control circuitry maintaining alignment and distance, using feedback instrumentation for real-time adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a long-wave infrared (LWIR) camera is used for thermal imaging, then thermal imaging capability is improved, but the device size becomes too large for gas turbine integration
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal imaging system is divided into two separate components: a probe mounted to the engine casing that detects thermal energy, and a main body that processes signals. This segmentation allows the detection function to be distributed, enabling the use of smaller sensor elements while maintaining overall imaging capability.
Solution Approach 2:
An optical signal transmission medium (such as an optical fiber or waveguide) is introduced as an intermediary between the probe sensors and the main body processing unit. This allows the separation of the detection function from the processing unit, enabling compact sensor design while maintaining full thermal imaging capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the LWIR camera is mounted to the fan duct, then integration is simplified, but misalignment and differential thermal growth occur due to independent movement of gaspath casing and fan ducts
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is mounted to the engine casing while the main body is mounted to the fan duct, merging the mounting locations to utilize both structures. This distribution allows each component to move with its respective mounting structure while maintaining functional connection through the optical signal transmission medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to accommodate dynamic movement and differential thermal growth between the engine casing and fan duct. The optical signal transmission medium flexes or adjusts to maintain connection despite relative movement, making the mounting scheme dynamically adaptive rather than rigid.
3Temperature
If additional space is allocated for cooling the LWIR camera, then camera cooling is improved, but the available space within the gas turbine engine is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The main body of the thermal imaging system is extracted from the engine interior and positioned externally or in a less space-constrained location. This extraction removes the bulk of the system from the limited internal volume, leaving only the compact probe within the engine where space is at a premium.
Solution Approach 2:
The system architecture transitions from a single integrated unit to a distributed configuration where the probe remains in the engine's third dimension (internal volume) while the main body is positioned in a different spatial location, effectively utilizing external or adjacent space for cooling and processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for effective thermal imaging without complex modifications, reducing integration time and costs, and mitigates misalignment and thermal growth concerns, enabling accurate thermal data collection for airfoil design validation.
Implementation Method 1
the probe includes one or more sensors configured to detect thermal energy; and the probe is configured to transmit an optical signal based on the detected thermal energy
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine includes a fan duct, an engine casing, and a gaspath casing. A thermal imaging device is integrated with the gas turbine engine. The thermal imaging device includes: a main body comprising processing circuitry, where the main body is mountable to the fan duct or a mounting structure separate from the fan duct. The thermal imaging device includes a probe mounted to the engine casing. The probe includes one or more sensors configured to detect thermal energy, and the probe is configured to transmit an optical signal based on the detected thermal energy, to an aperture of the main body, over an air gap between the probe and the main body. The processing circuitry is configured to provide temperature information in response to processing the optical signal.