US 11,952,905 B1
Detecting engine exhaust debris using saturation current
Jeremiah C. Lee, Coventry, CT (US); Daniel McMenamin, Ellington, CT (US); and Alek Gavrilovski, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to RTX CORPORATION, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Oct. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/962,102.
Int. Cl. F01D 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 21/003 (2013.01) [F05D 2260/80 (2013.01); F05D 2270/306 (2013.01); F05D 2270/80 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
14. An engine system, comprising:
a saturation current probe comprising a plurality of electrodes, the saturation current probe configured to
direct an electrical potential across a gas flow flowing through a gap between the plurality of electrodes, the gas flow comprising combustion products generated by combustion of a fuel-air mixture within a gas turbine engine;
vary a voltage of the electrical potential directed across the gas flow through the gap between the plurality of electrodes; and
measure a saturation current of the electrical potential directed across the gas flow through the gap between the plurality of electrodes as the voltage is varied; and
a processing system configured to determine presence of debris particles entrained within the gas flow based on the saturation current.