title: Integrated gas analyzer for complete monitoring of turbine engine test cells.
abstract: Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is proving to be reliable and economical for the quantification of many gas-phase species during testing and development of gas turbine engines in ground-based facilities such as sea-level test cells and altitude test cells. FT-IR measurement applications include engine-generated exhaust gases, facility air provided as input to engines, and ambient air in and around test cells. Potentially, the traditionally used assembly of many gas-specific single gas analyzers will be eliminated. However, the quest for a single instrument capable of complete gas-phase monitoring at turbine engine test cells has previously suffered since the FT-IR method cannot measure infrared-inactive oxygen molecules, a key operational gas to both air-breathing propulsion systems and test cell personnel. To further the quest, the FT-IR sensor used for the measurements presented in this article was modified by integration of a miniature, solid-state electrochemical oxygen sensor. Embedded in the FT-IR unit at a location near the long-effective-optical-path-length gas sampling cell, the amperometric oxygen sensor provides simultaneous, complementary information to the wealth of spectroscopic data provided by the FT-IR method.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Fuel Research, Inc., 87 Church Street, East Hartford, Connecticut 06108, USA. jim@AFRinc.com
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Markham
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bonzani
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Scire
authors.forename: Vincent A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Zaccardi
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jalbert
authors.forename: M Denise
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Donald G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Gardner