Distributed engine health data transmission system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a distributed engine health data transmission system and method. According to the method, health management data transmission under an engine distributed architecture can be realized. The distributed engine health data transmission system may include an engine controller, an engine monitoring device, an onboard health maintenance system, an onboard information system, and an onboard communication system. According to the system, engine data transmission in different scenes can be realized, so that an aero-engine health management function is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to engine control system architecture, and more specifically to a distributed engine health data transmission system and method. Background Technology

[0002] An aircraft engine health management system is an important technical means for monitoring, evaluating and managing the health status of aircraft engines. With the support of air-to-ground data links and ground data links, it can realize functions such as engine condition monitoring, fault diagnosis, life prediction and maintenance decision-making, helping airlines reduce flight delays and cancellations caused by engine problems and improve the airlines' economic efficiency.

[0003] Traditional aircraft engine control systems generally adopt an integrated architecture, where engine control and health management functions are integrated into a single engine controller (EEC) box. For redundancy, the engine controller typically includes two EEC boxes (EEC A and EEC B, DAL A level). In other words, the EEC handles both control and health management functions. Its disadvantages include:

[0004] 1) EEC has high complexity, which is not conducive to improving reliability and has high development costs;

[0005] 2) The control function and health management function have different security levels. Upgrading the health management function algorithm will affect the difficulty of EEC's airworthiness approval.

[0006] 3) Based on maturity, aircraft engine health management can be divided into basic health management and advanced health management. Advanced health management relies on a large amount of engine data, such as CEOD and raw high-frequency vibration data. However, EEC processor resources and storage resources are limited, which is not conducive to realizing more online diagnostic functions.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method and system to further improve existing engine health data transmission technology. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This summary is provided to introduce, in a simplified form, some concepts that will be further described in the following detailed description section. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0009] To address the problems in existing technologies, an improved method and apparatus are needed to facilitate engine data transmission in different scenarios, thereby enabling advanced health management functions for aero engines.

[0010] This invention addresses this very need. It provides a distributed engine health data transmission system and method. In this invention, the method enables health management data transmission under a distributed engine control system architecture. The distributed engine health data transmission system may include an engine controller (EEC), an engine monitoring unit (EMU), an airborne health maintenance system (OHMS), an airborne information system (IS), and an airborne communication system (CMU). This system can realize engine data transmission in different scenarios, thereby achieving advanced health management functions for aero-engines.

[0011] Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, a system for distributed engine health data transmission is disclosed, the system comprising:

[0012] An engine monitoring device is connected to multiple engine sensors and is configured to receive and monitor low-safety-level engine health data sensed by the multiple engine sensors.

[0013] An engine controller, which is connected to internal engine sensors and is configured to receive and monitor high-safety-level engine health data sensed by the internal engine sensors;

[0014] An airborne health maintenance system is connected to the engine controller and configured to transmit high-safety-level engine health data from the engine controller to a ground terminal system via ground communication.

[0015] An airborne information system, connected to the engine controller and the engine monitoring device and configured to transmit high-security-level engine health data and low-security-level engine health data, respectively, from the engine controller and the engine monitoring device, to the ground terminal system via ground communication; and

[0016] An airborne communication system, which is connected to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system and is configured to transmit high-safety-level engine health data and low-safety-level engine health data transmitted via the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system to the ground terminal system via air-to-ground communication.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the high-security-level engine health data includes engine avionics bus parameters, fault messages, and basic messages, while the low-security-level engine health data includes encrypted file data, including CEOD data, raw high-frequency vibration data, fault history data, bearing detailed data, aircraft history and trim data; and advanced fault diagnosis message data, including lubricating oil monitoring messages, bearing messages, vibration messages, and supplementary messages.

[0018] In the above embodiments of the present invention, the CEOD data comes from the internal sensors of the engine, and the engine controller is further configured to: connect to the engine monitoring device; receive engine parameters from the internal sensors of the engine and generate the CEOD data and the engine avionics bus parameters based on the engine parameters, wherein the CEOD data and the engine avionics bus parameters both contain key engine parameters; and transmit the CEOD data containing the key engine parameters to the engine monitoring device for storage.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of engine sensors include an engine speed sensor, an engine vibration sensor, and a lubricating oil metal shavings sensor.

[0020] In one embodiment of the invention, the system further includes a switch, wherein the engine controller and the engine monitoring device are further configured to transmit high-security-level engine health data and low-security-level engine health data to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system via the switch.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system are further configured to transmit high-security-level engine health data and low-security-level engine health data from the engine controller and the engine monitoring device, respectively, to the airborne communication system, and further transmit them to the ground terminal system via the airborne communication system.

[0022] In the above embodiments of the present invention, the system further includes a remote data conversion unit, wherein the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system are further configured to transmit high-safety-level engine health data and low-safety-level engine health data to the airborne communication system via the remote data conversion unit.

[0023] In one embodiment of the invention, the transmission in the system is accomplished through an avionics network, which includes an RS422 bus, an A664 bus, and an A429 bus.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, a health management system software resides in the engine monitoring device.

[0025] In one embodiment of the invention, the ground terminal system includes an aircraft health management system and ground data analysis systems for engine suppliers and airlines.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention, the ground communication includes Ethernet ground communication and Wi-Fi / 4G / 5G ground communication, and the air-to-ground communication includes ARCARS air-to-ground communication.

[0027] In one embodiment of the invention, the engine controller and the engine monitoring device are further configured to select whether to transmit the engine health data to the ground terminal system via ground communication or air-to-ground communication based on the importance level and real-time requirements of high-safety-level engine health data and low-safety-level engine health data.

[0028] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for distributed engine health data transmission is disclosed, the method comprising:

[0029] The engine monitoring device receives and monitors low-safety-level engine health data sensed by multiple engine sensors and transmits it to the airborne information system.

[0030] The engine controller receives and monitors high-safety-level engine health data sensed by the internal engine sensors and transmits it to the airborne health maintenance system and airborne information system.

[0031] The high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data are transmitted to the ground terminal system via ground communication through the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system; and

[0032] The high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data are transmitted to the airborne communication system via the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system, and then further transmitted to the ground terminal system via air-to-ground communication through the airborne communication system.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes transmitting the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system via a switch.

[0034] In one embodiment of the invention, the method further includes transmitting high-safety-level engine health data and low-safety-level engine health data from the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system to the airborne communication system via a remote data conversion unit.

[0035] In one embodiment of the invention, the engine controller is connected to the engine monitoring device, and the low-security-level engine health data includes CEOD data, while the high-security-level engine health data includes engine avionics bus parameters. The method further includes performing the following operations via the engine controller:

[0036] The engine receives engine parameters from internal sensors and generates CEOD data and engine avionics bus parameters based on these parameters. Both the engine avionics bus parameters and the CEOD data contain key engine parameters.

[0037] The CEOD data, which contains key parameters of the engine, is transmitted to the engine monitoring device for storage.

[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions is disclosed, the instructions including:

[0039] Instructions for receiving and monitoring low-safety-level engine health data sensed by multiple engine sensors via an engine monitoring device and transmitting it to an onboard information system;

[0040] Instructions for receiving and monitoring high-safety-level engine health data sensed by the engine's internal sensors via the engine controller and transmitting it to the airborne health maintenance system and airborne information system.

[0041] Commands for transmitting the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data to a ground terminal system via ground communication through the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system; and

[0042] Instructions for transmitting the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data to the airborne communication system via the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system, and further transmitting these engine health data to the ground terminal system via air-to-ground communication through the airborne communication system.

[0043] Other aspects, features, and embodiments of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Although features of the invention may be discussed below with reference to certain embodiments and drawings, all embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more embodiments may be discussed having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used according to the various embodiments of the invention discussed herein. Similarly, although exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as embodiments of devices, apparatuses, or methods, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various devices, apparatuses, and methods. Attached Figure Description

[0044] To gain a more detailed understanding of the features described above in this disclosure, reference can be made to a more specific description of the above-briefly summarized aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of this disclosure and should not be considered as limiting its scope, as other equivalent aspects are permissible in this description.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of a distributed engine health data transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of an EMU distributed health management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of communication between the EMU and EEC and the airborne information system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a data block sent by an EMU to an airborne information system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of engine data transmission in a distributed engine health data transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a distributed engine health data transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The various embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention and illustrate specific exemplary embodiments. However, the embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of these embodiments to those skilled in the art. The embodiments may be implemented as methods, apparatus, or devices. Therefore, these embodiments may be implemented in hardware, entirely in software, or in a combination of software and hardware aspects. Therefore, the following detailed description is not intended to be limiting.

[0052] The steps in each flowchart can be performed by hardware (e.g., processor, engine, memory, circuitry), software (e.g., operating system, application, driver, machine / processor executable instructions), or a combination thereof. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the methods involved in each embodiment may include more or fewer steps than shown.

[0053] Data related to aircraft engine health maintenance mainly includes fault data, trending message data, condition monitoring event data, configuration data, and continuously recorded parameters (such as QAR and CEOD). Among these, for more critical engine data (such as real-time ACARS messages and fault data), the aircraft can transmit the data in the air to the ground terminal system via the air-to-ground data link (ARCARS). Other engine data that does not have particularly strict time requirements (such as post-flight CEOD data and configuration data) can be transmitted to the ground terminal after the aircraft lands via Ethernet or ground wireless data networks (such as 5G and Wi-Fi).

[0054] For the integrated control system architecture of current mainstream models, the engine controller (EEC) undertakes the health management functions (DAL C) and control functions (DAL A) with different design assurance levels. Therefore, the design complexity of the EEC increases, and the processor resources are limited, so the engine health data that can be processed and transmitted is also very limited.

[0055] To address the problems in existing technologies, this invention proposes a health management data transmission system and method under an engine distributed control system architecture for wired or wireless transmission of engine health management data in the air and on the ground. The system mainly includes an engine controller (EEC), an engine monitoring unit (EMU), an avionics network, an airborne health maintenance system, an airborne information system, and an airborne communication system. This system can communicate with ground terminal systems (including ground communication and air-to-ground communication), which may include the aircraft CAPHM (Health Management) system, ground data analysis systems of engine suppliers and airlines, etc. Therefore, it can easily achieve redundant, timely, and reliable data transmission for different engine scenarios, thereby realizing advanced engine health management functions.

[0056] The various aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of a distributed engine health data transmission system 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The following will be based on... Figure 1 and combined Figures 2 to 5 The various aspects of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0058] like Figure 1As shown, the distributed engine health data transmission system 100 may include an engine monitoring device 102. In one embodiment of the invention, the engine monitoring device 102 is independent, thus having more computing resources to process more engine data and convert monitoring data into health information, which is more conducive to realizing advanced health management for condition-based engine maintenance. The engine monitoring device 102 can be connected to multiple engine sensors to form an EMU distributed health management system.

[0059] Specifically, Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of an EMU distributed health management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the engine monitoring device 202 can be configured to receive and monitor low-safety-level engine health data sensed by a plurality of engine sensors. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of engine sensors may include an engine speed sensor, an engine vibration sensor, and a lubricating oil metal shavings sensor, such as... Figure 2 As shown. As those skilled in the art will understand, in other embodiments of the invention, the plurality of engine sensors may also include any other suitable sensors for engine health management.

[0060] In one embodiment of the invention, a health management system software may reside in the engine monitoring device 202. This isolates (partial) engine health management functions from the engine controller (EEC), reducing the complexity of the EEC. In one embodiment of the invention, the low-security-level engine health data monitored by the engine monitoring device 202 may include encrypted file data, including CEOD (Continuous Engine Operating Data) data, raw high-frequency vibration data, fault history data, detailed bearing data, aircraft history and trim data, and also includes advanced fault diagnosis message data, including lubricating oil monitoring messages, bearing messages, vibration messages, and supplementary messages. As those skilled in the art will understand, in other embodiments of the invention, the low-security-level data may also include any other suitable engine data (parameters).

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, the engine monitoring unit EMU 202 can be connected to the engine controller EEC 204 (including EEC control boxes A and B) via RS422 bus, is powered by the aircraft, and can be connected to the portable maintenance terminal PMAT.

[0062] Back Figure 1The distributed engine health data transmission system 100 may also include an engine controller (EEC) 104, which may include multiple control boxes, such as... Figure 1 The EEC CHA control box and the EEC CHB control box are shown.

[0063] In one embodiment of the invention, the engine controller 104 may be connected to (a number of) internal engine sensors and may be configured to receive and monitor high-safety-level engine health data sensed by the internal engine sensors. In one embodiment, the high-safety-level engine health data may include engine avionics bus parameters (i.e., parameters sent from the engine to the avionics bus), which may include critical engine parameters (i.e., engine critical parameters received by the EEC from the internal engine sensors and sent to the avionics bus). In other embodiments, the high-safety-level engine health data may also include fault messages, basic message (takeoff, climb, taxiing messages) data, etc.

[0064] In this disclosure, the safety level of engine health data can be categorized as follows: health data related to engine thrust management, online fault diagnosis, and cockpit alarms can be classified as high safety level, while health data related to predictive maintenance and advanced fault diagnosis of systems such as pneumatics, vibration, and fuel / lubricating oil can be classified as low safety level. As those skilled in the art will understand, any other suitable high / low safety level classification method can be adopted in other embodiments of the invention, and is not limited to the specific method described above. Furthermore, the aforementioned key engine parameters refer to the more important parameters among those transmitted from the engine to the avionics bus, and are not limited to any specific engine parameter, but may include any suitable engine parameter depending on the specific implementation.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distributed engine health data transmission system 100 may further include an airborne health maintenance system OHMS 106, which can be connected to the engine controller 104 and configured to transmit high-security-level engine health data from the engine controller 104 to a ground terminal system via ground communication. Ground communication may include Ethernet ground communication and Wi-Fi / 4G / 5G ground communication.

[0066] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distributed engine health data transmission system 100 may further include an airborne information system IS108. The airborne information system IS108 may be connected to the engine controller 104 and the engine monitoring device 102 and may be configured to transmit high-security-level engine health data and low-security-level engine health data from the engine controller 104 and the engine monitoring device 102, respectively, to the ground terminal system via ground communication.

[0067] Regarding the data transmission between the engine monitoring unit EMU 102 and the engine controller EEC 104 and the airborne information system IS108, Figure 3 A detailed diagram illustrating the communication between the EMU and EEC and the onboard information system is provided. Figure 3 As shown, the EMU and the aircraft IS system have a total of 6 (exemplary and not restrictive) Block-type data links. For message and return data, the downlink frequency is relatively high, and it can be downlinked during A-check or after each flight, with a higher priority. For CEOD data and raw vibration data, the downlink frequency is relatively low, and it is manually downloaded during aircraft B-check or specific fault troubleshooting, with a slightly lower priority.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, the CEOD data may originate from internal engine sensors and may be internal engine parameters not visible to the aircraft, and the CEOD data volume is relatively large. The engine controller EEC 104 may be further configured to: connect to the engine monitoring device 102; receive engine parameters from the internal engine sensors and generate the CEOD data and engine avionics bus parameters based on the engine parameters, both of which may contain key engine parameters; and transmit the CEOD data containing the key engine parameters to the engine monitoring device for storage, thereby achieving important engine data backup.

[0069] Figure 4 A detailed diagram illustrates the data blocks sent by the EMU to the onboard information system. The communication protocol between the EMU and the aircraft's IS information system can also be specially customized, and may include handshakes, data block formats (such as...). Figure 4 As shown in the image, CRC checksums and other features also differ from typical transmission protocols. Specifically:

[0070] 1) Handshake: The transmission begins when the EMU sends a Write File Request (WRQ) message to the IS. If the IS accepts the request, it sends an Acknowledgment (WACK) message to confirm the successful handshake.

[0071] 2) Sending data: After receiving the WACK, the EMU begins to send data, sending a data block consisting of 1 DataHeader and 10 words (each word is 8000 bytes in size);

[0072] 3) Waiting for confirmation: The EMU waits for the IS to send a WACK message for confirmation;

[0073] 4) Continue sending: After receiving the WACK message from IS, the EMU continues to send the next data block;

[0074] 5) Transmission complete: Transmission is complete when the EMU receives the WACK for the last data block.

[0075] like Figure 4 As shown, the transmitted data block may include a data header and 10 words. Each word may include an opt code, a lightweight block cipher algorithm (PresentBlock), a cyclic redundancy check (CRC), and data. The data header may include the opt code, the presentBlock, and the total number of words. As those skilled in the art will understand, the above data block format is merely exemplary and not restrictive.

[0076] Back Figure 1 In one embodiment of the invention, the distributed engine health data transmission system 100 may further include a switch. In this embodiment, the engine controller 104 and the engine monitoring device 102 may be further configured to transmit their respective engine health data to the airborne health maintenance system 106 and the airborne information system 108 via the switch (through the A664 bus).

[0077] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distributed engine health data transmission system 100 may further include an airborne communication system CMU 110, which may be connected to the airborne health maintenance system 106 and the airborne information system 108 and may be configured to transmit engine health data (including high-safety-level engine health data and low-safety-level engine health data) transmitted via the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system to the ground terminal system via air-to-ground communication.

[0078] In another embodiment of the invention, the airborne information system 108 and the airborne health maintenance system 106 may be further configured to transmit high-security-level engine health data and low-security-level engine health data, respectively, from the engine controller 104 and the engine monitoring device 102, to the airborne communication system 110, and further transmit them to the ground terminal system via the airborne communication system 110. In one embodiment of the invention, the ground terminal system may include an aircraft health management system and ground data analysis systems for engine suppliers and airlines, and the air-to-ground communication may include ARCARS air-to-ground communication.

[0079] In the above embodiments of the present invention, the distributed engine health data transmission system 100 may further include a remote data conversion unit (RDCU), wherein the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system may be further configured to transmit high-safety-level engine health data and low-safety-level engine health data to the airborne communication system via the RDCU. Figure 1 As shown, the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system can be connected to the RDCU via the A664 bus, and the RDCU can be connected to the airborne communication system 110 via the A429 bus.

[0080] Therefore, by transmitting important engine parameters in parallel with OHMS and EMU with IS, when OHMS or IS system fails, important engine parameters can be transmitted on the backup link, thus improving data transmission stability.

[0081] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the engine controller 104 and the engine monitoring device 102 may be further configured to select whether to transmit the engine health data to the ground terminal system via ground communication or air-to-ground communication based on the importance level and real-time requirements of the engine health data they are monitoring. Thus, through the coordinated data transmission method of the EEC, EMU, avionics network, and airborne maintenance / information / communication system, the ground data link and air-to-ground data link transmission can be switched according to the importance of the data and real-time requirements, achieving flexible transmission during flight or on the ground.

[0082] Figure 5 An exemplary schematic diagram of engine data transmission in a distributed engine health data transmission system is shown. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the six data links transmit (exemplary and not limiting) six categories of engine data as follows:

[0083] 1) Links 1 and 2: Transmit engine A664 bus parameters, including indications, alarms, fault information, etc.;

[0084] 2) Third link: Transmits engine fault messages;

[0085] 3) Fourth link: Transmits basic engine message data used for basic engine fault diagnosis;

[0086] 4) Fifth link: Transmitting encrypted engine file data;

[0087] 5) Link 6: Transmits engine advanced message data for advanced engine fault diagnosis.

[0088] like Figure 5 As shown, an exemplary engine data transmission path under the distributed transmission architecture of the present invention is as follows:

[0089] 1) Link 1: Engine avionics bus parameters are transmitted from EEC to OHMS via A664 bus & switch, and then to the ground via Ethernet;

[0090] 2) Link 2: Engine avionics bus parameters are transmitted from EEC to IS via A664 bus & switch, and then to the ground via Ethernet or WiFi / 4G / 5G;

[0091] 3) Link 3: Engine fault message data is transmitted from EEC to OHMS via A664 bus & switch, from OHMS to IS via A664 bus, and then to the ground via Ethernet or WiFi / 4G / 5G.

[0092] 4) Link 4: Engine basic message data used for engine basic fault diagnosis is transmitted from EEC to OHMS via A664 bus & switch, from OHMS to communication system via A664-RDCU-A429, and then to the ground via Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) (HF / VHF / STCOM);

[0093] 5) Link 5: Engine encrypted file data is transmitted from EMU to IS via A664 bus & switch, and then to the ground via Ethernet or WiFi / 4G / 5G;

[0094] 6) Link 6: Engine advanced message data is transmitted from EMU to IS via A664 bus & switch, from IS to communication system via A664-Remote Data Conversion Unit RDCU-A429, and then to ground via ARCARS (HF / VHF / STCOM).

[0095] Therefore, it is possible to follow the example as follows Figure 5 The method shown implements engine data transmission in the following exemplary scenarios:

[0096] 1) Scenario 1: All A664 bus parameters related to the engine are transmitted from the EEC through the A664 bus, then through the switch, then through the A664 bus to the OHMS system, and finally through Ethernet to the ground.

[0097] 2) Scenario 2: All A664 bus parameters related to the engine are transmitted from the EEC through the A664 bus, through the switch, and then through the A664 bus to the IS information system, and finally to the ground via Ethernet or WiFi / 4G / 5G.

[0098] 3) Scenario 3: Engine fault message, from EEC through A664 bus through switch, then through A664 bus to OHMS system, then from OHMS through A664 bus to IS, and then through Ethernet or WiFi / 4G / 5G to the ground.

[0099] 4) Scenario 4: Engine basic message data used for basic engine fault diagnosis, including start-up messages, take-off messages, climb messages, steady-state cruise messages, engine over-limit messages, fault messages, etc., are transmitted from EEC through the A664 bus to the switch, and then through the A664 bus to the OHMS system. From OHMS, they are transmitted to the communication system through the A664-RDCU-A429, and then through ARCARS (HF / VHF / STCOM) to the ground.

[0100] 5) Scenario 5: Encrypted data related to engine files (used by engine suppliers for engine health management: including CEOD full-process engine record data, original high-frequency vibration data of the engine, historical data of engine faults, historical data of engine events, detailed bearing data, flight history and trim data, etc.) are transmitted from the EMU through the A664 bus, through the switch, and then through the A664 bus to the IS system, and finally to the ground via Ethernet or WiFi / 4G / 5G.

[0101] In traditional integrated architectures, this part of the data was originally transmitted through EEC. Distributed architectures can transmit an order of magnitude more data than integrated architectures, which greatly improves the amount of data transmitted and the timeliness.

[0102] 6) Scenario 6: Engine message data for advanced fault diagnosis, including lubricating oil monitoring messages, bearing messages, vibration messages, event messages, supplementary messages, post-flight summary messages, etc., are used for predictive maintenance and advanced fault diagnosis of engine mechanical, pneumatic, lubrication, vibration, control, and fuel systems. This data is transmitted from the EMU via the A664 bus through a switch, then via the A664 bus to the IS system, from the IS through the A664-RDCU-A429 to the communication system, and then via ARCARS (HF / VHF / STCOM) to the ground. This data is not present in traditional integrated transmission methods; this invention expands the types of data transmitted.

[0103] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a distributed engine health data transmission method 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] like Figure 6 As shown, method 600 begins at step 602, whereby an engine monitoring device receives and monitors low-safety-level engine health data sensed by a plurality of engine sensors and transmits it to an onboard information system.

[0105] Next, method 600 can continue to step 604, whereby the engine controller receives and monitors high-safety-level engine health data sensed by the engine's internal sensors and transmits it to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system. In one embodiment of the invention, the engine controller can be connected to the engine monitoring device, and the low-safety-level engine health data may include CEOD data, while the high-safety-level engine health data may include engine avionics bus parameters. In this embodiment, the method may further include, via the engine controller: receiving engine parameters from the engine's internal sensors and generating the CEOD data and engine avionics bus parameters based on the engine parameters, wherein both the engine avionics bus parameters and the CEOD data may contain key engine parameters; and transmitting the CEOD data containing the key engine parameters to the engine monitoring device for storage.

[0106] Subsequently, method 600 may continue to step 606, whereby the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data are transmitted to a ground terminal system via ground communication through the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system. In one embodiment of the invention, this step may further include transmitting the engine health data to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system via a switch.

[0107] Finally, method 600 may continue to step 608, transmitting the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data to the airborne communication system via the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system, and further transmitting these engine health data to the ground terminal system via air-to-ground communication through the airborne communication system. In one embodiment of the invention, this step may further include transmitting the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data from the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system to the airborne communication system via a remote data conversion unit.

[0108] After step 608, method 600 ends.

[0109] In summary, this invention utilizes a collaborative, distributed engine health management architecture between the EEC and EMU. This allows the independent EMU to allocate more computing resources to process more data, significantly improving engine data transmission volume and timeliness, and enabling more online diagnostic functions. Furthermore, by separating some health management functions from the engine controller, the complexity of the EEC is reduced, and its reliability is improved.

[0110] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to block diagrams and / or operational descriptions of methods and apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention. The functions / actions indicated in the blocks may appear in a different order than shown in any flowchart. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or these blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order.

[0111] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting distributed engine health data, the system comprising: An engine monitoring device is connected to multiple engine sensors and is configured to receive and monitor low-safety-level engine health data sensed by the multiple engine sensors. An engine controller, which is connected to internal engine sensors and is configured to receive and monitor high-safety-level engine health data sensed by the internal engine sensors; An airborne health maintenance system, which is connected to the engine controller and configured to transmit the high-safety-level engine health data from the engine controller to a ground terminal system via ground communication; An airborne information system, connected to the engine controller and the engine monitoring device and configured to transmit, via ground communication, the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data from the engine controller and the engine monitoring device, respectively, to the ground terminal system; as well as An airborne communication system, which is connected to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system and is configured to transmit the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data transmitted via the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system to the ground terminal system via air-to-ground communication.

2. The system as described in claim 1, wherein the high-security-level engine health data includes engine avionics bus parameters, fault messages, and basic messages, and the low-security-level engine health data includes encrypted file data, including CEOD data, raw high-frequency vibration data, fault history data, bearing detailed data, aircraft history and trim data; and advanced fault diagnosis message data, including lubricating oil monitoring messages, bearing messages, vibration messages, and supplementary messages.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the CEOD data originates from the engine's internal sensors, and the engine controller is further configured to: Connected to the engine monitoring device; Engine parameters are received from internal engine sensors, and the CEOD data and engine avionics bus parameters are generated based on these parameters. Both the engine avionics bus parameters and the CEOD data contain key engine parameters. The CEOD data, which contains the key parameters of the engine, is transmitted to the engine monitoring device for storage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of engine sensors include an engine speed sensor, an engine vibration sensor, and a lubricating oil metal shavings sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a switch, wherein the engine controller and the engine monitoring device are further configured to transmit the high-security-level engine health data and the low-security-level engine health data to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system via the switch.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system are further configured to transmit the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data from the engine controller and the engine monitoring device, respectively, to the airborne communication system, and further to the ground terminal system via the airborne communication system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system further includes a remote data conversion unit, wherein the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system are further configured to transmit the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data to the airborne communication system via the remote data conversion unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a health management system software resides in the engine monitoring device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground terminal system includes an aircraft health management system and ground data analysis systems of engine suppliers and airlines.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground communication includes Ethernet ground communication and Wi-Fi / 4G / 5G ground communication, and the air-to-ground communication includes ARCARS air-to-ground communication.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine controller and the engine monitoring device are further configured to select, based on the importance level and real-time requirements of the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data, whether to transmit the engine health data to the ground terminal system via ground communication or air-to-ground communication.

12. A method for transmitting distributed engine health data, the method comprising: The engine monitoring device receives and monitors low-safety-level engine health data sensed by multiple engine sensors and transmits it to the airborne information system. The engine controller receives and monitors high-safety-level engine health data sensed by the internal engine sensors and transmits it to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system. The high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data are transmitted to the ground terminal system via ground communication through the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system. as well as The high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data are transmitted to the airborne communication system via the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system, and then further transmitted to the ground terminal system via air-to-ground communication through the airborne communication system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data to the airborne health maintenance system and the airborne information system via a switch.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the high-safety-level engine health data and the low-safety-level engine health data from the airborne information system and the airborne health maintenance system to the airborne communication system via a remote data conversion unit.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the engine controller is connected to the engine monitoring device, and the low-security-level engine health data includes CEOD data, the high-security-level engine health data includes engine avionics bus parameters, the method further comprising performing the following operations via the engine controller: Engine parameters are received from internal engine sensors, and the CEOD data and engine avionics bus parameters are generated based on these parameters. Both the engine avionics bus parameters and the CEOD data contain key engine parameters. The CEOD data, which contains the key parameters of the engine, is transmitted to the engine monitoring device for storage.

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