Sensor for detecting hydrocarbon in a seal
AssigneeFlorida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
InventorsElizabeth D Garvin, William S Walsh, Elizabeth V Stein, Alex Pinera
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrocarbon presence sensor used to detect for the presence of a fuel in a buffer cavity of an inter-propellant seal. A sensor is formed on a rotor shaft in the buffer cavity and an optical imaging device is used to view a change in appearance of the sensor when a hydrocarbon forms on the surface. In one embodiment, the sensor is a coating of porous silicon. In other embodiments, the sensor can be a mirrored or frosted surface on the shaft. A white light source or a laser is reflected off of the sensor and an optical imaging device reads the reflected light to detect for a change in color or intensity of the light to indicate if a hydrocarbon is present on the sensor surface.
Claims17
An inter-propellant seal comprising;
- a rotor shaft rotatably mounted within a housing;
- a buffer cavity;
- a fuel cavity and an oxidizer cavity separated from one another by the buffer cavity such that leakage through the buffer cavity flows into a respective drain cavity;
- and,
- a hydrocarbon presence sensor secured to the rotor shaft in the buffer cavity.
A hydrocarbon presence sensor comprising;
- a surface sealed from a hydrocarbon;
- a porous silicon coating applied to a portion of the surface;
- and,
- an optical imaging device arranged to view the coating to detect a change in color of the coating when a hydrocarbon is present on the coating.
A turbopump for a rocket engine, the turbopump including an inter-propellant seal to prevent mixing of the fuel with the oxidizer, the inter-propellant seal comprising:
- a rotor shaft rotatably mounted within a housing;
- a buffer cavity;
- a fuel cavity and an oxidizer cavity separated from one another by the buffer cavity such that leakage through the buffer cavity flows into the respective drain cavity;
- and,
- a hydrocarbon presence sensor secured to the rotor shaft in the buffer cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.