SBIR Phase II: Wireless High Temperature Sensor for Real Time Monitoring of Power Generation Turbine Engines

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是，发电燃气轮机的计划外停机越来越多，这给燃气涡轮机制造商带来了16亿美元的风险，平均每年有500个燃气轮机制造商签订电力服务合同。使用这些传感器测量叶片表面温度将取代计划外停机的重大成本，通过揭示燃烧室何时过度燃烧，使操作员能够采取纠正措施。根据美国环境保护署的数据，发电燃气轮机排放了130万吨NOx和SOx。由于错误的燃烧器点火，NOx排放增加。该项目还将导致加速采用开发发动机，因为降低了与测量仪器安装相关的成本和劳动力要求。此外，它还可以用于监测偏远地区的恶劣环境参数，同时为控制系统提供洞察力，提高核反应堆和化学处理厂的系统效率。该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将开发用于燃气涡轮机发动机叶片表面温度测量的聚合物衍生陶瓷（PDC）传感器系统。目前，没有传感器可以在这些恶劣的环境中生存。这一创新结合了独特的、无线的、无源的、耐腐蚀的基于PDC的谐振器，这些谐振器直接与基于PDC的高温天线沿着在叶片表面上，用于在恶劣环境中工作。本研究的主要目的是：优化设计不同PDC的传感器;验证高温天线的制作;表征PDC材料的性能、微观结构的变化、传感性能的退化、在炉燃烧器中长期暴露于高温（~ 1000 C）后的结合机理评估。该原型包括集成的多个传感器、高温天线用户数据接口，将在一个旋转的微型涡轮机上运行，以证明在实际运行环境中的性能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is that unplanned outages of power generation gas turbines are increasingly occurring which pose a risk of $1.6 billion to gas turbine manufacturers across an average fleet of 500 annually on power services contracts. Using these sensors to measure blade surface temperatures will replace the significant cost of unplanned outages, by revealing when combustors are over firing to enable operators to take corrective measures. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, power generation gas turbines accounted for 1.3 million tons of NOx and SOx emissions. NOx emissions are increased due to erroneous combustor firing. This project would also lead to acceleration of adoption for developmental engines owing to reduced cost and labor requirements associated with measurement instrumentation installation. Also, this can be used in monitoring harsh environment parameters in remotely inaccessible locations, while providing insight to control systems increasing the efficiency of systems in nuclear reactors and chemical processing plants.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) sensor system for gas turbine engine's blade surface temperature measurement. Currently, no sensors exist that can survive these harsh environments in-situ. This innovation combines unique, wireless, passive, corrosion-resistant PDC-based resonators bonded directly on the blade surface along with high temperature PDC-based antenna for operating in harsh environments. The research objectives are to miniaturize & optimize the sensor utilizing different PDCs; fabrication & validation of high temperature antenna; characterization of PDC material properties, microstructural changes, degradation of sensing performance, bonding mechanism evaluation after long term exposure to high temperatures (~1000C) in a furnace & burner rig. The prototype, including integrated multiple sensors, high temperature antenna & user data interface, will be operated on a rotating micro-turbine to demonstrate performance in actual operating environments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.