Flow measurement for a gas turbine engine
AssigneeVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
InventorsVasileios KYRITSIS, Kevin Todd LOWE, Maurice BRISTOW, Peter LOFTUS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A turbomachine having an air flow measurement system. The system comprises a plurality of acoustic sensors upstream a compressor of the turbomachine. The acoustic sensors comprise at least one acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic waveform through an intake airflow to an acoustic receiver. The acoustic sensors are located in a single plane and mounted at angular spacing about a central axis of an intake.
Claims20
A turbomachine having an air flow measurement system, the air flow measurement system comprising:
- a plurality of acoustic sensors, the acoustics sensors upstream a compressor of the turbomachine;
- the acoustic sensors comprising at least one acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic waveform through an intake airflow to an acoustic receiver;
- and
- where the acoustic sensors are located in a single plane and mounted at angular spacing about a central axis of an intake.
A system configured to determine air flow through a turbomachine, the system comprising:
- a plurality of acoustic sensors provided upstream a compressor of the turbomachine;
- the acoustic sensors comprising at least one acoustic transmitter configured to transmit an acoustic waveform through the intake airflow to an acoustic receiver;
- where the acoustic sensors are located in a single plane, and mounted at angular spacing about a central axis of the intake;
- and
- a processing system configured to receive signals from the acoustic sensors and determine the flow rate of the intake airflow.
A method of determining air flow properties of an intake airflow of a turbomachine, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing signal communication with a plurality of acoustic sensors located in a single plane provided upstream a compressor of the turbomachine;
- determining a time of flight of an acoustic waveform between said plurality of acoustic sensors;
- and
- using the time of flight between the plurality of sensors to determine an average flow velocity of the intake airflow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.