Radiation pyrometer for gas turbine blades

Advances in the development of radiation pyrometry for measuring the blade temperature in gas- turbine engines are reported. In this system, engine- mounted sensor heads collect thermal radiation from either a spot or a reasonably large area of the turbine blade. High- temperature fiber optics transmit the radiation to a remote detector housing where the photons are converted into an electrical signal by a silicon photovoltaic cell. A signal processor measures and displays on a real- time basis three temperature characteristics of the turbine blades with response better than 10 ms in most cases. Recent developments include smaller electronics,practical sensor heads, and 5000 hr fiber optics. Importance of measuring the blade temperature, potential uses of the data, and actual engine tests are described.