US 7,890,293 B2 · Device for determining the distance between a rotor blade and a wall of a turbine engine surrounding the rotor blade

Abstract

A device for determining distance between a rotor blade and a wall of a gas turbine surrounding the rotor blade is provided. A waveguide guides and emits electromagnetic waves in the direction of the rotor blade through a waveguide opening facing the rotor blade. The electromagnetic waves are injected into the waveguide and reflected portions of the electromagnetic waves are received. An evaluation unit compares the phase of the electromagnetic waves to be injected with the phase of the reflected portions of the electromagnetic waves and determines phase comparison values for every frequency and the distance is determined based on the phase comparison values. The waveguide includes two waveguide segments made from different materials having temperature stability and damping capacity increasing in the direction from the segment connected to the unit for injecting the waves to the segment having the waveguide opening.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A device for determining a distance between a rotor blade and a wall of a gas turbine surrounding the rotor blade, comprising:

a waveguide that guides and emits electromagnetic waves in a direction to the rotor blade through a waveguide opening facing the rotor blade;
a first unit connected to the waveguide that injects the electromagnetic waves into the waveguide;
a second unit connected to the waveguide that receives reflected portions of the electromagnetic waves;
and
an evaluation unit that compares phases of the electromagnetic waves to be injected with phases of the reflected portions of the electromagnetic waves for each frequency and determines the distance based on the phase comparison,
wherein the waveguide comprises at least two waveguide segments that are made from different materials, and
wherein a temperature stability and an electromagnetic wave damping capacity of the materials increase starting from a segment connected to the first and the second units in a direction of a segment having the waveguide opening.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device for determining the distance between a rotor blade and a wall of a turbine engine surrounding the rotor blade

Life of this patent

Device for determining the distance between a rotor blade and a wall of a turbine engine surrounding the rotor blade

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13