Integrated gas analyzer for complete monitoring of turbine engine test cells

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.