New Sensor Gaining Interest on Industry Radar Screen

About this technology

Overview

Radatec, a designer, manufacturer, and implementer of sensor systems for monitoring combustion-zone components in turbine engines, was formed in 2001 to commercialize the patented radio frequency vibrometer technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). In readying the technology for the commercial market, Radatec received assistance from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in the form of Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants totaling over $650,000. The company's Phase II submission was ranked the number one SBIR proposal out of Dryden for 2002. The SBIR contracts helped fund further development of Radatec's proprietary, non-contact microwave sensor technology for monitoring complex heavy machinery used on aircraft and in power plants, such as gas and steam turbines. The ensuing hardware/software system can warn of impending problems before they become dangerous. Since vibration measurements are the most important and informative indicator for accessing the health of rotating machinery, Radatec's sensor systems have found their widest application in protecting the investment of large, critical rotating equipment.