Long duration ash probe

In combination:

• a combustor having an interior combustion chamber, a combustor wall, and a port in said combustor wall;
• and
• a probe mounted to said combustor wall with a retractable coupon aligned for movement through said port;
• said probe comprising:
• a hollow, elongated pressure shell having forward and rearward ends;
• connecting means on the forward end of said shell connecting the shell forward end to said combustor wall at said port such that the interior of the shell will communicate with the interior of the combustor;
• a carriage having forward and rearward ends, operably mounted within said shell for longitudinal movement between an extended position, located at the forward end of said shell, and a retracted position, located rearwardly of the forward end of the shell;
• a sample coupon removably connected to said carriage for movement therewith, and located forwardly of the carriage so as to be positioned within the combustor combustion chamber when in the extended position, and located within the shell when in the retracted position;
• drive means connected to said carriage for moving said carriage forwardly and rearwardly;
• said drive means including:
• at least one guide rail extending from the forward to rearward end within said shell;
• said carriage having wheel means for engaging said rail to guide the carriage therealong;
• an endless loop drive cable means connected to said carriage for moving the carriage along said rail;
• said drive cable means operably mounted over a forward idler sprocket and a rearward drive sprocket to form the endless loop;
• said forward sprocket rotatably mounted at the forward end of the rail;
• said drive sprocket rotatably mounted at the rearward end of the rail;
• and
• a reversible motor connected to the drive sprocket to move the drive cable therealong, and thereby move the carriage;
• an operable valve means operably mounted at the forward end of said shell for selectively sealing the interior of the shell from the combustor port;
• said sample coupon including a hollow tubular member having forward and rearward ends;
• a hollow carrier tube having forward and rearward ends, the forward end removably connected to the rearward end of said sample coupon for fluid communication therewith, and the rearward end extending through and removably connected to said carriage for movement therewith;
• tubing within said carrier tube extending from the forward to the rearward end thereof, said tubing having an open forward end communicating with said sample coupon;
• fluid conduit means connected between the rearward end of said tubing and a source of cooling fluid;
• fluid valve means interposed in said fluid conduit means and selectively operable to permit or block the flow of fluid to said tubing;
• sensing means mounted at the forward end of said carrier tube for sensing the temperature within the said sample coupon;
• and
• control means connected to said sensing means and said fluid valve means, for operating said fluid valve to release or block the flow of cooling fluid to said sample coupon in response to a predetermined temperature sensed by the sensing means;
• said control means further connected to said valve means, said drive means, and a combustor control means, said control means operable to operate the drive means and move said carriage to the retracted position and thence close said valve means to seal the sample coupon within said pressure shell, upon receiving a signal from the combustor control means.

A probe with retractable coupon, comprising:

• a hollow, elongated pressure shell having forward and rearward ends;
• connecting means on the forward end of said shell for connecting the shell forward end to a port in a combustor such that the interior of the shell will communicate with the interior of the combustor;
• a carriage having forward and rearward ends, operably mounted within said shell for longitudinal movement between an extended position, located at the forward end of said shell, and a retracted position, located rearwardly of the forward end of the shell;
• a sample coupon removably connected to said carriage for movement therewith, and located forwardly of the carriage so as to be positioned forwardly of the connecting means when in the extended position, and located within the shell when in the retracted position;
• drive means connected to said carriage for moving said carriage forwardly and rearwardly;
• an operative valve means operably mounted at the forward end of said shell for selectively sealing the interior of the shell from the combustor port;
• control means connected to said valve means and connected to said drive means, said control means operable to operate the drive means and move said carriage to the retracted position and thence close said valve means to seal the sample coupon within said pressure shell;
• and
• a heating element mounted within the said pressure shell proximal the forward end thereof, for heating the interior of the pressure shell;
• said heating element connected to said control means for actuation by said control means when said coupon is retracted within said shell and said valve is closed.