Development of an Integrated Tip Timing/ Radar Probe System

Integrating MSI’s radar probe and blade tip-timing technology will facilitate long-term health monitoring for AEDC’s Plant Exhauster compressors.  Through collaborative planning meetings, measurements/ tests will be scheduled and options investigated to define optimal sensor locations.  MSI and AEDC’s Test Operating Support contractor will interact closely during acquisition/ measurement hardware installation, data recording/ monitoring, compressor operation and post-test analysis. To support reliable, long-term (>5-years) data acquisition/ monitoring, initial test measurements will drive sensor design and installation updates.  Water content measurement and blade tip-timing techniques developed will be verified with eddy current testing and high-speed photography referee methods, respectively.  System hardware upgrades to the current AEDC Gen IV tip-timing acquisition architecture will ensure health monitoring system compatibility, while reducing the operator’s setup/ monitoring requirements.  Data communication and software updates defined by MSI will enable the distribution of acquired water content and blade time-of-arrival data to AEDC’s monitoring systems.  COTS tip-timing data acquisition hardware will be delivered that’s compatible with the updated water measurement/ tip-timing sensors and AEDC’s health monitoring system architecture. Sensors and an acquisition system containing design updates to enable reliable, long-term monitoring will be produced, and will be installed to monitor AEDC’s Exhaust compressors.  MSI also will issue technical documentation.