Wireless Strain Gage

Our Phase I work has demonstrated the feasibility of wirelessly transmitting strain data from a rotating jet engine to an external data collection system. In Phase II, we will develop a prototype Wireless Strain Gage (WSG) system with these components: (1) Wireless Strain Gages (WSG). The objective WSG device is a conformal "postage stamp" transponder that can be bonded onto a curved surface, just like a conventional strain gage. (2) Two External Antennas. Both external antennas are mounted in front of the compressor or the fan. Many antenna types and antenna locations are possible. A power transmit antenna illuminates the insides of the engine (i.e., the fan and compressor regions) with 1-10W of microwave energy in the 10-15 GHz range. A data receive antenna operating at twice the frequency of the transmit antenna receives the data signals from all the strain gages. (3) Outboard Power Transmitter, Data Receiver, Signal Processing, and Data Processing Equipment.