Prime Photonics, LC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: ABSTRACT: Turbine engine performance, efficiency, and reliability can be greatly improved

Description

ABSTRACT: Turbine engine performance, efficiency, and reliability can be greatly improved if additional and evolving instrumentation can be added for input to the FADEC and PHM systems. As this additional instrumentation becomes a larger percentage of the engine"s total life cycle cost; the need to reduce maintenance and installation overhead for new instrumentation becomes increasingly important. With an already overburdened FADEC and an overstuffed engine compartment, the most promising route to achieving the benefits of additional instrumentation is by transitioning to a distributed engine control paradigm. Enabling technologies for a distributed engine control system (DCS) include WSN subsystems for sensing, wireless electronics, and energy harvesting that can operate in the harsh, high temperature environment of existing and future turbine engines. Prime Photonics LC (PPLC) has over 10 years experience with instrumentation of turbine engines and in recent years has initiated development efforts for self powered wireless systems designed with high temperature SOI electronics. PPLC proposes to develop the Omnivore multi-source energy harvester to enable reliable wireless transmission of sensor data for future DCS installations. The combined thermoelectric and vibration harvester will provide reliable power to wireless sensor nodes across the full operational envelope of a turbine engine. BENEFIT: The benefits of this proposed technology are as follows: No cables - general reduction in system complexity for engine monitoring a technology enabler for DCS Reliable power generation - Multisource harvesting from thermal and vibration energy provides reliable power across all engine operating conditions. High Temperature Capable - Operation in harsh environments up to 250 & #61616;C using high temperature SOI electronics. Superior Radio Architecture - Utilization of miniature and low power ultra-wideband radio (UWB) technology makes optimal use of harvested power. Robust Radio Link - Improved signal penetration in difficult RF environments due to the broad frequency content. Efficient power management the multi-source power circuit design utilizes multi-power point tracking (MPPT) technology to achieve high efficiency across a range of power levels. Low Maintenance - Elimination of the battery and the need to replace or charge it. By providing elevated temperature, standalone, self-powered, maintenance-free sensor nodes, the proposed PPLC Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Network (EHWSN) will reduce the requirements for Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC) implementations and will consequently reduce practical barriers to Distributed Control System (DCS) architecture implementations. In addition to FADEC DCS applications, EHWSN technology will have widespread application in aerospace engine test and measurement applications and has the potential to become a preferred low-maintenance, battery-free wireless sensor solution for naval turbines, heavy rotating industrial equipment and power generation equipment including coal-fired boilers, gas turbines and steam turbine applications.