Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 57 No. 1 (March 2020)
1Wireless Power Transmission Technology for WirelessSensing on Rotor
KENJI IIZUKA*1

JUN YASUI*1

HIROMU OKAMOTO*2 NAOKI OYAMA*3
KEIICHI MORISHITA*3 KOUICHI ISHIZAKA*4

In the development of gas turbines, vibration data measurement is performed for rotor bladevibration analysis. In this measurement, a vibration sensor, which is attached to one of the rotor
blades, is connected to the data transmitter (i.e., wireless telemeter) that is attached to the rotor(rotating likewise), etc. The obtained vibration data are then transmitted from the wirelesstelemeter. As it is impossible to wire the telemeter with a power supply, it is currently powered bybatteries installed nearby, naturally necessitating the frequent replacement of batteries. The
resulting measurement interruptions have been an issue. We are working on the development ofpower transmission technology that enables continuous power supply and eliminates the need forturbine shutdown. This report presents our progress in this endeavor.

|1. Introduction
In developing gas turbines, rotor blade vibration measurement for frequency analysis isimportant because it is used to assess the turbine vibration characteristics and conduct theverification of resonance avoidance and design elements. In the measurement of rotor bladevibration, a vibration sensor is attached to one of the turbine rotor blades and the obtained sensor
data are transmitted from the wireless telemeter to the stationary side. However, as the wirelesstelemeter is also attached to a likewise rotating part such as the rotor, it is not possible to wire thetelemeter with a power supply. Therefore, batteries installed nearby are used instead. The
replacement of dead batteries is naturally an unavoidable task, consequently resulting in vibration
measurement interruption and an enormous workload in relation to battery replacement, including
equipment disassembly, re-assembly and procedures for fine-tuning. Problems may also arise interms of the schedule and cost.
To provide a solution in this regard, we are working on the development of wireless powertransmission technology by which power can be externally supplied to the battery-sized powerreceiving module without requiring any contact with it. Of the several wireless power transmission
systems, the electromagnetic induction method, which is employed for charging smartphonebatteries, etc., is disadvantageous because the transmission distance is short and the efficiency of
power transmission and reception can be considerably decreased by misaligned powertransmission/receiver antennas.
On the other hand, the microwave method (which we have decided to adopt) is characterizedby having a longer transmission distance and a smaller impact of antenna misalignment than theelectromagnetic induction method. Therefore, fewer restrictions are imposed on the layout aroundthe turbine.
In our wireless power transmission system, the microwave method has thus been selected
because microwaves are used in many wireless power transmission applications and have a proventrack record in long-distance power transmission (e.g., demonstration test unit for space solar
power system(1) and ground demonstration testing of wireless power transmission technology(2)).

*1Electricity & Applied physics Research Department, Research & Innovation Center*2

Strength Research Department, Research & Innovation Center*3

Research Manager, Electricity & Applied physics Research Department, Research & Innovation Center*4

Senior Manager, Research & Innovation CenterMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 57 No. 1 (March 2020)
2|2. System overview
Figure 1 shows a configuration of the microwave wireless power transmission system in thevibration measurement of rotating bodies. The system consists of the following three units: (1)high-power, high-frequency oscillator, (2) annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna and (3) powerreceiving module. Table 1 shows the specifications of the microwave wireless power transmission
system
The microwaves generated by the high-power oscillator are radiated from the annular-ringslotted waveguide antenna (unit (2)) to the rotating body on which the power receiving module(unit (3)) is mounted together with the wireless telemeter. Having received electric power, thepower receiving module, which substitutes for batteries, provides power to the wireless telemeter.
Having received electric power from the power receiving module, the wireless telemeter drives its
internal wireless circuit to modulate the vibration data from the vibration sensor attached to therotor blade, and to transmit it to the nearby data receiver antenna.
The oscillator (unit (1)) can generate high-power microwaves at high efficiency using amagnetron. However, the use of a magnetron in self-oscillation mode like in a microwave ovenresults in the broadening of the frequency spectrum, which decreases the efficiency of antennaradiation. For this reason, highly-pure reference signals at low power are externally injected toenable frequency synchronization, thereby realizing high-power oscillation with a stable frequency.
The annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna (unit (2)) is a planar antenna with low loss, inwhich waveguide technology is employed. Because of its shape, the antenna radiates microwaves
uniformly from the ring of the antenna, thereby enabling power to be supplied wherever the powerreceiving module is located in its circular rotation trajectory. Furthermore, as the waveguide is only
made of metal, its durability is high even in the severe temperature environment surrounding thehigh-speed rotating rotor.
The power receiving module (unit (3)) is comprised of the power receiving antenna, rectifierand DC-DC converter. To prevent the detachment of parts and connecting wires due to the strong
centrifugal force of the rotating body, resin was molded to partially fill the inside of the module.
The module has been made compact in size so that it can replace the current batteries.

Figure 1 Microwave wireless power transmission system configuration invibration measurement of rotating bodies
Table 1 Specifications
Item

Specification

Frequency

5.8GHzOutput power

770W

Antenna type

Annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna

Oscillator method

Injection-synchronization-type magnetron

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 57 No. 1 (March 2020)3|3. Structure of each system component
3.1

High-power, high-frequency oscillator

To enable power to be supplied wherever the power receiving module on the rotor is locatedin its circular rotation trajectory, it is necessary for microwaves to be uniformly radiated throughout
the trajectory. The oscillation power that is required for our system configuration is estimated to be
770 W, and it is not realistic to generate such power with the use of semiconductors from theperspective of cost-effectiveness. For this reason, we have adopted a highly-efficient high-powermagnetron with proven performance in the demonstration test unit for space solar power system,
the ground demonstration testing of wireless transmission technology, etc. Magnetrons are widelyused for heating in microwave ovens, and generally speaking, are cheaper than other technologies,
but the output spectrum produced by normal self-oscillation is not pure. For purposes such as thosein our application, a lowered efficiency of antenna radiation and the unnecessary radiation that issubject to the Radio Act of Japan are problems that would need to be addressed. By making use ofthe tendency where the magnetron oscillation signals can be synchronized by the frequency of an
externally-injected signal of a relatively-small power with a highly-pure spectrum(3), we have built
a system enabling high power output with a quite stable frequency. Figure 2 is our high-power,
high-frequency oscillator.

Figure 2

3.2High-power, high-frequency oscillator

Annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna

A slotted waveguide antenna, which has superior high-temperature durability because of it
being made of only metallic parts, is used as the power transmission antenna. The waveguide
enables the transmission of high-power microwaves with a much smaller transmission loss at ahigher efficiency than coaxial cable. Owing to its ring shape, the waveguide can supply power not
only to the power receiving module at any location in the circular rotation trajectory, but also tomultiple power receiving modules in the trajectory simultaneously.

Figure 3

Annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna

Figure 3 depicts an annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna. The microwaves coming fromthe bottom of the figure are divided to either side (left or right) before being in part emitted to aspace through the slots (apertures) under the resin cover of the waveguide surface. The remaining
microwaves propagate inside the waveguide, forming an electric field in the front/surrounding
space. However, the radiation of microwaves from the antenna surface is not uniform ideallybecause of their mismatch at the input port and non-uniformity of radiation owing to the frequency
characteristics of the slots and slot spacing. Therefore, the adjustment of the matching stub at theMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 57 No. 1 (March 2020)
4

distribution point and the optimization of the slot size and spacing in accordance with the frequency
were conducted to realize uniform electric power radiation. Figure 4 compares the radiatedelectromagnetic field analysis results before and after the optimization of the annular-ring slotted
waveguide antenna.

Figure 43.3

Annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna analysis results

Power receiving module

The power receiving module, which supplies power to the wireless telemeter, is embedded inthe vicinity of the wireless telemeter on the rotating rotor. The microwaves radiated from theannular-ring slotted waveguide antenna are received by the power receiving antenna of the powerreceiving module. After the rectifier circuit converts it to DC Voltage, the DC-DC converter further
converts it to a stable DC voltage before power supply to the wireless telemeter eventually takes
place. Figure 5 is the external view of our power receiving module, while Figure 6 is a schematic
diagram of its internal structure.
In the power receiving antenna, a circuit board with a high relative permittivity (which canbe made compact in size) is used to make a single patch antenna with broad directivity, making thestructure robust against misalignment of the power receiving antenna from the power transmission
antenna. Schottky barrier diodes are used in the rectifier circuit to realize the high efficientconversion. In addition, the charge-up capacitor on the output side absorbs fluctuations of thereceived power of propagation with the effect of power storage.
Being mounted on the rotating body, the power receiving module is subject to an
environment in which the centrifugal force is extremely high. To withstand such a high centrifugal
force environment, the areas inside the power receiving module which do not affect the electricalcharacteristics of the module are covered with molded resin to lessen the damage and performancedegradation.

Figure 5 Power receiving
moduleFigure 6 Internal structure of power receiving module|4. Wireless power transmission testing
As the details of the testing on the entire wireless power transmission system were reported
before(4), this report focuses on the power receiving module test.

4.1

Test method

As described in the previous section, the power receiving module is embedded in thehigh-speed rotating rotor together with the wireless telemeter, requiring it to be durable enough towithstand high temperature and centrifugal force. In the temperature test shown in Figure 7, theMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 57 No. 1 (March 2020)
5power receiving module was kept in a thermostatic chamber (set at 80°C) and the change in thepower transmission sensitivity was monitored for 3 days. To monitor the output state of themicrowave detecting device, which is the most sensitive to temperature, the power receiving
module was not placed in a cylindrical capsule in this test. Instead, circuit boards that allow
external access were used.

Figure 7 Temperature test of power receiving module(inside thermostatic chamber)On the other hand, the centrifugal force resistance test shown in Figure 8 involved attaching
the power receiving module to the inside of the spin test rotating disk, by which the powerreceiving module was rotated at high speed. The load applied was equivalent to an angularacceleration of 15,000 G in the case of an actual unit.

Figure 8 Centrifugal force resistance test

Figure 9 Wireless power transmission test

Figure 9 illustrates the power transmission test of the entire system. In an anechoic chamber,the simulated rotor to which the power receiving module was attached was installed on the rotarytable. Using the microwaves radiated from the annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna fastened toMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 57 No. 1 (March 2020)6the floor surface, the successful transmission rate of the wireless telemeter driven by the powerreceiving module was examined as the assessment of power transmission performance.

4.2

Test results

After being kept in the thermostatic chamber (80°C) for 3 days, the power receiving module
exhibited a decrease of approximately 1 dB in terms of the rectifying efficiency of the diode thatconverts the received microwaves to DC signals. However, the output of the DC-DC converter,
which is the power source for the wireless telemeter, was stable even in the high-temperatureenvironment. After being returned to room temperature, the power transmission sensitivity
recovered to the level before the temperature test. Therefore, increasing the power transmission
output in accordance with the degree of thermal deterioration can compensate for the impact causedby temperature.
During the centrifugal force resistance test, it was not possible to measure the change ofpower transmission characteristics because of a lack of space to install the power transmission
antenna. However, since no damage was observed on the exterior of the power receiving module
after the test and the power transmission sensitivity remained the same before and after the test, it
was considered that the molded resin in the power receiving module successfully secured themodule parts. Therefore, the resistance to an angular acceleration of 15,000 G, to which the module
will be subjected during the actual turbine operation with use of the molded resin, has been
demonstrated.
Figure 10(a) presents the system test results for wireless telemeter transmissions in terms of
the wave detection voltage and the DC-DC converter output voltage measured while the powerreceiving module is rotating at a constant, low speed. In this figure, the x axis represents the angleof rotation, while the y axis shows the voltage or successful transmission rate. The reflection of
microwaves by the surrounding structure results in multipath fading, and decreased wave detection
voltages at certain angles of rotation and degradation in transmissions were observed. As a result,the successful transmission rate of the wireless telemeter powered by the power receiving module
was approximately 74-79 percent.

Figure 10

Wireless power transmission test

However, the results presented above, which were obtained at a low rotational speed of 10.5rpm, are considerably longer than the time constant of the charge-up capacitor for rectified voltagestabilization installed in the power receiving module. Therefore, using an arbitrary waveformgenerator with which high-speed rotation can be simulated, we conducted a test to assess the circuit
responsiveness. Figures 10(b) and 10(c) are the results obtained at the rotational speed equivalent to80 rpm and 200 rpm, respectively. In the case of 80 rpm, as the rectified voltage and the DC-DC
converter output fell instantly, but wireless telemeter transmissions were successful throughout. In
the case of a further increased rotational speed (200 rpm), no decrease in the rectified voltage wasMitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review Vol. 57 No. 1 (March 2020)
7

observed and all the transmissions were successful. The results have confirmed that the charge-up
capacitor functions in the designed manner, indicating the feasibility of stable power supply to thewireless telemeter by our wireless power transmission system at the minimum rotational speed
during the actual measurement (400 rpm) or higher (rated number of revolutions: 3,600 rpm).

|5. Conclusion
This report addressed the development of a wireless power transmission system that caneliminate the need for batteries during rotor blade vibration measurement, which was conducted aspart of the ongoing demonstration project for highly-efficient gas turbine technology (realization ofultra-high efficiency in 1700°C class gas turbines) sponsored by the New Energy and Industrial
Technology Development Organization of Japan (NEDO). Our wireless power transmission system
consists of a high-power, high-frequency oscillator, an annular-ring slotted waveguide antenna anda power receiving module. The high-speed rotation simulation system test results show that it ispossible for the power receiving module to supply power in a stable manner to the wirelesstelemeter at a rotational speed of 200 rpm or higher. The feasibility of the continuous vibration
measurement of rotor blades is therefore indicated. To reduce the size of the power receiving
module and improve its stability, we will combine the antenna with the rectifier. By applying
cutting-edge technologies, we will contribute to the realization of the safe and secure operation ofthermal power plants.

References
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(2)
(3)
(4)

Kenji Iizuka, et al., Technology and Applications of Microwave Power Transmission, Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries Technical Review, Vol.40 No.6 (2003-11)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Press Release, 2015-03-12, No. 5626,
https://www.mhi.com/jp/news/story/1503125626.html
Adler R., A Study of Locking Phenomena in Oscillators, Proc IRE, Vol 34, 1946
Naoki Oyama, et al.，Power Transmission Technology for Wireless Sensing under Harsh Environment，
IGTC2019 Paper (To be published, posted)