Methods and apparatus for real-time clearance assessment using a pressure measurement
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsTaehong Kim, Aaron J. Sentis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for real-time clearance assessment using a pressure measurement are disclosed. An example method includes determining a first and a second static pressure measurement at a first measurement location and a second measurement location, respectively, relative to the blade tip clearance, determining a normalized pressure measurement using the first and second static pressure measurements, generating a conversion curve to correlate the normalized pressure measurement with a clearance measurement, and adjusting active clearance control of the blade tip clearance based on a comparison of real-time in-flight pressure measurements to the conversion curve.
Claims17
A method to assess real-time blade tip clearance in a turbine engine, the method comprising:
- determining a first and a second static pressure measurement at a first measurement location and a second measurement location, respectively, relative to the blade tip clearance;
- determining a normalized pressure measurement using the first and second static pressure measurements;
- generating a conversion curve to correlate the normalized pressure measurement with a clearance measurement, wherein the conversion curve is developed for the turbine engine during testing at a plurality of altitudes;
- and
- adjusting active clearance control of the blade tip clearance based on a comparison of real-time in-flight pressure measurements to the conversion curve.
An apparatus to assess real-time blade tip clearance in a turbine engine, the apparatus comprising:
- a pressure sensor to determine a first and a second static pressure measurement at a first measurement location and a second measurement location, respectively, relative to the blade tip clearance;
- a conversion curve generator to:
- determine a normalized pressure measurement using the first and second static pressure measurements;
- and
- generate a conversion curve to correlate the normalized pressure measurement with a clearance measurement, wherein the conversion curve is generated for a plurality of altitudes;
- and
- an active clearance controller to adjust active clearance control of the blade tip clearance based on a comparison of real-time in-flight pressure measurements to the conversion curve.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
- determine a first and a second static pressure measurement at a first measurement location and a second measurement location, respectively, relative to a blade tip clearance based on signals received as input to the processor;
- determine a normalized pressure measurement using the first and second static pressure measurements;
- generate a conversion curve to correlate the normalized pressure measurement with a clearance measurement, the conversion curve generated for a turbine engine at a plurality of altitudes;
- and
- adjust active clearance control of the blade tip clearance based on a comparison of real-time in-flight pressure measurements to the conversion curve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.