Water-Cooled Fast-Response Wall-Static Pressure Probes for Harsh Combustor Environment Applications

Abstract

The present paper discusses the design methodology for a water-cooled fast-response wall-static pressure probe intended for measurements in the combustion chamber of gas turbines, as well as the results from a series of tests performed with the prototype of the probe mounted in the primary zone of the combustion chamber of a turboshaft engine test rig. The first part of the present paper reviews the design methodology of a water-cooled fast-response wall static pressure probe intended for measurements of combustion noise and instabilities in gas turbine combustors, describing the optimization of measurement performance in terms of frequency bandwidth ([0 – 40kHz]) as well as the design of the cooling layout ensuring the sensor’s integrity within a harsh environment. The second part of the paper focuses on the analysis of the results obtained from trial tests performed using the probe prototype mounted in the primary zone of the combustion chamber of a helicopter engine test rig. The strengths and strong potential for further growth of the current probe design are highlighted, while its shortcomings and (short-term) solutions to these shortcomings are also discussed.