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US 9,316,479 B2Granted
Capacitance based clearance probe and housing
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsEli Cole Warren, Corey Benoit
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capacitance based clearance probe has a partial sensor housing mounted on a surface and a sensor rod anchored in the partial sensor housing. The sensor rod extends into a sensor opening in the surface such that the partial sensor housing and the surface combine to operate as a complete sensor housing.
Claims22
An outer air seal case for a turbine engine comprising:
- a housing of a turbine engine outer air seal, the housing of the turbine engine outer air seal having a sensor opening;
- a partial sensor housing contacting said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal;
- and
- a sensor rod extending from said partial sensor housing through said sensor opening in said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal such that said partial housing and said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal combine to operate as a complete sensor housing;
- a first sensor rod support pad positioned in said partial sensor housing and a second sensor rod support pad positioned in said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal, wherein each of said first sensor rod support pad and said second sensor rod support pad maintain said sensor rod in position within the outer air seal case, wherein each of said first and said second sensor rod support pads are under compression.
2 more elements
An outer air seal case for a turbine engine comprising:
- a housing of a turbine engine outer air seal, the housing of the turbine engine outer air seal having a sensor opening;
- a partial sensor housing contacting said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal;
- a sensor rod extending from said partial sensor housing through said sensor opening in said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal such that said partial housing and said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal combine to operate as a complete sensor housing;
- and
- wherein a combination of said partial sensor housing and said housing of a turbine engine outer air seal has a first thermal expansion rate, said sensor rod has a second thermal expansion rate, and said first thermal expansion rate and said second thermal expansion rate are different.
2 more elements
A capacitance based clearance probe comprising:
- a partial sensor housing mounted on a surface;
- a sensor rod anchored in said partial sensor housing and extending into a sensor opening in said surface such that said partial sensor housing and said surface combine to operate as a complete sensor housing;
- wherein the sensor rod is a component of a capacitance sensor;
- and
- a combination of said partial sensor housing and an outer air seal has a first thermal expansion rate, said sensor rod has a second thermal expansion rate, and said first thermal expansion rate and said second thermal expansion rate are different.
2 more elements
A capacitance based clearance probe comprising:
- a partial sensor housing mounted on a surface;
- a sensor rod anchored in said partial sensor housing and extending into a sensor opening in said surface such that said partial sensor housing and said surface combine to operate as a complete sensor housing;
- wherein the sensor rod is a component of a capacitance sensor;
- and
- a first sensor rod support pad positioned in said partial sensor housing and a second sensor rod support pad positioned in an outer air seal housing, wherein each of said first sensor rod support pad and said second sensor rod support pad maintain said sensor rod in position within an outer air seal case.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.