STTR Phase I: Wireless High Temperature Sensor for Real Time Monitoring of Power Generation Turbine Engines

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在开发一种无线传感器，用于连续实时测量燃气轮机的高温。新传感器使涡轮机制造商和所有者/运营商能够将小型传感器放置在涡轮机中难以到达的区域，并无线传输感测数据，从而能够量化热负荷。根据在国家科学基金会I-Corps计划期间采访的燃气涡轮机工程师，由于精确的实时温度测量，将涡轮机的点火温度提高100°C将导致效率提高1%。这意味着100台涡轮机每年可增加4800万美元的收入。此外，由于加强了维护规划，这些传感器可以将每个涡轮机的使用寿命延长10，000 - 25，000小时，从而带来7，670万美元的额外收入。每台涡轮机1.92亿美元。2009年，美国环境保护署确定，化石燃料发电厂的排放对人类健康和环境产生负面影响。新的无线传感器将有助于设计更高效的燃气涡轮机，并改善现有涡轮机的运行，从而减少动力涡轮机的有害排放。该项目的智力优势包括：开发超越当前阶段的高温传感技术;将新开发的材料（聚合物衍生陶瓷-PDC）用于传感器应用;提高PDC工艺性能关系的基础知识;改进传感器设计和建模;更好地理解传感器集成挑战和燃气涡轮机环境中先进传感技术。这种新型的无线传感器是由PDC制成的。PDC的优点包括高温耐受性、优异的抗氧化/抗腐蚀性、灵活的制造和可调的电气/机械性能。该传感器由一种新型的微带贴片天线组成，用于传感器数据的可靠无线传输，同时保持传感器的总体积小，以免扭曲涡轮机中的气流分布。高增益贴片天线将使传感器能够在涡轮机外部更远的距离处被询问。该项目的目标是：开发测量温度超过800°C的无线PDC传感器，演示高温无线传感能力;演示50 cm以上的高温无线传感;研究涡轮机发动机超高温环境下的传感器系统实施策略;对传感器集成到现有涡轮机预报系统进行初步研究。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is for the development of a wireless sensor for continuous and real-time measurement of the high temperature in gas turbines. The new sensor offers turbine manufacturers and owners/operators the capability to place small-sized sensors in hard to reach areas in the turbine, and transmit sensed data wirelessly thereby enabling heat loads to be quantified. According to gas turbine engineers interviewed during National Science Foundation I-Corps program, increasing the firing temperature of a turbine by 100°C, due to accurate real-time temperature measurement, will result in 1% increase in efficiency. This translates to additional revenue of $48 million/year for a fleet of 100 turbines. In addition, these sensors can extend useful life by 10,000 - 25,000 hours per turbine due to enhanced maintenance planning, translating to an additional revenue of $76.7 Million ? $192 Million per turbine. In 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agency established that emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, leads to negative effects on human health and the environment. The new wireless sensor will help to design more efficient gas turbines and improve operations of existing turbines thereby reducing harmful emissions from power turbines. The intellectual merits of this project include: development of high-temperature sensing technology beyond its current stage; usage of newly developed materials (polymer-derived ceramics -PDC) for sensor applications; advancement of fundamental knowledge of process-property relationship of PDCs; improved sensor design and modeling; better understanding of sensor integration challenges and techniques for advanced sensing in gas turbine environment. The new wireless sensor is made of PDC. Advantages of PDC include high-temperature survivability, excellent oxidation/corrosion resistance, flexible manufacturing, and tunable electrical/mechanical properties. The sensor consists of a novel microstrip patch antenna for reliable wireless transmission of sensor data while keeping the overall volume of the sensor small so as not to distort gas flow profile in the turbine. High gain patch antenna will enable sensor to be interrogated at longer distances outside the turbine. The project objectives are: develop a wireless PDC sensor that can measure over 800°C to demonstrate high-temperature wireless sensing capability; demonstrate high-temperature wireless sensing beyond 50 cm; study sensor system implementation strategy in ultra-high temperature environment of a turbine engine; conduct preliminary investigation into sensor integration into existing turbine prognostic systems.