Vibration sensor and methods for deposition monitoring
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsStephanie Cavallaro, Don M. Lipkin, Andrew Lee Trimmer
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Abstract
Apparatuses and methods are provided herein that are useful to monitoring a coating deposition process. In some embodiments, a method of monitoring a coating process for a target object involves applying a coating to at least a portion of a beam during at least part of a coating deposition process to obtain a coated beam. The method also includes exciting the coated beam such that the coated beam vibrates. The method also includes monitoring the vibration response of the coated beam and determining at least one of a deposition rate or a drying rate for the target object based on the change in the frequency response of the coated beam.
Claims24
A sensor apparatus comprising:
- a beam having at least one deposition surface to receive a coating applied to an object during a deposition process;
- a vibration monitor that detects vibrations of the beam and outputs a signal indicative of a vibration response of the beam;
- a drying accelerator;
- and
- a processor to determine, based on the signal from the vibration monitor, at least one of a deposition rate or a drying rate of the coating applied during the deposition process.
A method comprising:
- applying a coating to at least a portion of a beam of a sensor apparatus during a coating deposition process to obtain a coated beam;
- exciting the coated beam such that at least a portion of the coated beam vibrates;
- monitoring a vibration response of the coated beam while the coated beam is vibrating;
- drying at least a portion of the coated beam to obtain a dried coated beam;
- and
- determining at least one of a deposition rate or a drying rate of the coating deposited via the coating deposition process based on the vibration response of the dried coated beam.
A method of monitoring coating deposition comprising:
- applying a coating to at least a portion of a first beam of a first sensor apparatus and to at least a portion of a second beam of a second sensor apparatus, the first beam including a drying accelerator;
- exciting the first beam;
- monitoring a first vibration response of the first beam;
- exciting the second beam;
- monitoring a second vibration response of the second beam;
- and
- determining a mass deposition rate based on a change in a resonant frequency of the first vibration response of the first beam and determining a drying rate based on the change in the resonant frequency of the second vibration response of the second beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.