SBIR-STTR Award

This program will develop a thin film passive wireless temperature sensor that will: 1)Measure the surface temperature of the Thermal Barrier Coated (TBC) turbine blades in the hot section of the gas turbine engine 2)Measure temperature at specific locations in the flow path and on the surface of the combustor liner to determine both radial and circumferential temperature variations. Thin film passive wireless sensors will be arrayed with other like temperature sensors in an annular ring around the combustor to determine pattern factor to sense the uniformity of combustion downstream from the fuel injectors. 3)Measure heat flux through thermal barrier coatings by pairing the proposed wireless temperature sensor (for the surface temperature measurement of TBCs) with a similar wireless temperature sensor being developed by Wireless Sensor Technologies. That temperature sensor is designed to be formed directly on a superalloy blade and measure the surface temperature at that point. The combination of that sensor and the one proposed for development under this SBIR program will allow the measurement of heat flux through the TBC.

Benefit:
This temperature sensor provides an effective monitoring tool of the integrity of the Thermal Barrier Coating and thus a 1st order indication of the health of the TBC coated turbine blade. In addition, when mounted on the combustor liner, the temperature sensor array can become the enabling component of a combustor control feedback system for minimizing radial and circumferential temperature variations.

Keywords:
Temperature Sensor, Temperature Sensor, Turbine Blade, Thermal Barrier Coating, Wireless, Aluminum oxide, dielectric constant

Wireless Sensor Technologies will develop a passive wireless temperature sensor system for gas turbine engine applications under the referenced SBIR. Once productized, the functional and operational goals for the sensor are to 1) Measure the surface temperature of the Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Thermal Barrier Coatings (YSZ TBCs) typically applied to turbine blades in the hot section of the gas turbine engines, 2) Measure temperature at specific locations on the surface of the combustor liner to determine both radial and circumferential temperature variations (pattern factor). Thin film passive wireless sensors will be arrayed in an annular ring around the combustor to determine pattern factor in an effort to sense the uniformity of combustion downstream from the fuel injectors, and 3) Measure heat flux across the section thickness of thermal barrier coatings by pairing the proposed wireless temperature sensor (for the surface temperature measurement of TBCs) with a similar wireless temperature sensor being developed under another program. The combination of that sensor and the sensor being developed under this SBIR program will allow the measurement of heat flux across the TBC and open the possibility of TBC health monitoring.

Benefit:
This temperature sensor provides an effective monitoring tool of the integrity of the Thermal Barrier Coating and thus a 1st order indication of the health of the TBC coated turbine blade. In addition, when mounted on the combustor liner, the temperature sensor array can become the enabling component of a combustor control feedback system for minimizing radial and circumferential temperature variations

Keywords:
dielectric constant, Temperature Sensor, Thermal Barrier Coating, Turbine Blade, Wireless, Aluminum oxide