Method and apparatus for detecting anomalies on surface of aircraft engine

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for detecting anomalies on a surface of an aircraft engine are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an end effector of a measuring device, the end effector having a sensor; a machine readable instruction; and at least one processor circuit programmed by the machine-readable instructions to: cause the sensor to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine when the end effector is positioned within the cavity of the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement based on the output of the sensor; determining a difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement; determining that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the abnormality.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 689,437, filed August 30, 2024. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 689,437 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 689,437 is claimed. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to aircraft engines, and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for detecting anomalies on the surface of aircraft engines. Background Technology

[0004] A gas turbine engine includes a compressor that provides compressed air for combustion and cooling. The compressor includes a rotor assembly and a stator assembly. The rotor assembly rotates relative to the stator assembly, compressing the intake fluid as it passes through the compressor. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1A This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a high-bypass turbofan gas turbine engine that can be combined with the various examples disclosed in this article.

[0006] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the compressor of a gas turbine engine.

[0007] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an example environment in which the example surface evaluation circuit operates to evaluate... Figure 1A An example surface of a gas turbine engine.

[0008] Figure 3 It shows the location at Figure 1A and Figure 1B Example end actuator within an example compressor.

[0009] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 Example port of the example compressor.

[0010] Figure 5A It shows relative to Figure 4 Example port of example conduit.

[0011] Figure 5B It shows the location at Figure 1B Example compressor inside Figure 5A Example catheter.

[0012] Figure 5C The following is shown relative to the example compressor housing. Figure 4Example end effector.

[0013] Figure 5D It shows Figure 5C An example end effector, which is positioned at Figure 1B Example of compressor rotor blades.

[0014] Figure 6A The first position is shown. Figure 5C Example end effector.

[0015] Figure 6B The second position is shown. Figure 5C Example end effector.

[0016] Figure 6C The third position is shown. Figure 5C Example end effector.

[0017] Figure 6D The fourth position is shown. Figure 5C Example end effector.

[0018] Figure 7A This shows the situation between example rotor blades. Figure 6B The second position Figure 5C Example end effector.

[0019] Figure 7B This shows the situation between example rotor blades. Figure 6D The fourth position Figure 5C An example end effector, wherein the example conduit is in the first position.

[0020] Figure 7C It shows that it is in Figure 6D The fourth position Figure 5C Example end effector, where the example conduit is in the second position.

[0021] Figure 7D It shows that it is in Figure 6D The fourth position Figure 5C Example end effector, where the example conduit is in the third position.

[0022] Figure 8A An example end effector constructed based on the examples disclosed herein is shown.

[0023] Figure 8B It shows Figure 8A An alternative view of the example end effector.

[0024] Figure 9 Is included Figure 5C A detailed view of an example sensor system in an example end effector.

[0025] Figure 10A yes Figure 9 The example first graphical representation of the output of an example sensor system.

[0026] Figure 10B yes Figure 9 The example second graphical representation of the output of the example sensor system.

[0027] Figure 11 An example surface reconstruction calculation is shown.

[0028] Figure 12A This is an example first graph representing surface concentricity data.

[0029] Figure 12B This is a second example graph representing surface concentricity data.

[0030] Figure 12C This is the third example curve plot representing surface concentricity data.

[0031] Figure 13 Another example end effector constructed in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein is shown.

[0032] Figure 14 Another example surface is shown, analyzed by the surface evaluation circuit via the example end actuator disclosed herein.

[0033] Figure 15 This means that it can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by the example programmable circuit. Figure 2 The flowchart shows example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations for the surface evaluation circuit.

[0034] Figure 16 This is a block diagram of an example processing platform including programmable circuitry configured to execute, instantiate, and / or perform example machine-readable instructions and / or perform... Figure 15 Example operations to implement Figure 2 Surface evaluation circuit.

[0035] Generally, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the accompanying drawings and written description to refer to the same or similar parts. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, the thickness of layers or regions may be exaggerated in the drawings. Although these drawings show layers and regions with clearly defined lines and boundaries, some or all of these lines and / or boundaries may be idealized. In reality, boundaries and / or lines may be unobservable, mixed, and / or irregular. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Figure 1AThis is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example high-bypass turbofan gas turbine engine 100 (also referred to as a turbofan engine) that can be combined with the various examples disclosed herein. Although the example shown is a high-bypass gas turbine engine, the principles of this disclosure can also be applied to other types of engines, such as low-bypass turbofan engines, turbojet engines, turboprop engines, etc. The gas turbine engine 100 includes an external bypass duct 104 (which may also be referred to as a nacelle, fan duct, or outer casing), a gas turbine engine 106 (which may also be referred to as a core turbine engine or turbomachinery), and a fan section 108. The gas turbine engine 106 and the fan section 108 are at least partially disposed in the external bypass duct 104. The gas turbine engine 106 is disposed downstream of the fan section 108 and drives the fan section 108 to generate forward thrust. Figure 1A As shown, the gas turbine engine 100 or gas turbine engine 106 defines a longitudinal or axial centerline axis 102 extending through it for reference. Figure 1A It also includes annotated direction diagrams for the axial direction A, radial direction R, and circumferential direction C. Typically, as used herein, the axial direction A is a direction extending approximately parallel to the centerline axis 102, the radial direction R is a direction extending orthogonally outward from the centerline axis 102, and the circumferential direction C is a direction extending concentrically around the centerline axis 102.

[0037] The gas turbine engine 106 includes a nearly tubular outer casing 110 (which may also be referred to as an intermediate casing) defining an annular inlet 112. The outer casing 110 of the gas turbine engine 106 may be formed from a single casing or multiple casings. The outer casing 110 surrounds, in a series flow relationship, a compressor section having a turbocharger or low-pressure compressor 114 (“LP compressor 114”) and a high-pressure compressor 116 (“HP compressor 116”), a combustion section 118 (or burner), a turbine section having a high-pressure turbine 120 (“HP turbine 120”) and a low-pressure turbine 122 (“LP turbine 122”), and an exhaust section 124. A high-pressure shaft or spool 126 (“HP shaft 126”) drivesably connects the HP turbine 120 and the HP compressor 116. A low-pressure shaft or spool 128 (“LP shaft 128”) drivesably connects the LP turbine 122 and the LP compressor 114. The LP shaft 128 can also be connected to the fan spool or shaft 130 of the fan section 108. In some examples, the LP shaft 128 can be directly connected to the fan shaft 130 (i.e., direct drive configuration). In alternative configurations, the LP shaft 128 can be connected to the fan shaft 130 via a reduction gearbox (i.e., indirect drive or gear drive configuration).

[0038] like Figure 1AAs shown, fan section 108 includes a plurality of fan blades 132 connected to and extending radially outward from fan shaft 130. An external bypass duct 104 circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of fan section 108 or gas turbine engine 106. Specifically, the gas turbine engine is disposed within the external bypass duct 104, such that a bypass airflow passage or duct 142 is formed between the outer casing 110 of the gas turbine engine 106 and the external bypass duct 104. The external bypass duct 104 may be supported relative to the gas turbine engine 106 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet guide vanes 137.

[0039] like Figure 1A As shown, during operation of the gas turbine engine 100, air 136 enters the inlet portion 138 of the gas turbine engine 100. The air 136 is accelerated by fan blades 132. A first portion 144 of the air 136 flows into the inlet 112 of the gas turbine engine 106 (and thus into the LP compressor 114), while a second portion 146 of the air 136 flows into the bypass airflow passage 142. One or more sequential stages of the LP compressor stator blades and the LP compressor rotor blades coupled to the LP shaft 128 progressively compress the second portion 146 of the air 136 flowing through the LP compressor 114 on its way to the HP compressor 116. Next, one or more sequential stages of the HP compressor stator blades 152 and the HP compressor rotor blades 154 coupled to the HP shaft 126 further compress the second portion 146 of the air 136 flowing through the HP compressor 116. This provides compressed air 156 to the combustion section 118, where it mixes with fuel and burns to provide combustion gases 158. Combustion gas 158 releases energy to drive the rotation of the HP rotor assembly and LP rotor assembly before being discharged from exhaust section 124. The energy released from combustion gas 158 further drives the rotation of fan section 108.

[0040] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the HP compressor 116 of a gas turbine engine 100. The examples disclosed herein are described with reference to the HP compressor 116. However, the examples disclosed herein can be implemented in an LP compressor 114. The compressor 116 may include a rotor assembly having rotor blades 154 surrounded by a housing 160 supporting stator blades 152. The housing 160 includes an inner surface 162, which is an annular inner surface of the compressor 116. The rotor blades 154 are circumferentially (e.g., in the direction of rotation) relative to the housing 160 and the stator blades 152. Figure 1AThe rotor blades 154 rotate in the direction of C. The rotation of the rotor blades 154 causes air to enter the inlet 164. The air is then compressed as it passes through each stage of the compressor 116 and moves downstream in the axial direction. The compressed air can then be discharged through the outlet of the compressor 116.

[0041] The compression of air as it travels through compressor 116 can be based, at least in part, on the clearances between the rotor (e.g., rotor blades 154) and the stator (e.g., housing 160 and stator blades 152). Minimizing these clearances leads to increased air compression. More specifically, the clearance between rotor blades 154 and the inner surface 162 of housing 160 can be directly related to the air compression efficiency of compressor 116. In some examples, the smaller the clearance between rotor blades 154 and the inner surface 162, the more efficient compressor 116 is at compressing air. Therefore, the clearance between rotor blades 154 and the inner surface 162 of housing 160 (e.g., blade tip clearance) can be monitored. In some examples, the operation of compressor 116 can be based on the blade tip clearance to improve the efficiency of compressor 116. In some examples, the blade tip clearance can be adversely affected by runout. As used herein, the term “runout” refers to the deviation (in the radial direction) of the circumferential clearance between the center of rotation of a rotating component and the static structure in which the rotating component rotates, or the deviation (in the axial direction) of the clearance between a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating component and a static structure axially deviating from that plane.

[0042] For example, runout occurs when there is a deviation in the circumferential clearance between the rotor (rotating component) and the housing 160 (the static structure in which the rotating component rotates). Furthermore, runout occurs when there is a deviation in the clearance between the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor blades 154 (rotating component) and the stator blades 152 (the static structure deviates axially from this plane). As the runout changes, the blade tip clearance also changes (e.g., increases or decreases), which may negatively impact the efficiency of the compressor 116.

[0043] Typically, runout is measured, verified, etc., using a linear potentiometer. A linear potentiometer is an analog sensor used to measure the runout of an example rotor after it has already rotated (e.g., during or after the rotor's lifespan). The linear potentiometer is coupled to a probe attached to one of the rotor blades 154. As the rotor blades 154 rotate, the linear potentiometer measures the distance between the linear potentiometer and the internal surface 162 of the housing 160. Linear potentiometers are complex and sensitive measuring devices, which may require disassembling the aircraft engine to collect accurate clearance data. In some examples, the linear potentiometer detects other features of the housing 160 (e.g., crusting, material loss, etc.).

[0044] The examples disclosed herein are capable of measuring clearance data during the lifespan of a gas turbine engine 100. The disclosed examples include example measuring devices that can be deployed into an assembled gas turbine engine. In some examples, the measuring devices disclosed herein can be inserted into such an assembled gas turbine engine via cavities, holes, drilled ports, etc., in the engine housing. For example, the measuring devices disclosed herein can be inserted into a compressor 116 via an example cavity in housing 160. Furthermore, the disclosed examples include example sensor systems having sensors that can be positioned between rotor blades 154. As the rotor blades 154 rotate together with the example measuring devices positioned within the compressor 116, the disclosed examples provide reliable and consistent measurement data. For example, the disclosed examples include a stabilizing body (e.g., an inflatable section, a rigid frame, etc.) that maintains the position of the measuring devices and associated sensor systems. Therefore, the disclosed examples solve the problems of interference and misalignment of the example sensor systems during measurement (e.g., rotation). Furthermore, the disclosed examples can determine whether the surface of the gas turbine engine 100 includes anomalies based on the output of the example sensor system. For example, the disclosed examples may determine whether the internal surface 162 includes an anomaly based on the output of a sensor system associated with measuring devices positioned between rotor blades 154. Furthermore, the disclosed examples may determine remedial actions (e.g., maintenance, repair, recording, etc.) based on detected anomalies associated with the measured surface. The examples disclosed herein are described with reference to example gas turbine engine 100. However, the disclosed examples can be implemented in electric motors or hybrid electric motors.

[0045] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of example environment 200, in which example surface evaluation circuit 202 operates to evaluate... Figure 1A An example surface 204 of the gas turbine engine 100. The examples disclosed herein describe how the example surface evaluation circuit 202 operates to evaluate the internal surface 162 of the housing 160. However, the example surface evaluation circuit 202 can evaluate any example surface of the gas turbine engine 100 (as represented by surface 204). The environment 200 includes surface 204, an example end effector 206, and an example server 210. The end effector 206 is a measuring device including an example sensor system 208. In some examples, the end effector 206 is located at the distal end of the measuring device. The end effector 206 is communicatively coupled (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) to the server 210. In this example, the server 210 implements the surface evaluation circuit 202. The surface evaluation circuit 202 includes an example end effector controller circuit 212, an example sensor interface circuit 214, and an example anomaly detection circuit 216.

[0046] Figure 2The surface evaluation circuit 202 can be instantiated by a programmable circuit (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)) that executes the first instruction (e.g., creating an instance, making it exist for any length of time, materializing, implementing, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, Figure 2 The surface evaluation circuit 202 can be instantiated (e.g., instantiated, made to exist for any length of time, materialized, implemented, etc.) by (i) an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or (ii) a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) constructed and / or configured to perform an operation corresponding to the first instruction in response to the execution of the second instruction. It should be understood that, therefore, Figure 2 Some or all of the circuits can be instantiated at the same or different times. For example, Figure 2 Some or all of the circuitry can be instantiated in one or more threads that execute concurrently and / or serially on hardware. Furthermore, in some examples, Figure 2 Some or all of the circuitry can be implemented by microprocessor circuitry that executes instructions and / or by FPGA circuitry that operates to implement one or more virtual machines and / or containers.

[0047] End actuator controller circuit 212 monitors the position of end actuator 206. For example, end actuator 206 is monitored when it is inserted into the cavity of gas turbine engine 100. In some examples, end actuator controller circuit 212 manipulates end actuator 206 into a space within housing 160 of compressor 116. In some examples, end actuator controller circuit 212 monitors the position of end actuator 206 when it is manually inserted into a space within housing 160 of compressor 116. In some examples, end actuator controller circuit 212 monitors the position of end actuator 206 between adjacent rotor blades in rotor blades 154. In some examples, end actuator 206 includes an inflatable body. In these examples, end actuator controller circuit 212 causes the inflatable body to expand / inflate or contract / deflate. For example, end actuator controller circuit 212 expands the inflatable body to contact adjacent rotor blades in rotor blades 154. In some examples, the end effector 206 includes a rigid frame (e.g., where the sensor system 208 is mounted on the rigid frame).

[0048] Furthermore, the rigid frame of the end effector 206 is capable of moving from a folded position to an unfolded position. In some examples, the end effector controller circuit 212 moves the rigid frame from the folded position to the unfolded position based on the position of the end effector 300 or the position of the sensor system 402. For example, the end effector controller circuit 212 moves the rigid frame to modify the position of the sensor system 208 (e.g., relative to the internal surface 162). For example, if the sensor system 208 is to scan or otherwise measure the internal surface 162 of the housing 160, the end effector controller circuit 212 moves the rigid frame to position the sensor system 208 adjacent to (e.g., close to) the internal surface 162. Thus, when the end effector controller circuit 212 changes the position of the rigid frame, the end effector controller circuit 212 changes the position of the sensor system 208. In other words, the position of the sensor system 208 is based on the position of the rigid frame. In some examples, the end effector controller circuit 212 is instantiated by programmable circuitry that executes controller instructions and / or configured to execute such instructions as those provided by… Figure 15 The flowchart represents the operations of those operations.

[0049] In some examples, the surface evaluation circuit 202 includes means for controlling the end effector. For example, the means for control may be implemented by the end effector controller circuit 212. In some examples, the end effector controller circuit 212 may be instantiated by programmable circuitry, such as… Figure 16 Example programmable circuit 1612, a programmable circuit that executes machine-executable instructions, such as those given by... Figure 15 The instructions implemented in at least block 1502. In some examples, the end effector controller circuit 212 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuitry, which may be implemented by an ASIC or XPU configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the end effector controller circuit 212 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the end effector controller circuit 212 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry, ASIC, XPU, comparator, operational amplifier, logic circuitry, etc.) configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other configurations are equally applicable.

[0050] When the end effector 206 is positioned within the cavity of the gas turbine engine 100, the sensor interface circuit 214 causes the sensor system 208 to scan surface 204. For example, the sensor interface circuit 214 causes the sensor system 208 to scan the internal surface 162 of the compressor 116 as the rotor blades 154 rotate, as at least in conjunction with... Figure 4 Detailed description. In some examples, sensor interface circuitry 214 causes sensor system 208 to scan internal surface 162 to determine whether internal surface 162 includes anomalies (e.g., crusts, debris, out-of-round measurements, etc.). In some examples, sensor interface circuitry 214 is instantiated by programmable circuitry that executes sensor interface instructions and / or configured to perform actions such as those described by... Figure 15 The flowchart represents the operations of those operations.

[0051] In some examples, the surface evaluation circuit 202 includes means for interfacing with a sensor. For example, the means for interfacing may be implemented by sensor interface circuitry 214. In some examples, sensor interface circuitry 214 may be instantiated by programmable circuitry, such as… Figure 16 Example programmable circuit 1612, a programmable circuit that executes machine-executable instructions, such as those given by... Figure 15 The instructions implemented in at least block 1504. In some examples, sensor interface circuitry 214 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuitry, which may be implemented by an ASIC or XPU configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Additionally or alternatively, sensor interface circuitry 214 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, sensor interface circuitry 214 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry, ASIC, XPU, comparator, operational amplifier, logic circuitry, etc.) configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other configurations are equally applicable.

[0052] Anomaly detection circuit 216 determines surface measurements based on the output of sensor system 208. In some examples, anomaly detection circuit 216 determines surface measurements associated with internal surface 162 by generating (e.g., reconstructing) a three-dimensional (3D) model of internal surface 162, such as by at least combining... Figure 9-11Detailed description. Furthermore, the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement. In some examples, the target surface measurement indicates an acceptable design measurement associated with surface 204. In some examples, the surface measurement is the runout of the internal surface 162. In some examples, the surface measurement is a linear measurement (e.g., distance, line dimension, etc.). In some examples, the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement is an out-of-roundness measurement associated with the internal surface 162. In some examples, when the difference exceeds a threshold, the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the internal surface 162 includes an anomaly. Furthermore, the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines remedial measures (e.g., maintenance, repair, recording, etc.) based on the anomaly. For example, if the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the internal surface 162 includes an out-of-roundness measurement exceeding the target measurement, then the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the internal surface 162 needs to be repaired or replaced. In other words, if the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the internal surface 162 is deformed from its original shape, then the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the internal surface 162 needs to be repaired (e.g., reshaped to its original shape / roundness). In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 displays a notification (e.g., message, alarm, etc.) indicating the anomaly on a workstation associated with the end effector 206. For example, the workstation may be connected to the end effector 206 via a wired or wireless connection. In some examples, a user controls the end effector 206 or provides commands to the end effector 206 via the workstation. In some examples, the workstation includes a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying, presenting, or transmitting notifications to the user of the workstation. In some examples, the notification includes anomaly-based remedial measures. In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 is instantiated by a programmable circuit that executes anomaly detection instructions and / or configured to perform actions such as those described by... Figure 15 The flowchart represents the operations of those operations.

[0053] In some examples, the surface evaluation circuit 202 includes means for detecting anomalies. For example, the means for detection may be implemented by an anomaly detection circuit 216. In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 may be instantiated by a programmable circuit, such as... Figure 16 Example programmable circuit 1612, a programmable circuit that executes machine-executable instructions, such as those given by... Figure 15The instructions implemented by at least blocks 1506, 1508, 1510, 1512, 1514, and 1516. In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 may be instantiated by hardware logic circuitry, which may be implemented by an ASIC or XPU configured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the anomaly detection circuit 216 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the anomaly detection circuit 216 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry, ASIC, XPU, comparator, operational amplifier, logic circuitry, etc.) configured and / or constructed to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other configurations are equally applicable.

[0054] Figure 3 It shows the location at Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example end actuator 300 is located within the compressor 116. Specifically, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the end actuator 300 relative to the rotor blades 154 and stator blades 152. The end actuator 300 is coupled to an example tether 302 and an example inflatable body 304 (e.g., a duct, airbag, etc.). The inflatable body 304 expands to contact adjacent rotor blades in the rotor blades 154. The tether 302 extends through an example first port 306 of the compressor housing 160 and an example second port 308 of the engine housing. The tether 302 includes wires or other connections for guiding, manipulating, controlling, etc., of the end actuator 300 (e.g., via surface evaluation circuitry 202 implemented by server 210). In some examples, the end actuator 300 is manually inserted into the compressor 116.

[0055] Figure 4 An end actuator 300 between adjacent rotor blades 154a and 154b is shown. Furthermore, Figure 4A detailed view of the end effector 300 is provided. The end effector 300 includes an example rigid frame 400, an example sensor system 402, and an inflatable body 304. The sensor system 402 includes an example first sensor 404, an example second sensor 406, and an example third sensor 408. The sensor system 402 is positioned on an example portion 410 of the rigid frame 400. The inflatable body 304 contacts the portion 410 (e.g., the bottom surface of the portion 410) and the rotor blades 154a, 154b. The inflatable body 304 presses against example surfaces 412, 414 of the corresponding rotor blades 154a, 154b to hold the portion 410 in position, and thus hold the sensor system 402 in position. Specifically, the inflatable body 304 blocks or restricts the movement of the rotor blades 154a, 154b (e.g., when the rotor blades 154a, 154b rotate). Therefore, when the sensor system 402 scans the inner surface 162 ( Figure 1B When inflatable body 304 and rigid frame 400 are in use, they reduce unnecessary movement of sensor system 402 (e.g., movement that would otherwise interfere with or cause measurement failure of sensor system 402).

[0056] Figure 5A It shows relative to Figure 1B The inflatable body 304 is positioned within the shell 160. Figure 5A In the middle, the inflatable main body 304 is in a folded, closed, or stored position. For example... Figure 5A As shown, the inflatable body 304 is guided through the example cavity 502 in the housing 160. Figure 5B The location within the compressor 116 is shown. Figure 5A The inflatable body 304. In particular, the inflatable body 304 is positioned between adjacent rotor blades 154a and 154b.

[0057] Figure 5C It shows relative to housing 160 Figure 4 Example end effector 300. End effector 300 is guided through cavity 502 in housing 160. Figure 5D An end actuator 300 is shown positioned between rotor blades 154a and 154b. Therefore, the inflatable body 304 and the end actuator 300 are positioned between rotor blades 154a and 154b. Furthermore, the inflatable body 304 is positioned between rotor blade 154b and the end actuator 300. In some examples, the inflatable body 304 is positioned within the compressor 116 prior to the end actuator 300, as in combination... Figures 5A-5D As described above. In some examples, the end effector 300 is positioned within the compressor 116 prior to the inflatable body 304. In some examples, the end effector 300 and the inflatable body 304 are simultaneously positioned with respect to the compressor 116. For example... Figure 5DAs shown, the end effector 300 (e.g., the rigid frame 400 of the end effector 300) is in a first, initial, folded, or other position. Furthermore, the inflatable body 304 is held... Figure 5D The first storage location in the system.

[0058] Figure 6A The end effector 300 is shown in the first position. Figure 6B The end effector 300 is shown in the second position. Figure 6C The end effector 300 is shown in the third position. Figure 6D An end effector 300 in a fourth position is shown. A rigid frame 400 includes a portion 410 (e.g., a top portion 410), example legs 600, 602, 604, and an example base 606. Legs 600, 602, 604 include example pins 610 that mate with or engage with example slots 612 in the base 606. When legs 600, 602, 604 move (e.g., upwards or downwards), slots 612 facilitate lateral movement of pins 610. Therefore, the rigid frame 400 is capable of moving between first, second, third, and fourth positions based on the movement of legs 600, 602, 604. Furthermore, the rigid frame 400 moves to control the position of the sensor system 402. For example, the rigid frame 400 can raise or lower the sensor system 402.

[0059] Figure 7A This shows the position between rotor blades 154a and 154b. Figure 6B The second position of the end effector 300. Figure 7B This shows the position between rotor blades 154a and 154b. Figure 6D The end effector 300 is in the fourth position. Furthermore, the inflatable body 304 is in... Figure 7A and Figure 7B The first position in the list. Figure 7C It shows that it is in Figure 6D The end effector 300 is in the fourth position. Furthermore, the inflatable body 304 is in... Figure 7C The second position within the frame. Specifically, the inflatable body 304 is positioned between the base 606 and the top portion 410. Furthermore, the inflatable body 304 is positioned between the legs 600, 602 and the support leg 604. Therefore, the inflatable body 304 is positioned within the rigid frame 400.

[0060] Figure 7D It shows that it is in Figure 6D The end effector 300 is in the fourth position. Furthermore, the inflatable body 304 is in... Figure 7DThe third position in the process. Specifically, the inflatable body 304 has expanded, causing it to contact the rotor blades 154a and 154b. The inflatable body 304 contacts the rigid frame 400. For example, the rigid frame 400 is in... Figure 7D The inflatable body 304 is positioned around the inflatable main body 304. In some examples, the inflatable main body 304 supports or holds the rigid frame 400 in position to maintain the position of the sensor system 402. Furthermore, the inflatable main body 304 supports or holds the rotor blades 154a, 154b in position (e.g., to ensure that the movement of the rotor blades 154a, 154b is restricted as they rotate). In some examples, maintaining the position of the rotor blades 154a, 154b or the rigid frame 400 when the sensor system 402 scans the internal surface 162 produces more accurate measurements. In other words, the stability of the rigid frame 400 and the rotor blades 154a, 154b protects the sensor system 402 from unwanted movement or pushing that could negatively affect the measurement outputs of the sensors 404, 406, 408. Therefore, when the sensor system 402 is stabilized by the rigid frame 400, the inflatable main body 304, etc., it prevents or limits the remedies for inaccurate determinations by the anomaly detection circuit 216. Figures 7A-7D In the example, sensor system 402 faces the inner surface 162 of housing 160. Figure 1B ).exist Figure 7D In, with Figure 7A Compared to the position of the sensor system 402 in the first position (where the rigid frame 400 is in the fourth position), the sensor system 402 is positioned closer to the inner surface 162. In some examples, positioning the sensor system 402 closer to the inner surface 162 will produce more accurate measurements when the sensor system 402 scans the inner surface 162.

[0061] Figure 8A Another example end effector 800 constructed according to the examples disclosed herein is shown. Figure 8A In the image, the end effector 800 is shown between adjacent rotor blades 154c and 154d. Figure 8BThis is another view of an end effector 800 positioned between rotor blades 154c and 154d. In some examples, the end effector 800 is guided through example port 802 to be positioned between rotor blades 154c and 154d. The end effector 800 includes example recesses 804 and 806 that engage, connect, latch, attach, hook, etc., the ends 808 and 810 of the corresponding rotor blades 154c and 154d. For example, recess 806 is adapted to receive end 808 of rotor blade 154c. Additionally, recess 804 is adapted to receive end 810 of rotor blade 154d. In some examples, the end effector 800 is manually attached to rotor blades 154c and 154d. The end effector 800 includes a rigid body supporting an example sensor system 812 (e.g., having three sensors). Therefore, the rigid body of the end effector 800 holds the rotor blades 154c, 154d in position by clamping or holding them on the ends 808, 810 via notches 804, 806. Thus, the movement of the rotor blades 154c, 154d is restricted / constrained, which in turn keeps the sensor system 812 stable as the rotor blades 154c, 154d rotate. In some examples, the end effector 800 is referred to as a blade rider because it is attached to or “rides” the rotor blades 154c, 154d. In some examples, the end effector 800 is communicatively coupled (e.g., via a wireless connection) to the surface evaluation circuitry 202 to facilitate anomaly assessment of the internal surface 162. In some examples, the end effector 800 is directly coupled (e.g., via a wired connection) to the surface evaluation circuitry 202.

[0062] Figure 9This is a detailed view of the sensor system 402 included in the end effector 300. The sensor system 402 includes a first sensor 404, a second sensor 406, and a third sensor 408. The first sensor 404, the second sensor 406, and the third sensor 408 are spaced approximately the same distance (e.g., within 1 millimeter (mm)). In some examples, a first distance between the first sensor 404 and the second sensor 406 is approximately 3 mm, a second distance between the second sensor 406 and the third sensor 408 is approximately 3 mm, and a third distance between the first sensor 404 and the third sensor 408 is approximately 3 mm. In other examples, the first distance is different from (e.g., greater than or less than) the second distance, the second distance is different from the third distance, or the third distance is different from the first distance. The first sensor 404, the second sensor 406, and the third sensor 408 scan an example surface (e.g., internal surface 162) and output surface measurements. In some examples, the first sensor 404, the second sensor 406, and the third sensor 408 output measured values ​​indicating the distance between the internal surface 162 and the corresponding sensors 404, 406, and 408.

[0063] Figure 10A The first graphic representation of the output of sensor system 402 is 1000. Figure 10B The second graphic representation of the output of sensor system 402 is 1002. Figure 10A As shown in the first graphic representation 1000, the output includes a first distance A between the positions of the first sensor 404 and the second sensor 406, a second distance B between the positions of the second sensor 404 and the third sensor 408, a third distance C between the positions of the first sensor 404 and the third sensor 408, and a first angle θ between the reference axis 1004 and the line segment connecting the first sensor 404 and the second sensor 406. A The second angle θ between the reference axis 1004 and the line segment connecting the first sensor 404 and the third sensor 408 C .like Figure 10B As shown in the second graphic representation 1002, the output includes a first distance Z1 between the position of the first sensor 404 and the internal surface 162, a second distance Z2 between the position of the second sensor 406 and the internal surface 162, and a third distance Z3 between the position of the third sensor 408 and the internal surface 162. Furthermore, the second graphic representation 1002 includes an example detection plane 1006 corresponding to the first graphic representation 1000. The anomaly detection circuit 216 accesses the outputs (A, B, C, θ). A θ CZ1, Z2, Z3) to generate example shield plane 1008. Shield plane 1008 represents inner surface 162. Furthermore, anomaly detection circuit 216 utilizes shield plane 1008 to determine any given point (pt) on detection plane 1006. x pt y The distance Z of ) is as follows, in conjunction with example equations (1), (2) and (3). As shown in equation (1) below, the anomaly detection circuit 216 performs a cross product operation on the two vectors (vec1, vec2) associated with the shield plane 1008 to generate the first output vector [P x ,P y ,P z ]:

[0064] cross(vec1,vec2) = [P x ,P y ,P z (1).

[0065] In equation (2), the anomaly detection circuit 216 is based on the constant k and the point (pt). x pt y The coordinates and output vector [P] x ,P y ,P z To determine the point (pt) on the probe plane 1006 x pt y The distance Z between the shield plane 1008 and the shield plane:

[0066]

[0067] In equation (3) below, the distance Z (as determined in equation (2)) can be verified by linear algebra by taking the null space of the shield point:

[0068]

[0069] Figure 11An example reconstruction calculation 1100 is shown. Anomaly detection circuit 216 accesses the shield plane 1008 from the second graphical representation 1002 to generate a two-dimensional (2D) representation of the inner surface 162 (e.g., example curve 1102). Input parameters include the radius (R) of the inner surface 162 (e.g., 226.75 mm), first coordinates (x1, y1, z1) associated with a first given point on the shield plane 1008, and second coordinates (x2, y2, z2) associated with a second given point on the shield plane 1008. Output parameters include the distance (Q) from the origin of curve 1102 to the midpoint of the line segment between the first and second coordinates, and the height (h) between curve 1102 and the line segment between the first and second coordinates. In some examples, anomaly detection circuit 216 solves for Q and h to account for additional distance / measurement values ​​of the example surface (e.g., a circular surface). Equations (4), (5), (6), and (7) below demonstrate how to solve for Q and h:

[0070]

[0071]

[0072] h = RQ (7).

[0073] Equation (8) below shows how to reconstruct a 3D representation of the inner surface 162. For example, based on the input parameter R and four or more coordinates (x, y, x) associated with the shield plane 1008. j y j , z j Solving the four output parameters a, b, c, and d in equation (8) will yield the reconstructed 3D surface:

[0074]

[0075] Example output parameters a, b, c, and d define the internal surface 162 in 3D (e.g., the cylindrical shape of the internal surface 162). In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 solves Equation 8 above based on at least four sensor outputs from the sensor system 402. For example, the sensor interface circuit 214 causes the sensor system 402 to scan a portion of the internal surface 162 at a first time (e.g., to obtain three sensor outputs from the first sensor 404, the second sensor 406, and the third sensor 408) and at a second time (e.g., to obtain three additional outputs from the first sensor 404, the second sensor 406, and the third sensor 408). The anomaly detection circuit 216 accesses four or more of these sensor outputs (e.g., four, five, or six) to solve Equation 8. Example sensor interface circuit 214 continues to scan portions of the internal surface 162. For example, the sensor interface circuit 214 scans each portion of the internal surface 162 at least twice to obtain four or more sensor outputs. Conversely, the anomaly detection circuit 216 solves equation 8 to generate a reconstructed 3D model of a portion of the internal surface 162. In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 compares or sums the reconstructed 3D models corresponding to portions of the internal surface 162 to generate a reconstructed 3D model of the entire internal surface 162.

[0076] In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 analyzes the roundness or concentricity of the reconstructed 3D surface (generated based on Equations 1-8). For example, as combined below... Figures 12A-12C The anomaly detection circuit 216 applies a Fourier transform to the frequency data associated with the reconstructed 3D surface to determine whether the reconstructed 3D surface is concentric or non-concentric (e.g., out of circle). In other words, the anomaly detection circuit 216 can generate surface concentricity data associated with the reconstructed 3D surface.

[0077] Figure 12A This is an example first graph 1200 representing surface concentricity data associated with three different reconstructed 3D surfaces. The first graph 1200 includes example graph 1202a corresponding to a first reconstructed surface, example graph 1202b corresponding to a second reconstructed surface, and example graph 1202c corresponding to a third reconstructed surface. Anomaly detection circuit 216 generates the first, second, and third reconstructed surfaces based on equations 1-8 above. Furthermore, in this example, the first, second, and third reconstructed surfaces correspond to different examples of internal surfaces 162 included in different aircraft engines being analyzed. In this example, the different aircraft engines being analyzed have been used for different periods (e.g., 3 months, 1 year, 7 years, etc.). Therefore, the concentricity data associated with the first, second, and third reconstructed surfaces will vary (e.g., based on the lifespan of the respective engines).

[0078] Figure 12B This is an example second graph 1204 representing the surface concentricity data of the first reconstructed surface, the second reconstructed surface, and the third reconstructed surface. The second graph 1204 includes example graph 1206a corresponding to the first reconstructed surface, example graph 1206b corresponding to the second reconstructed surface, and example graph 1206c corresponding to the third reconstructed surface. Figure 12C This is an example third curve 1208 representing surface concentricity data. The third curve 1208 includes example graph 1210a corresponding to the first reconstructed surface, example graph 1210b corresponding to the second reconstructed surface, and example graph 1210c corresponding to the third reconstructed surface.

[0079] In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines concentricity data based on a comparison between the known radius of the example surface and each of the first, second, and third reconstructed surfaces. In some examples, the known radius of the example surface is a target surface measurement (e.g., acceptable radius, ideal radius, etc.) associated with the inner surface 162.

[0080] In graphs 1200, 1204, and 1208, data represented by example graphs 1202a, 1206a, and 1210a indicate that the first reconstructed surface comprises a substantially constant radius and is concentric with the target surface measurement (e.g., within 10 mm). Data represented by example graphs 1202b, 1206b, and 1210b indicate that the second reconstructed surface comprises a non-concentric radius. In these examples, the second reconstructed surface includes at least one anomaly such that the radius is non-concentric with the target surface measurement. Similarly, data represented by example graphs 1202c, 1206c, and 1210c indicate that the third reconstructed surface comprises a non-concentric radius. However, the third reconstructed surface comprises more anomalies than the second reconstructed surface (e.g., more non-concentric). Therefore, higher-order frequencies are associated with surfaces that are less concentric (e.g., have more anomalies).

[0081] Figure 13 Another example end effector 1300 constructed in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein is shown. Figure 13The end actuator 1300 is similar to end actuator 300. For example, end actuator 1300 includes an example inflatable body 1302 positioned between adjacent rotor blades in example rotor blades 1304 of example compressor 1306. Furthermore, end actuator 1300 includes an example sensor system 1308 mounted to an example rigid portion 1310 of end actuator 1300. However, sensor system 1308 faces the adjacent stage of stator blade 1312. In this example, stator blade 1312 is positioned in front of rotor blade 1304. In some examples, sensor system 1308 faces the adjacent stage of stator blade 1314 positioned behind rotor blade 1304. Therefore, surface evaluation circuit 202 accesses the output of sensor system 1308 to determine the spacing between adjacent stages within compressor 1306. In some examples, sensor system 1308 determines the distance between the high-pressure turbine nozzle and rotor blade 1304 (e.g., in the axial direction A).

[0082] Figure 14 Another example surface 1400 analyzed by the surface evaluation circuit 202 via the end effector 300 is shown. Example surface 1400 is an annular inner surface of the compressor housing 1402, which includes an abrasive material. The abrasive material is the friction interface of the rotating stages of rotor blades 1404a, 1404b, 1404c, 1404d, 1404e. The surface evaluation circuit 202 monitors the spacing between the tips of the rotor blades 1404a, 1404b, 1404c, 1404d, 1404e and the surface 1400 containing the abrasive material. In some examples, when at least one of the spacings exceeds a threshold spacing (e.g., 0.50 inches (in)), the surface evaluation circuit 202 determines that excessive wear has occurred on the abrasive material.

[0083] Although Figure 2 An example implementation of the surface evaluation circuit 202 is shown, but Figure 2 One or more elements, processes, and / or devices shown may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated, and / or implemented in any other way. Furthermore, Figure 2The example end effector controller circuit 212, example sensor interface circuit 214, example anomaly detection circuit 216, and / or more generally, example surface evaluation circuit 202 can be implemented individually in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software and / or firmware. Therefore, for example, any of the example end effector controller circuit 212, example sensor interface circuit 214, example anomaly detection circuit 216, and / or more generally, example surface evaluation circuit 202 can be implemented by a combination of programmable circuitry with machine-readable instructions (e.g., firmware or software), processor circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, logic circuitry, programmable processors, programmable microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), and / or field-programmable logic devices (FPLDs) (e.g., FPGAs). Furthermore, Figure 2 Example surface evaluation circuit 202 may include, except Figure 2 One or more elements, processes and / or devices other than those shown, or in place of them Figure 2 One or more of the elements, processes, or devices shown, and / or may include more than one of any or all of the elements, processes, and devices shown.

[0084] Figure 15 The diagram illustrates a representation that can be implemented and / or instantiated by a programmable circuit. Figure 2 Example machine-readable instructions and / or representations of the surface evaluation circuit 202 can be implemented and / or instantiated by programmable circuitry. Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating example operation of the surface evaluation circuit 202 is provided. Machine-readable instructions can be one or more executable programs or part of one or more executable programs for execution by programmable circuitry. In some examples, machine-readable instructions cause operations, tasks, etc., to be performed and / or carried out automatically in the real world. As used herein, “automatic” means without human intervention.

[0085] The program may be embodied in instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable storage media, such as cache memory, magnetic storage devices or disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical storage devices or disks (e.g., Blu-ray discs, optical discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), registers, ROM, solid-state drives (SSDs), SSD memory, non-volatile memory (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) of any type), and / or any other storage device or disk. The instructions on the non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media may be programmed and / or executed by programmable circuitry located in one or more hardware devices, but the entire program and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed and / or instantiated and / or embodied in dedicated hardware by one or more hardware devices other than programmable circuitry. Machine-readable instructions can be distributed across multiple hardware devices and / or executed by two or more hardware devices (e.g., server and client hardware devices). For example, client hardware devices can be implemented by endpoint client hardware devices (e.g., hardware devices associated with human and / or machine users) or intermediate client hardware device gateways (e.g., radio access networks (RANs)) that facilitate communication between server and endpoint client hardware devices. Similarly, non-transitory computer-readable storage media can include one or more media. Furthermore, although references... Figure 15 The flowchart shown describes an example program, but many other methods of implementing the example surface evaluation circuit 202 can be used alternatively. For example, the execution order of the flowchart blocks can be changed, and / or some of the described blocks can be changed, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the flowchart blocks can be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry, FPGA, ASIC, comparator, operational amplifier, logic circuitry, etc.) configured to perform the corresponding operation without executing software or firmware. Programmable circuitry can be distributed across different network locations and / or locally deployed on one or more hardware devices (e.g., single-core processors (e.g., single-core CPUs), multi-core processors (e.g., multi-core CPUs, XPUs, etc.)). For example, programmable circuitry can be a CPU and / or FPGA located in the same package (e.g., the same integrated circuit (IC) package or two or more separate housings), one or more processors in a single machine, multiple processors distributed across multiple servers in a server rack, multiple processors distributed across one or more server racks, etc., and / or any combination thereof.

[0086] Machine-readable instructions described herein may be stored in one or more of the following formats: compressed format, encrypted format, segmented format, compiled format, executable format, packaged format, etc. Machine-readable instructions as described herein may be stored as data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, one or more bits (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), bit streams (e.g., computer-readable bit streams, machine-readable bit streams, etc.)) or data structures (e.g., as part of instructions, code, code representation, etc.) that can be used to create, manufacture, and / or produce machine-executable instructions. For example, machine-readable instructions may be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices, disks, and / or computing devices (e.g., servers) located in the same or different locations (e.g., in the cloud, on edge devices, etc.) within a network or network set. Machine-readable instructions may require installation, modification, adaptation, updating, combination, supplementation, configuration, decryption, decompression, unpacking, distribution, reallocation, compilation, etc., to make them directly readable, interpretable, and / or executable by computing devices and / or other machines. For example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple parts that are individually compressed, encrypted, and / or stored on separate computing devices, wherein these parts, when decrypted, decompressed, and / or combined, form a set of computer-executable and / or machine-executable instructions that perform one or more functions and / or operations, and these instructions may together form a program, such as those described herein.

[0087] In another example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state in which they can be read by programmable circuitry, but require the addition of libraries (e.g., dynamic link libraries (DLLs)), software development kits (SDKs), application programming interfaces (APIs), etc., to execute the machine-readable instructions on a specific computing device or other device. In yet another example, the machine-readable instructions may need to be configured (e.g., storage settings, data input, recorded network addresses, etc.) before they can be executed in whole or in part. Therefore, as used herein, machine-readable, computer-readable, and / or machine-readable media may include instructions and / or programs, regardless of their specific format or state.

[0088] The machine-readable instructions described in this article can be represented using any past, present, or future instruction set language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, machine-readable instructions can be represented using any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C#, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0089] As mentioned above, Figure 15Example operations can be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer-readable and / or machine-readable instructions) stored on one or more non-transient computer-readable and / or machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms non-transient computer-readable medium, non-transient computer-readable storage medium, non-transient machine-readable medium, and / or non-transient machine-readable storage medium are explicitly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk, excluding propagation signals and transmission media. Examples of such non-transient computer-readable medium, non-transient computer-readable storage medium, non-transient machine-readable medium, and / or non-transient machine-readable storage medium include optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, HDDs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), CDs, DVDs, caches, any type of RAM, registers, and / or any other storage device or storage disk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., over an extended period of time, permanent, transient instances, temporary buffers, and / or caches of information). As used herein, the terms "non-transient computer-readable storage device" and "non-transient machine-readable storage device" are defined as including any physical (mechanical, magnetic, and / or electrical) hardware designed to retain information for a period of time, excluding propagation signals and transmission media. Examples of non-transient computer-readable storage devices and / or non-transient machine-readable storage devices include any type of random access memory, any type of read-only memory, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disc, hard disk, disk drive, and / or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system. As used herein, the term "device" refers to a physical structure, such as mechanical and / or electrical equipment, hardware, and / or circuitry, which may or may not be configured with, and / or manufactured for executing, computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc.

[0090] Figure 15 This is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 1500 that can be executed, instantiated, and / or performed by programmable circuitry to evaluate the surface of an aircraft engine. Figure 15Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 1500 begin at block 1502, where end actuator controller circuitry 212 monitors the position of end actuator 300, which has a sensor (e.g., sensor system 402). In some examples, end actuator controller circuitry 212 manipulates end actuator 300 into a space or cavity within the housing 160 of compressor 116. In some examples, end actuator 300 is manually inserted into a space within the housing 160 of compressor 116. In some examples, end actuator controller circuitry 212 monitors the position of end actuator 300 between adjacent rotor blades in rotor blades 154a, 154b. In some examples, end actuator controller circuitry 212 causes inflatable body 304 to expand / inflate or contract / deflate based on the position of end actuator 300 relative to rotor blades 154a, 154b. For example, the end effector controller circuit 212 inflates the inflatable body 304 to contact adjacent rotor blades among the rotor blades 154a, 154b. In some examples, the end effector controller circuit 212 causes the rigid frame 400 to move from a folded position based on the position of the end effector 300 or the position of the sensor system 402. Figure 6A Move to the expanded position ( Figure 6D , 7B (7C, 7D). For example, the end effector controller circuit 212 moves the rigid frame 400 to modify the position of the sensor system 402 (e.g., relative to the inner surface 162). Thus, when the end effector controller circuit 212 changes the position of the rigid frame 400, the end effector controller circuit 212 changes the position of the sensor system 402.

[0091] At block 1504, when the end effector is positioned within the cavity of the aircraft engine, sensor interface circuit 214 causes the sensor to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine. For example, when the end effector 300 is positioned within the compressor 116 of the gas turbine engine 100 (e.g., when the rotor blades 154 rotate), sensor interface circuit 214 causes sensor system 402 to scan internal surface 162.

[0092] At block 1506, anomaly detection circuit 216 determines surface measurements based on the output of a sensor (e.g., sensor system 402). In some examples, anomaly detection circuit 216 determines surface measurements associated with internal surface 162 by generating a 3D model of internal surface 162, such as by at least combining... Figure 9-11 Detailed description. For example, the surface measurement is the radius associated with the reconstructed 3D model of the internal surface 162.

[0093] At box 1508, anomaly detection circuit 216 determines the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement. In some examples, the target surface measurement indicates an acceptable design measurement associated with surface 204. For example, the target surface measurement is the radius of the original internal surface (before the compressor 116 was reused for months, years, etc.). In some examples, the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement is an out-of-roundness measurement associated with internal surface 162. In some examples, the target surface measurement for the radius of internal surface 162 is approximately 230 mm, and the surface measurement is 232 mm. In these examples, anomaly detection circuit 216 determines the difference to be 2 mm (e.g., 232 mm - 230 mm = 2 mm).

[0094] At block 1510, anomaly detection circuit 216 determines whether the difference exceeds a threshold. In some examples, the threshold is 0.1 mm. In other words, the maximum permissible difference between the target surface measurement and the surface measurement (e.g., based on the output of sensor system 402) is 0.1 mm. If anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the difference exceeds (e.g., is greater than) the threshold, process control proceeds to block 1512. For example, if the difference is 2 mm and the threshold is 0.1 mm, then anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the difference exceeds the threshold (e.g., 2 mm > 0.1 mm). In these examples, process control proceeds to block 1512. Alternatively, if anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the difference meets (e.g., is less than) the threshold, then process control proceeds to block 1516. For example, if the difference is 0.05 mm and the threshold is 0.1 mm, then anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the difference meets the threshold (e.g., 0.05 mm < 0.1 mm). In these examples, process control proceeds to block 1516.

[0095] At frame 1512, the anomaly detection circuit 216 determines that the internal surface 162 includes anomalies (e.g., defects, scabs, debris, etc.). For example, the internal surface 162 includes anomalies when it has been deformed (e.g., no longer concentric with its original shape).

[0096] At box 1514, the anomaly detection circuit 216 displays a notification indicating an anomaly on the workstation associated with the end effector 300. In some examples, the anomaly detection circuit 216 displays a notification indicating remedial measures on the workstation associated with the end effector 300.

[0097] At block 1516, anomaly detection circuit 216 determines whether to evaluate another surface. If anomaly detection circuit 216 determines to evaluate another surface in gas turbine engine 100, process control returns to block 1502. Alternatively, if anomaly detection circuit 216 determines not to evaluate another surface in gas turbine engine 100, the process terminates.

[0098] Figure 16 This is a block diagram of an example programmable circuit platform 1600, which is configured to perform and / or instantiate... Figure 15 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations for implementation Figure 2 Surface evaluation circuit 202. Programmable circuit platform 1600 can be, for example, a server, personal computer, workstation, self-learning machine (e.g., neural network), mobile device (e.g., mobile phone, smartphone, such as iPad). TM Tablets, headphones (e.g., augmented reality (AR) headphones, virtual reality (VR) headphones, etc.) or other wearable devices, or any other type of computing and / or electronic device.

[0099] The programmable circuit platform 1600 shown in the example includes programmable circuitry 1612. Programmable circuitry 1612 is hardware. For example, programmable circuitry 1612 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, FPGAs, microprocessors, CPUs, GPUs, DSPs, and / or microcontrollers from any desired family or manufacturer. Programmable circuitry 1612 can be implemented by one or more semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) devices. In this example, programmable circuitry 1612 implements example end effector controller circuitry 212, example sensor interface circuitry 214, and example anomaly detection circuitry 216.

[0100] The programmable circuit 1612 shown in the example includes local memory 1613 (e.g., cache, registers, etc.). The programmable circuit 1612 of the example communicates via bus 1618 with main memory 1614, 1616, which includes volatile memory 1614 and non-volatile memory 1616. Volatile memory 1614 may be synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc. Dynamic Random Access Memory And / or any other type of RAM device. The non-volatile memory 1616 can be implemented by flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory 1614, 1616 of the illustrated example is controlled by the memory controller 1617. In some examples, the memory controller 1617 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microcontrollers, or any other type of circuit from any desired series or manufacturer to manage the flow of data into and out of the main memory 1614, 1616.

[0101] The programmable circuit platform 1600 shown in the example also includes interface circuitry 1620. Interface circuitry 1620 can be implemented in hardware according to any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, etc. Interfaces include Near Field Communication (NFC) interfaces, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interfaces, and / or Fast Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCIe) interfaces.

[0102] In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 1622 are connected to interface circuitry 1620. Input devices 1622 allow users (e.g., human users, machine users, etc.) to input data and / or commands into programmable circuitry 1612. Input devices 1622 may be implemented using, for example, audio sensors, microphones, cameras (still or video), keyboards, buttons, mice, touchscreens, trackpads, trackballs, isotope devices, and / or voice recognition systems.

[0103] One or more output devices 1624 are also connected to the interface circuitry 1620 of the illustrated example. The output devices 1624 may be implemented, for example, by a display device (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal display (LCD), cathode ray tube (CRT) display, in-place switching (IPS) display, touchscreen, etc.), a haptic output device, a printer, and / or a speaker. Therefore, the interface circuitry 1620 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or graphics processor circuitry, such as a GPU.

[0104] The interface circuit 1620 of the example shown also includes communication devices, such as a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, modem, residential gateway, wireless access point, and / or network interface, to facilitate the exchange of data with external machines (e.g., any type of computing device) via network 1626. Communication can be achieved through, for example, Ethernet connections, digital subscriber line (DSL) connections, telephone line connections, coaxial cable systems, satellite systems, line-of-sight wireless systems, line-of-sight wireless systems, cellular telephone systems, optical connections, etc.

[0105] The programmable circuit platform 1600 illustrated also includes one or more mass storage disks or devices 1628 for storing firmware, software, and / or data. Examples of such mass storage disks or devices 1628 include magnetic storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, drives, HDDs, etc.), optical storage devices (e.g., Blu-ray discs, CDs, DVDs, etc.), RAID systems, and / or solid-state storage disks or devices such as flash memory and / or SSDs.

[0106] Machine-readable instruction 1632 can be derived from Figure 15The machine-readable instructions can be implemented and stored in mass storage device 1628, volatile memory 1614, non-volatile memory 1616 and / or on at least one removable non-transient computer-readable storage medium (e.g., CD or DVD).

[0107] "Comprising" and "including" (and all their forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Therefore, whenever a claim uses any form of "comprising" or "including" (e.g., including, comprising, having, etc.) in the preamble or in any type of claim statement, it should be understood that additional elements, terms, etc., may be present without exceeding the scope of the corresponding claim or statement. As used herein, the phrase "at least" is open-ended when used as a transitional term, for example, in the preamble of a claim, just as the terms "comprising" and "including" are open-ended. For example, when the term "and / or" is used in the form of A, B, and / or C, it refers to any combination or subset of A, B, C, such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, or (7) A and B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the conduct or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the conduct or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase “at least one of A or B” is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of the following: (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0108] As used herein, singular references (e.g., “a,” “an,” “first,” “second,” etc.) do not exclude plurals. As used herein, the term “a” or “an” refers to one or more of those objects. The terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” are used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple means, elements, or actions may be implemented by, for example, the same entity or object. Moreover, although individual features may be included in different examples or claims, these features may also be combined together, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not mean that the combination of features is infeasible and / or unadvantageous.

[0109] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the term "above" describes the relationship of two parts relative to the Earth. The first part is above the second part if the second part has at least one portion between the Earth and the first part. Similarly, as used herein, the first part is "below" the second part when the first part is closer to the Earth than the second part. As stated above, the first part may be above or below the second part, and their relative positional relationship may have one or more of the following: there are other parts between them, there are no other parts between them, the first part and the second part are in contact, or the first part and the second part are not in direct contact with each other.

[0110] As used in this patent, a statement that any part (e.g., layer, film, region, area, or plate) is on another part in any way (e.g., positioned on, located, disposed on, or formed on another part, etc.) indicates that the referenced part is in contact with the other part, or that the referenced part is above the other part and there are one or more intermediate parts therebetween.

[0111] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, a connection reference (e.g., attachment, coupling, connection, and engagement) may include intermediate components between elements referred to by the connection reference and / or relative movement between these elements. Therefore, a connection reference does not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected and / or have a fixed relationship with each other. As used herein, stating that any part is "in contact" with another part means that there is no intermediate component between the two parts.

[0112] Unless otherwise specified, descriptors used herein, such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., do not in any way assign or otherwise indicate any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or sorting, but are merely used as labels and / or arbitrary names to distinguish elements for the purpose of understanding the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor “first” may be used to refer to an element in a detailed description, while the same element may be referred to by a different descriptor (e.g., “second” or “third”) in the claims. In such cases, it should be understood that these descriptors are only used to clearly identify these elements within the context of the discussion (e.g., within the claims), because without such descriptors, these elements might (e.g.) share the same name.

[0113] As used herein, “approximately” and “about” modify their subject / value to identify variations that may exist in real-world applications. For example, “approximately” and “about” may modify dimensions that may not be precise due to manufacturing tolerances and / or other real-world defects that a person skilled in the art would understand. For example, “approximately” and “about” may indicate that these dimensions may be within a tolerance of + / - 10%, unless otherwise specified herein.

[0114] As used herein, the phrase “in communication” includes its variations, including direct communication and / or indirect communication through one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or continuous communication, but additionally includes selective communication at periodic intervals, predetermined intervals, non-periodic intervals and / or one-off events.

[0115] As used herein, “programmable circuit” is defined as including (i) one or more application-specific circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) configured to perform a particular operation and including one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors), and / or (ii) one or more general-purpose semiconductor-based circuits programmable with instructions to perform a particular function and / or operation, and including one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors). Examples of programmable circuits include programmable microprocessors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) programmable with second instructions to configure and / or structure an FPGA to instantiate one or more operations and / or functions corresponding to the first instructions; a graphics processing unit (GPU) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; a digital signal processor (DSP), XPU, network processing unit (NPU) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; and one or more microcontrollers and / or integrated circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions. For example, an XPU can be implemented by a heterogeneous computing system that includes a variety of programmable circuits (e.g., one or more FPGAs, one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more NPUs, one or more DSPs, etc., and / or any combination thereof) and an orchestration technique (e.g., an application programming interface (API)) that can assign computing tasks to any of the various types of programmable circuits that is suitable and available to perform the computing tasks.

[0116] As used herein, an integrated circuit / circuit is defined as one or more semiconductor packages containing one or more circuit elements (e.g., transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, current paths, diodes, etc.). For example, an integrated circuit can be implemented as one or more of an ASIC, FPGA, chip, microchip, programmable circuit, semiconductor substrate coupled with multiple circuit elements, system-on-a-chip (SoC), etc.

[0117] As can be understood from the foregoing, example systems, apparatuses, articles of manufacture, and methods for dynamically determining clearance data during the lifespan of a gas turbine engine 100 have been disclosed. The disclosed examples include example measuring devices that can be deployed into an assembled gas turbine engine. In some examples, the measuring devices disclosed herein can be inserted into such an assembled gas turbine engine via cavities, holes, drilled ports, etc., in the engine housing. For example, the measuring devices disclosed herein can be inserted into the compressor 116 via an example cavity in the housing 160. Furthermore, the disclosed examples include example sensor systems having sensors that can be positioned between rotor blades 154. As the rotor blades 154 rotate together with the example measuring device positioned within the compressor 116, the disclosed examples provide reliable and consistent measurement data. For example, the disclosed examples include a stable body that maintains the position of the measuring device and the associated sensor system. Therefore, the disclosed examples solve the problems of interference and misalignment of the example sensor system during measurement (e.g., rotation). Furthermore, the disclosed examples can determine whether the surface of the gas turbine engine 100 includes anomalies based on the output of the example sensor system. For example, the disclosed examples may determine whether the internal surface 162 includes an anomaly based on the output of a sensor system associated with a measuring device located between rotor blades 154. Furthermore, the disclosed examples may determine remedial measures (e.g., maintenance, repair, recording, etc.) based on detected anomalies associated with the measured surface.

[0118] An apparatus includes: an end effector of a measuring device having a sensor facing an annular inner surface of a compressor housing of an aircraft engine; machine-readable instructions; and at least one processor circuit programmed by the machine-readable instructions to perform the following operations: when the end effector is positioned in the cavity of the aircraft engine, causing the sensor to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement value based on the output of the sensor; determining a difference between the surface measurement value and a target surface measurement value; determining that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly.

[0119] According to any of the preceding clauses, the at least one processor circuit enables machine-readable instructions to monitor the position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of the rotor in the aircraft engine.

[0120] The device according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the at least one surface is the annular inner surface of the compressor housing, wherein the at least one processor circuitry enables machine-readable instructions to cause the sensor to scan the annular inner surface as the rotor rotates.

[0121] According to any of the preceding clauses of the device, wherein the at least one processor circuitry enables machine-readable instructions to determine the surface measurements associated with the annular inner surface by generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the annular inner surface.

[0122] According to any of the preceding clauses of the device, the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement is an out-of-roundness measurement associated with the inner annular surface.

[0123] According to any of the foregoing clauses, the end effector includes an inflatable body that contacts the adjacent rotor blade.

[0124] The device according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the sensor is mounted on a rigid frame of the end effector, the rigid frame being movable from a folded position to an unfolded position.

[0125] The device according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the position of the sensor is based on the position of the rigid frame.

[0126] A non-transient machine-readable medium includes machine-readable instructions to cause processor circuitry to perform at least the following operations: when an end effector having a sensor is positioned in a cavity of an aircraft engine, causing the sensor of the end effector to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine, the sensor facing an annular inner surface of the compressor housing of the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement based on the output of the sensor; determining a difference between the surface measurement and a target surface measurement; determining that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly.

[0127] According to any of the preceding clauses, a non-transient machine-readable medium wherein the machine-readable instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuitry to monitor the position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of the rotor in the aircraft engine.

[0128] A non-transient machine-readable medium according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the at least one surface is the annular inner surface of the compressor housing, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuitry to cause the sensor to scan the annular inner surface as the rotor rotates.

[0129] According to any of the preceding clauses, a non-transient machine-readable medium wherein the machine-readable instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuitry to determine the surface measurements associated with the annular inner surface by generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the annular inner surface.

[0130] According to any of the preceding clauses, the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement is an out-of-roundness measurement associated with the annular inner surface.

[0131] According to any of the preceding clauses, a non-transient machine-readable medium, wherein the end effector includes an inflatable body that contacts the adjacent rotor blade.

[0132] According to any of the preceding clauses, the non-transient machine-readable medium wherein the sensor is mounted on a rigid frame of the end effector, the rigid frame being movable from a folded position to an unfolded position.

[0133] The non-transient machine-readable medium according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the position of the sensor is based on the position of the rigid frame.

[0134] A method includes: when an end effector having a sensor is positioned within a cavity of an aircraft engine, causing the sensor of the end effector to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine, the sensor facing an annular inner surface of a compressor housing of the aircraft engine, via at least one processor circuit programmed by at least one instruction; determining a surface measurement value based on the output of the sensor via one or more of the at least one processor circuit; determining a difference between the surface measurement value and the target surface measurement value via one or more of the at least one processor circuit; determining, via one or more of the at least one processor circuit, that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly via one or more of the at least one processor circuit.

[0135] The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes monitoring the position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of the rotor in the aircraft engine.

[0136] The method according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the at least one surface is the annular inner surface of the compressor housing, further includes causing the sensor to scan the annular inner surface as the rotor rotates.

[0137] The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes determining the surface measurements associated with the annular inner surface by generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the annular inner surface.

[0138] An example device includes an end effector of a measuring device having a sensor facing an adjacent stage of a stator blade of an aircraft engine; machine-readable instructions; and at least one processor circuit programmed by the machine-readable instructions to perform the following operations: when the end effector is positioned in a cavity of the aircraft engine, causing the sensor to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement value based on the output of the sensor; determining a difference between the surface measurement value and a target surface measurement value; determining that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly.

[0139] According to any of the preceding clauses, the at least one processor circuit enables machine-readable instructions to monitor the position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of the rotor in the aircraft engine.

[0140] The device according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the at least one surface is an annular inner surface of the compressor housing, wherein the at least one processor circuitry enables machine-readable instructions to cause the sensor to scan the annular inner surface as the rotor rotates.

[0141] According to any of the preceding clauses of the device, wherein the at least one processor circuitry enables machine-readable instructions to determine the surface measurements associated with the annular inner surface by generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the annular inner surface.

[0142] According to any of the preceding clauses of the device, the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement is an out-of-roundness measurement associated with the inner annular surface.

[0143] According to any of the foregoing clauses, the end effector includes an inflatable body that contacts the adjacent rotor blade.

[0144] The device according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the sensor is mounted on a rigid frame of the end effector, the rigid frame being movable from a folded position to an unfolded position.

[0145] The device according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the position of the sensor is based on the position of the rigid frame.

[0146] An example non-transient machine-readable medium includes machine-readable instructions to cause processor circuitry to perform at least the following operations: when an end effector having a sensor is positioned in a cavity of an aircraft engine, causing the sensor of the end effector to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine, the sensor facing an adjacent stage of the stator blades of the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement based on the output of the sensor; determining a difference between the surface measurement and a target surface measurement; determining that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly.

[0147] According to any of the preceding clauses, a non-transient machine-readable medium wherein the machine-readable instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuitry to monitor the position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of the rotor in the aircraft engine.

[0148] A non-transient machine-readable medium according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the at least one surface is the annular inner surface of the compressor housing, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuitry to cause the sensor to scan the annular inner surface as the rotor rotates.

[0149] According to any of the preceding clauses, a non-transient machine-readable medium wherein the machine-readable instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuitry to determine the surface measurements associated with the annular inner surface by generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the annular inner surface.

[0150] According to any of the preceding clauses, the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement is an out-of-roundness measurement associated with the annular inner surface.

[0151] According to any of the preceding clauses, a non-transient machine-readable medium, wherein the end effector includes an inflatable body that contacts the adjacent rotor blade.

[0152] Example 15 includes the non-transient machine-readable medium of Example 10, wherein the sensor is mounted on a rigid frame of the end effector, the rigid frame being movable from a folded position to an unfolded position.

[0153] The non-transient machine-readable medium according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the position of the sensor is based on the position of the rigid frame.

[0154] An example method includes: when an end effector having a sensor is positioned within a cavity of an aircraft engine, causing the sensor of the end effector to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine via at least one processor circuit programmed by at least one instruction, the sensor facing an adjacent stage of a stator blade of the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement value based on the output of the sensor via one or more of the at least one processor circuit; determining a difference between the surface measurement value and a target surface measurement via one or more of the one or more processor circuits; determining, via one or more of the one or more processor circuits, that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly via one or more of the at least one processor circuit.

[0155] The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes monitoring the position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of the rotor in the aircraft engine.

[0156] The method according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the at least one surface is the annular inner surface of the compressor housing, further includes having the sensor scan the annular inner surface as the rotor rotates.

[0157] The method according to any of the foregoing clauses further includes determining the surface measurements associated with the annular inner surface by generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the annular inner surface.

[0158] The following claims are incorporated herein by reference in this detailed description. Although certain example systems, devices, articles, and methods have been disclosed herein, the scope of this patent is not limited thereto. Rather, this patent covers all systems, devices, articles, and methods that fall fully within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising: comprising: an end effector of a measurement device, the end effector having a sensor facing an annular inner surface of a compressor casing of an aircraft engine; machine-readable instructions; and at least one processor circuit programmed by the machine-readable instructions to perform the following operations: causing the sensor to scan at least one surface within the aircraft engine when the end effector is positioned in a cavity of the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement based on an output of the sensor; determining a difference between the surface measurement and a target surface measurement; determining that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, wherein, the at least one processor circuit causes the machine-readable instructions to monitor a position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of a rotor in the aircraft engine.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, wherein, the at least one surface is the annular inner surface of the compressor casing, wherein the at least one processor circuit causes the machine-readable instructions to cause the sensor to scan the annular inner surface as the rotor rotates.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, wherein, the at least one processor circuit causes the machine-readable instructions to determine the surface measurement associated with the annular inner surface by generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the annular inner surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, wherein, the difference between the surface measurement and the target surface measurement is a roundness measurement associated with the annular inner surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, wherein, the end effector includes an inflatable body that contacts the adjacent rotor blades.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, wherein, the sensor is mounted on a rigid frame of the end effector, the rigid frame being movable from a folded position to an unfolded position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, wherein, a position of the sensor is based on a position of the rigid frame.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising: the non-transitory machine-readable medium includes machine-readable instructions to cause a processor circuit to perform at least the following operations: causing a sensor of an end effector having the sensor to scan at least one surface within an aircraft engine when the end effector is positioned in a cavity of the aircraft engine, the sensor facing an annular inner surface of a compressor casing of the aircraft engine; determining a surface measurement based on an output of the sensor; determining a difference between the surface measurement and a target surface measurement; determining that the at least one surface includes an anomaly when the difference exceeds a threshold; and displaying a notification indicating the anomaly.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein, wherein, the machine-readable instructions cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to monitor a position of the end effector between adjacent rotor blades of a rotor in the aircraft engine.

Images