This paper presents the bases of a new method of monitoring technical condition of turbomachine blades during their operation. The method utilizes diagnostic models such as a quotient of amplitude amplification and a phase shift of diagnostic signal y(t) which is a result of blade operation as well as a signal x(t) of blade environment while a blade tip approaches a sensor, amplitude amplification and phase shift of these signals while the blade tip moves away from the sensor. The adopted diagnostic models indirectly take into account the existing environment of a blade, represented by the signal x(t), without the need to measure it. Thus, the model is sensitive to the changes in technical condition of blades and practically intensive to a change in environment. The suggested method may prove very important in diagnostics of rotor blades during turbomachines operation (compressors, turbines etc.).
Structures and characteristics ofwideband small-size phase shiftersmade with the use of single parallel stubs are presented in this paper. The stubs can be short-circuited or open-circuited on termination. Such devices arewell known, but are primarily used as components of filters ormatching circuits. The novelty, then, comes from the establishment of simple, but helpful formulae, which enable to describe the insertion phase shift and differential phase shift of a line with short and open stubs connected in parallel. These equations can be very useful for designing complex microwave multi-ports. The results of simulations and measurements of the devices, which were designed and made, are shown herein. It was also proved that the presented devices have several usable operating frequency sub-bands, and that the differential phase shift values in the higher sub-bands are greater than those in the lower operating frequency ranges. Thanks to this, the described phase shifters can be used in more than one frequency sub-band. It was stated that in the conditions under analysis, larger phase shifts can be achieved using open-circuited stubs rather than short-circuited stubs. However, the phase shifters with shorted parallel stubs can operate in a wider frequency band.
Due to the skin effect of eddy currents, the depth of cracks which can be detected by the traditional eddy current probe is very limited. In order to improve the ability of eddy current probes to inspect deep cracks in metal thick-walled structures, a new eddy current probe using an excitation system with phase shifted fields was proposed. Its feasibility for detecting deep cracks was verified by simulation and experiments. The results showed that the penetration depth of eddy currents in austenitic stainless steel is effectively enhanced by using the new probe.