Design and Selection Criteria of High Temperature Accelerometers for Aerospace Propulsion

Accelerometers and pressure sensors for measurement in aerospace propulsion systems require special consideration during design and manufacturing processes. Specialized applications frequently require use of a single sensor model, which must be capable of operating over significantly wider temperature ranges, for example, -420 to +1400 °F (-251 to +760 °C), while providing high accuracy, stability, and reliability. Typical applications for high temperature aerospace propulsion sensors include measurement on gas turbine engines both in-flight and in test cells, as well as rocket motors and thruster assemblies. The same sensor might be required to withstand radiation and be used in monitoring vibration inside a nuclear power plant or space vehicle, or the cryogenic conditions of liquid propellants. These environments present a multitude of measurement challenges.

Materials and construction techniques must be optimized, not only to enhance high-temperature performance, but also to allow operation in the presence of gamma and neutron radiation without degradation. Whether used in aircraft engines, space vehicles, or power generation stations, these sensors must provide high levels of accuracy, stability and reliability. Therefore, these instruments used in extreme environments such as cryogens and high temperature require special consideration during the design and manufacturing process. This paper will discuss the design and selection criteria for a new high-temperature shear mode accelerometer and its benefits for turbine engine health monitoring.

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