Improved fuel efficiency is a major influencing factor in the design of gas turbines, for both power generation and aerospace. Small changes to clearance result in significantly higher fuel efficiency and consequently lower operating costs.
Increasingly power generation developers verify their engines with real-time monitoring and diagnostic equipment. The CapaciSense system measures, monitors and diagnoses blade tip to shroud clearances at high temperatures.
This enables developers to capture, store and act upon live data from the prototype engines throughout the engine’s operation.
Tip timing is increasingly being used as the default technique for checking blade vibration during operation.
CapaciSense capacitive systems produce similar engine characterisation as optical systems but have the of longevity in test campaigns given they don’t inherently suffer from lens fogging.