METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING ROTOR BLADES IN TURBINE ENGINES

• Main Authors: Ellis, Andrew David, Arceneaux, Mario Joseph, Ball, Michael Allen, Schleif, Kurt Kramer, Carmona, Vincent
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.05.2020
• Subjects: AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC ORINFRASONIC WAVES; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAMTURBINES; PHYSICS; STEAM ENGINES; TESTING; TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES ORSTRUCTURES; TESTING STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; WEAPONS

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.