High-Temperature, High-Bandwidth Fiber Optic Pressure and Temperature Sensor for Gas Turbine Applications""

The accurate measurement of gas flow conditions in the compressor, combustors, and turbines of gas turbine engines is important in order to assess performance, predict failure, and facilitate data-driven maintenance. Surface measurements of pressure andtemperature in high temperature regions help engineers optimize performance, and to redesign compressor and turbine stages. As higher turbine efficiencies continue to demand higher temperatures, sensor technology must keep pace to meet these demands.Clearly, there is a need for sensor systems capable of acquiring pressure and temperature measurements in high-temperature, combustion environments.During the Phase II effort, Luna will build on the Phase I research to develop a fiber optic pressure and temperature sensor capable of simultaneously measuring temperature and pressure at extreme temperatures, and high frequencies. Transducers will haveexceptional accuracy and temperature stability. All exposed material will be metal-oxide ceramics, or alloys compatible with the turbine housing. Development will continue on a newly-invented, low-cost, compact fiber optic readout system to meetfull-authority digital engine control (FADEC) applications. This Phase II effort is distinguished from related work in high-temperature sensors by the development of intrinsic temperature compensation, and of the low-cost, high-speed fiber optic readoutsystem, and of sensors compatible with that system. Research in the high temperature instrumentation area will provide transducers with commercial uses that will include 1) aerospace turbines, 2) high temperature monitoring in gas turbine power generation facilities, 3) high temperature industrial processmonitoring, and 4) automotive sensing for engine health monitoring and control. The aerospace and power gas turbine markets are each multi-billion dollar industries. Luna Innovations reasonably expects to capture at least a fraction of this market withthe proposed extreme temperature sensors, resulting in a conservative estimate of annual revenues at $10 million. As target operating temperatures increase, the market size decreases, as does the number of competitors. Our target market is the extremetemperature conditions found in gas turbines for the aerospace and power generation industries. In these applications, the ceramic-based sensors produced by Luna will dominate the high temperature sensor market.