Turbine engine having an optical sensor

Abstract

A turbine engine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in a serial flow arrangement, with the combustion section comprising a combustion chamber, a fuel nozzle assembly comprising a fuel supply passage and having a fuel supply passage outlet fluidly coupled to a combustion chamber, and an optical sensor located in the fuel supply passage and oriented to sense a combustion flame in the combustion chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine engine, comprising:
 a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in a serial flow arrangement along an engine centerline, with the combustion section comprising:   a combustion chamber;   a fuel nozzle assembly comprising a fuel supply passage defining a fuel supply passage centerline, and having a fuel supply passage outlet fluidly coupled to a combustion chamber; and   an optical sensor located in the fuel supply passage and oriented to sense a combustion flame in the combustion chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzle assembly is a gaseous fuel nozzle assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine engine of  claim 2 , wherein the gaseous fuel nozzle assembly is a hydrogen fuel nozzle assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein a fuel circumscribes the optical sensor and a temperature of the fuel is 400° F. (204° C.) or less. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine engine of  claim 4 , wherein the fuel is transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to transmit an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength from 200 nanometers to 1100 nanometers. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine engine of  claim 6 , wherein the optical sensor includes a fiber optic cable and a photodetector. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine engine of  claim 6 , wherein the optical sensor comprises silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), silicon carbide (SiC), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), gallium arsenide (GaAs), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the optical sensor generates a signal within  10  milliseconds of the optical sensor receiving an input of an electromagnetic wave. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine engine of  claim 9 , wherein an amount of fuel provided to the fuel supply passage is determined at least in part by the controller receiving the signal within 100 milliseconds of the optical sensor receiving an input of an electromagnetic wave. 
     
     
         11 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect a flame within a detectable region of the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine engine of  claim 11 , wherein the fuel supply passage outlet defines an outlet centerline, and the detectable region is in a range of 70° to 110° with respect to the outlet centerline. 
     
     
         13 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor extends along the fuel supply passage centerline, offset from the fuel supply passage centerline, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The turbine engine of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel nozzle assembly further comprises a set of fixture plates having a plurality of fixture holes disposed in an interior of the fuel supply passage. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine engine of  claim 14 , wherein the optical sensor passes through at least one of the plurality of fixture holes. 
     
     
         16 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein a downstream terminal end of the optical sensor is disposed a distance less than 20 millimeters from the fuel supply passage outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein a downstream terminal end of the optical sensor is located upstream of the fuel supply passage outlet a distance in a range of 50% to 500% of a diameter of the fuel supply passage measured at the fuel supply passage outlet. 
     
     
         18 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , wherein the fuel nozzle assembly is a plurality of fuel nozzle assemblies circumferentially spaced about the engine centerline, and the optical sensor is a plurality of optical sensors. 
     
     
         19 . The turbine engine of  claim 18 , wherein each optical sensor of the plurality of optical sensors extends through a portion of a respective fuel supply passage to a portion of a respective fuel nozzle assembly upstream of a respective fuel supply passage outlet. 
     
     
         20 . The turbine engine of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller, a fuel supply, and a fuel supply valve fluidly coupling the fuel nozzle assembly with the fuel supply;
 wherein the controller is in communication with the fuel supply valve and the optical sensor.