System and method for monitoring aircraft engine health and determining engine power available, and applications thereof

Abstract

Smart instrumentation and monitoring provide primary engine instrumentation for an aircraft. The instrumentation generates real time engine power available data for the entire power regime and flight envelope of the aircraft while engine monitoring functions track, record and output performance usage data, trend data, and flight profile data. Generated data is provided to an aircraft flight manual and mission management module that automatically calculates and generates aircraft operational and performance data needed to safely operate the aircraft. The generated data is selectively displayed on flat-panel cockpit displays and / or electronic kneeboard displays in a graphical format that enhances aircrew situational awareness and permits aircrew members to operate the aircraft with its intended margin of safety.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of aircraft instrumentation and condition monitoring. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The performance and capabilities of an aircraft are dependent on the health and performance of its engine(s). For example, an aircraft's take-off distance, rate of climb, useful load, range, and endurance are determined largely by engine health and engine power available. However, despite this importance, conventional aircraft instrumentation does not allow aircrew members to accurately monitor the health of an aircraft's engine(s) and determine engine power available during flight operations. [0003] During mission planning, aircrew members attempt to evaluate an aircraft's performance and capabilities using engine power available calculations that are contained in an operating handbook or an electronic database, which at best are based on data periodically obtained from either one single flight condition or one single high...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The present invention provides a system and method for monitoring aircraft engine health and determining engine power available during flight operations. The present invention also provides for automatically updating and generating the aircraft charts and mission management tools used by aircrew members so these charts and tools accurately reflect the aircraft's current performance and capabilities.

[0008] In an embodiment, smart instrumentation and monitoring according to the present invention provides primary engine instrumentation for an aircraft. This instrumentation generates, for example, real time engine power available data for the entire power regime and flight envelope of the aircraft while engine monitoring functions track, record and output, for example, performance usage data, trend data, and flight profile data. Generated data is provided to an aircraft flight manual and mission management module that automatically calculates and generates aircraft operational and performance data needed to safely operate the aircraft. The generated data is selectively displayed, for example, on flat-panel cockpit displays and / or electronic kneeboard displays in a graphical format that enhances aircrew situational awareness and permits aircrew members to operate the aircraft with its intended margin of safety.

[0009] In embodiments, the present invention automates calculations performed by aircrew members, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the calculations and significantly reducing aircrew cockpit workload. The automated calculations incorporate real time engine power available data generated by the smart instrumentation of the present invention. Calculations performed include, for example, operational limit calculations such as airspeed, engine power, rotor speed, and take-off and landing data torque limit calculations, and performance calculations such as, for example, engine performance, continuous power assurance, and engine torque factor / aircraft torque factor calculations. Warnings are displayed by the smart instrumentation and monitoring system of the present invention whenever selected limitations and / or valves are approached or exceeded.

[0010] In embodiments, the present invention also automates mission management functions to enhance aircrew situational awareness, flight safety, and mission effectiveness. Automated mission management functions include, for example, automated performance planning, mission planning, determination of gross weight and load lift capabilities, and the consequences of out of service equipment and instrumentation.

[0011] It is a feature of the present invention that it enhances aircrew situational awareness, flight safety, and mission effectiveness while reducing aircrew cockpit workload.

[0012] It is also a feature of the present invention that it can be implemented using redundant, modular electronics that communicate through a digital bus to each other and to multi-function flat panel displays, thereby permitting tailored designs. These tailored designs can replace or upgrade conventional instrumentation in an operating aircraft and / or be incorporated into new aircraft.

Problems solved by technology

However, despite this importance, conventional aircraft instrumentation does not allow aircrew members to accurately monitor the health of an aircraft's engine(s) and determine engine power available during flight operations.

In between these specific time interval tests, however, deterioration of the aircraft's engine(s) occurs.

Thus, aircrew members must rely on inaccurate engine power available calculations, which incorrectly assume an aircraft's engine(s) can deliver rated power when in fact the engine(s) cannot deliver rated power, to evaluate an aircraft's performance and capabilities.

This conventional method of attempting to evaluate an aircraft's performance and capabilities results in a reduced margin of safety during flight operations.

The task of evaluating an aircraft's performance and capabilities is particularly challenging when, for example, during flight operations an aircrew is directed to change its mission.

This leads to increased cockpit work load and aircrew stress and may result in evaluation errors that when added to the inherent inaccuracies in engine power available calculations contained in the operating handbook or electronic database used by the aircrew can cause the aircrew to unknowingly operate the aircraft in an unsafe manner.

For example, during lifting operations or in hot, high-altitude operating environments, inaccuracies in engine power available calculations used to determine take-off and landing performance create an unacceptable safety margin that can lead to the loss of the aircraft and the aircrew.

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