Systems and methods for monitoring thermal growth and controlling clearances, and maintaining health of turbo machinery applications

A method for monitoring the health of a turbomachine, comprising:

• providing a closed loop sensed active time-of-arrival monitoring system disposed in a wall adjacent to and opposing at least one blade of the turbomachine;
• determining from a measurement a speed of a rotor of a turbine engine of the turbomachine;
• determining from said rotor speed an expected time-of-arrival of said at least one blade using said active time-of-arrival monitoring system;
• determining from a measurement an actual time-of-arrival of said at least one blade at one or more positions using said active time-of-arrival monitoring system;
• comparing said actual time-of-arrival with said expected time-of-arrival of said at least one blade using said active health monitoring system;
• determining from said comparison an absence of or a presence of a change in time-of-arrival of said at least one blade using said active time-of-arrival monitoring system;
• and
• assessing from said comparison the health of said at least one blade using said active time-of-arrival monitoring system.

A system for controlling clearance in a turbomachine, the system comprising:

• means for determining from a measurement an actual amount of thermal growth on at least one blade using three or more microwave-based sensors of an active clearance control system;
• means for determining from a measurement an actual amount of clearance between each of said at least one blade and a wall adjacent to and opposing said at least one blade where thermal growth is present using said three or more microwave-based sensors;
• and
• means for controlling said amount of clearance based on a difference between a desired amount of clearance and said actual amount of clearance for each of said at least one blade as determined by said thermal growth.

A turbine engine system, comprising:

• a turbine engine including a case and at least one blade rotatable within said case;
• means for determining from a measurement an actual amount of thermal growth on at least one blade using said active clearance control system;
• means for determining from a measurement an actual amount of clearance between each of said at least one blade and a wall adjacent to and opposing said at least one blade where thermal growth is present using said active clearance control system;
• and
• means for controlling said amount of clearance based on a difference between a desired amount of clearance and said actual amount of clearance for each of said at least one blade as determined by said thermal growth using said active clearance control system.