Inventors:
Emily Y. Shu - Schenectady NY
Dale M. Brown - Schenectady NY
Louis J. Petrucco - Albany NY
Assignee:
General Electric Company - Schenectady NY
International Classification:
G01J 548
G01N 2100
Abstract:
An optical sensor system includes a housing having an open end; first and second windows situated in the housing; a fastener for situating the first window closer to the open end than the second window and permitting an air exchange between a sensing region and the second window; a hermetic seal between the second window and the housing; and an optical sensor situated between the second window and a wall of the housing such that the air exchange does not occur inside the optical sensor. The first and second windows can include materials selected from the group consisting of sapphire, quartz, and glass; the optical sensor to be protected can include silicon carbide; and the sensing region can include a combustion region. If the sensing region includes a combustion region, the first window is situated at a location in the housing sufficiently near enough to the combustion region to vaporize hydrocarbons in the vicinity of the first window, and the second window is situated a location sufficiently far enough from the combustion region so that the hermetic seal remains stable.
