System and method for dissipating thermal energy away from electronic components in a rotatable shaft

A turbomachine, comprising:

• an annular rotor shaft;
• a plurality of sensor wire bundles extending outwardly from an inner passage of the rotor shaft;
• an annular carrier shaft formed to couple at a first end to an end portion of the rotor shaft, the carrier shaft having a second end axially spaced from the first end and an inner surface radially spaced from an outer surface;
• a plurality of transmitter assemblies annularly arranged and circumferentially spaced within the carrier shaft, each transmitter assembly comprising:
• a transmitter housing defining an inner pocket therein;
• a daughter board that extends laterally and longitudinally across a bottom portion of the transmitter housing, wherein the daughter board is electronically coupled at one end to one wire bundle of the plurality of wire bundles;
• a circuit board electronically coupled to the daughter board, the circuit board extending substantially perpendicular to the daughter board within the inner pocket, wherein the circuit board comprises a strip of thermally conductive material disposed along a top portion of the circuit board;
• and
• a lid connected to a top portion of the transmitter housing at least partially sealing the inner pocket, wherein a contact surface of the lid is in thermal communication with the strip of thermally conductive material of the circuit board, wherein at least a portion of a top surface of the lid is in thermal communication with the inner surface of the carrier shaft during rotation thereof.

A method for dissipating thermal energy from electronic components disposed within a rotatable shaft, comprising:

• thermally coupling an outer surface of a lid of a transmitter assembly against an inner surface of an annular carrier shaft via centrifugal forces by rotating the carrier shaft, wherein the lid is connected to a top portion of a transmitter housing of the transmitter assembly and at least partially seals an inner pocket formed within the transmitter housing;
• passing a current through at least one electrical component disposed on a circuit board mounted within the inner pocket, wherein the component generates thermal energy as the current flows therethrough, and wherein the circuit board comprises a strip of thermally conductive material disposed along a top portion of the circuit board and that is thermally coupled to the electronic component;
• conductively transferring at least a portion of the thermal energy generated by the electronic component from the circuit board to the lid via a contact surface of the lid;
• and
• conductively transferring the thermal energy from the lid to the carrier shaft.