IP Library Granted Patent US 7,478,556
Granted Patent B2
US 7,478,556 · App. 11/256,719 · Granted Jan 20, 2009

Apparatus for the rapid measurement of temperatures in a hot gas flow

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,478,556
App. No.
11/256,719
Granted
Jan 20, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for a rapid measurement of temperatures in a hot gas flow, in particular in a gas turbine. The apparatus includes a sensor having two two-dimensional, electrically conductive heating elements, which are attached to the surface of a common, electrically insulating sensor body.

Claims (31)

1. An apparatus for a rapid measurement of temperatures in a hot gas flow of a gas turbine, the apparatus comprising:

an electrically insulating sensor body;

a first two-dimensional electrically conductive heating element maintained at a first temperature;

a second two-dimensional electrically conductive heating element maintained at a second temperature, the first temperature and the second temperature being different; and

a resistor connected in series to the second heating element,

wherein the first heating element and the second heating element are attached to a surface of the sensor body,

wherein the first heating element is connected in parallel with the resistor and the second heating element; and

an electrically conductive sensor head disposed at an end of the sensor body, the sensor head providing an electrically conductive connection between the two heating elements.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor body is cylindrical and extends along an axis, and wherein the two heating elements are disposed on opposite sides of the surface of the cylindrical sensor body relative to the axis.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein each of the two heating elements has a form of an elongate, thin layer extending in an axial direction.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 , wherein each layer is made of a metal.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4 , wherein the metal is Pt.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a radiation shield surrounding the sensor concentrically at a distance from the sensor body so as to form an annular channel between the sensor body and the radiation shield, the hot gas flow passing through the annular channel past the heating elements.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the annular channel is closed at a first end, is open at a second end, and includes outlet openings at the first end, and wherein the hot gas flow enters the annular channel through the second end, and leaves the annular channel through the outlet openings.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor head is made of Cu.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor body is made of a ceramic.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a radiation shield surrounding the sensor concentrically at a distance from the sensor body so as to form an annular channel between the sensor body and the radiation shield, the hot gas flow passing through the annular channel past the heating elements, wherein the radiation shield is electrically conductive and is electrically conductively connected to the sensor head so as to ground the sensor head.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the heating elements are conductively connected to one another directly at a first end and via a first resistor at a second end, and wherein a circuit including the heating elements and the first resistor forms a first branch of a measurement bridge.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein the measurement bridge is part of a circuit arrangement configured to keep a resistance in the first branch constant.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the circuit arrangement includes a closed-loop control circuit configured to adjust a current in a first bridge diagonal of the measurement bridge such that a voltage difference in a second bridge diagonal of the measurement bridge is zero.

14. An apparatus for a rapid measurement of temperatures in a hot gas flow of a gas turbine, the apparatus comprising:

an electrically insulating sensor body;

a first two-dimensional electrically conductive heating element;

a second two-dimensional electrically conductive heating element; and

a radiation shield surrounding the sensor body concentrically at a distance from the sensor body so as to form an annular channel between the sensor body and the radiation shield.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14 , wherein the sensor body is cylindrical and extends along an axis, and wherein the two heating elements are disposed on opposite sides of the surface of the cylindrical sensor body relative to the axis.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein each of the two heating elements has a form of an elongate, thin layer extending in an axial direction.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein each of the heating elements includes an end at which the heating elements are electrically conductively connected to each other.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 , wherein the sensor body includes a first end and an electrically conductive sensor head disposed at the first end, and wherein the heating elements are electrically conductively connected to each other via the sensor head.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 14 , wherein the sensor head is made of Cu.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 14 , wherein the sensor body is made of a ceramic.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2017
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
To: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
Reel/Frame 041731/0626 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 22, 2016
From: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 038216/0193 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2006
From: RUFFINO, PAOLO; ZINN, HANSPETER
To: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
Reel/Frame 018264/0413 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2005
From: RUFFINO, PAOLO; ZINN, HANSPETER
To: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD.
Reel/Frame 017309/0956 →