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09/08/2004
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Maintaining large rotating equipment is difficult and expensive.
 Problem: Gas turbines used in power plants, for example, are not easy to inspect for wear and tear and can cost several million pounds in parts, labour and lost production if a breakdown occurs.
Solution: Scheduled for commercial launch later this Summer, US company Radatec has developed a non-contact displacement sensor that provides real time information about critical mechanical components in areas that up to now were off limits. As Radatec's president and co-founder Scott Billington told Eureka: "The sensors allow operators of heavy industrial equipment to virtually see inside complex machinery and predict when repairs are needed."
Based on microwave technology, the innovative sensors measure motion by sending a continuous microwave signal toward a vibrating or rotating object. This signal is reflected back to a radio receiver in the sensor. A patented algorithm then compares the transmitted signal with the received one, calculating a measure of displacement. Billington and Radatec's other co-founder Jonathan Geisheimer, launched the company in 2001, licensing technology they helped develop as researchers at Georgia Tech's Manufacturing Research Center and the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Initial sensors developed by Radatec were built for high-end military aircraft and so used expensive components in the 24.1 GHz band. But last Summer, the company set out to build a more affordable system for commercial users. The current sensor is built on a 5.8GHz platform, reducing both size and the cost by more than 100 times.
Applications: The sensor can be used in any hot, dirty or dusty environment and is targeted at power generation and industrial rotating equipment. In contrast to existing sensors that use capacitive, eddy current or laser technology, Radatec's sensor can operate at very high temperatures up to 2,500°F and remain unaffected by contaminants such as oil, dust and carbon deposits. The sensor is accurate to 0.005 inches and is immune to electromagnetic interference. DP
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Author
Tom Shelley
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