An air turbine starter system working state monitoring system and fault diagnosis method
By adding sensors and controllers to the air turbine starting subsystem, real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis of the starting system are achieved, solving the problem of lack of real-time monitoring and alarm in the existing technology, and improving the system's safety and maintenance efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JINCHENG NANJING ELECTROMECHANICAL HYDRAULIC PRESSURE ENG RES CENT AVIATION IND OF CHINA
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
The existing air turbine starting subsystem lacks real-time monitoring and fault alarm functions, which makes it impossible to detect faults in time. This may lead to the breakage of the starter turbine rotor, causing damage to the aircraft engine, and increasing maintenance costs and flight safety risks.
Monitoring components are added to the air turbine starting subsystem, including an oil level sensor, a temperature sensor, a metal shavings sensor, a vibration sensor, and a speed sensor. The controller collects signals and controls the starting air valve and issues fault alarms based on the fault diagnosis strategy.
It enables real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis of the air turbine starting subsystem, improving aircraft safety performance, reducing maintenance time and operating costs, and enhancing the work efficiency of ground staff.
Smart Images
Figure CN122447148A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aero-engine technology and relates to an air turbine starter, specifically to an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system and fault diagnosis method. Background Technology
[0002] The air turbine starting subsystem generally includes an air turbine starter, an aircraft accessory gearbox, a starting air valve, and a controller. The air turbine starter (hereinafter referred to as the starter) is a rotating machine that uses compressed air to drive the turbine output shaft and thus start the engine; it is the power core of the air turbine starting subsystem.
[0003] like Figure 1 The diagram shows the typical structure of an aero-engine air turbine starting subsystem. After receiving the engine start signal, the aero-engine EEC controller outputs a control signal to open the start air valve. High-temperature, high-pressure air flows to the air turbine starter, driving the turbine output shaft with power or torque, which in turn rotates the high-pressure rotor of the aero-engine. Within 2 minutes, the engine reaches its self-sustaining speed (the speed at which the aero-engine can initially achieve stable operation), completing the engine start-up process. The EEC controller then outputs a closing signal to the start air valve, closing it and stopping the starter. The normal operating pressure range of the starter is 0.2 MPa to 0.5 MPa, and the operating temperature range is -55℃ to +300℃.
[0004] When an aircraft engine starts, a significant amount of shaft power is input into the aircraft accessory gearbox, ultimately driving the high-pressure rotor of the aircraft engine to a certain speed. Once the aircraft engine ignites successfully and reaches a self-sustaining state, the starting process is complete. This speed is the starter motor cut-off speed.
[0005] like Figure 2 As shown, the core component of the starting subsystem, the starter motor, mainly consists of a turbine stage, a reducer, a clutch, and an output shaft. High-pressure air supplied by the air source enters the starter motor through the starter air valve, driving the turbine to continuously increase its speed and output power or torque. The power or torque output by the turbine is reduced and amplified by the reducer, and then transmitted to the aircraft accessory gearbox via the output shaft. The starter motor turbine speed continuously increases until... Figure 3 After the indicated cutoff speed, the starter air valve cuts off the air supply, and the starter turbine speed decreases until it stops working. The starter output shaft has a protective shearing function; under special operating conditions, the starter output shaft will shear to disconnect from the engine accessory gearbox, protecting the starter and the aircraft engine.
[0006] Starter motors are typically located in the engine nacelle and operate independently as LRUs (Line Replaceable Units). They generally lack online diagnostics and fault alarm systems, relying solely on cockpit alerts to indicate engine starting abnormalities. However, faults in the air supply, starting air valve, or starter motor itself cannot be immediately detected; ground crew must disassemble the starting subsystem for preliminary diagnosis. In a typical starter shaft failure, the starter turbine (output shaft) speed rapidly increases within 1 second under compressed air, reaching 100,000 rpm (output shaft up to 10,000 rpm), achieving zero torque output. This speed is called the free-running speed. Prolonged operation at this speed can lead to various problems, including increased lubricating oil temperature, increased vibration, turbine abrasion, and accelerated wear. Especially towards the end of the starter's lifespan, prolonged operation at the free-running speed can cause turbine rupture. High-energy turbine fragments may penetrate the containment structure, damaging the engine and causing serious flight accidents. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid these failure conditions. However, when this fault occurs, the current control system lacks an alarm or troubleshooting method for this type of fault. The pilot, without any alarm signal in the cockpit, may repeatedly attempt to start the engine several times without any indication of increased engine speed. This could easily cause the starter turbine rotor to break at high speed, resulting in damage to the aircraft engine and posing a significant risk to life and property.
[0007] Furthermore, due to the lack of a fault information recording system, ground staff and maintenance personnel can only locate the faulty component by further troubleshooting and disassembling the air source, starting the air valve, or starting the motor. This greatly affects the aircraft's uptime, causes a significant waste of maintenance capital, and increases the airline's operating costs.
[0008] Therefore, a system is needed that can monitor the operating status of the starting system during the starter motor's operation, and realize the functions of recording operating conditions, handling emergencies, and reporting fault types. Summary of the Invention
[0009] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides an air turbine starting subsystem operation status monitoring system and fault diagnosis method. By adding monitoring components to the air turbine starting subsystem, real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis of the air turbine starting subsystem are achieved.
[0010] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:
[0011] An air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system includes a controller, an air turbine starter, and a starting air valve. An air source is connected to the air turbine starter via the starting air valve. The controller is connected to and collects the pressure and temperature before and after the starting air valve. The air turbine starter is equipped with an oil level sensor, an oil temperature sensor, an oil metal shavings sensor, a starter speed sensor, and a starter vibration sensor. The controller is connected to and collects the signals from the above sensors. The controller is also connected to and collects the speed signal of the aero-engine. The controller exchanges data with the aero-engine EEC controller. The controller has a fault diagnosis strategy. Based on the collected signals and internal data, the controller controls the starting air valve according to the fault diagnosis strategy and issues a fault alarm.
[0012] Furthermore, the controller includes interconnected storage, processor, sensor signal acquisition card and interface. The fault diagnosis strategy is set in the storage. The sensor signal acquisition card collects the signals of each sensor and stores them in the storage. The processor receives instructions, reads the data in the storage, issues control instructions to start the air valve and issues fault alarm instructions.
[0013] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, if the pressure before the starting air valve does not rise or is less than the specified lower limit after the pilot issues the start command, a fault is identified in the air supply line switch valve; the controller will not open the starting air valve, the memory records this abnormality and fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0014] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, if the pressure before the starting air valve exceeds the upper limit of the specified value or the temperature exceeds the specified range after the pilot issues the start command, a fault in the upstream air supply equipment is identified, the controller will not open the starting air valve, the memory records this abnormality and fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0015] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, after the pilot issues a start command, if the airflow pressure and temperature before the start air valve are within the specified range, the controller opens the start air valve and collects feedback on the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve; if the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve are outside the set error range, the start air valve is determined to be faulty, the memory records this abnormality and fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0016] Furthermore, the tolerance band of the nominal start-up airflow pressure response curve is defined by using multiple stored instantaneous pressure response curves from multiple engine starts to minimize erroneous indications, or by predefining the tolerance band by testing and simulating known differences.
[0017] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starter subsystem operating status monitoring system is disclosed. Using the aforementioned air turbine starter subsystem operating status monitoring system, when the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the starter air valve meet the requirements, high-temperature, high-pressure air will perform work on the air turbine starter. During this process, the controller collects changes in starter lubricating oil temperature, level, and metal shavings content, and monitors and collects the vibration signal of the entire starter. When the starter is operating normally, the lubricating oil temperature in the oil sump does not exceed 150°C, the lubricating oil level is stable, and the metal shavings content does not exceed a preset value within a maintenance cycle. Under normal operating conditions, the vibration magnitude of the entire starter is stable, and the effective value of the vibration velocity does not exceed 100 mm / s. When any of the above signals are abnormal, the controller determines that the air turbine starter is faulty, the memory records this abnormality and the fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0018] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, under normal starting conditions, if the air turbine starter speed and the high-pressure rotor speed of the aero-engine increase synchronously, and the two speed values meet a certain ratio requirement, then the starter is considered to be working normally, and the aero-engine can start normally; if there is only a speed signal of the air turbine starter, and the high-pressure rotor speed of the aero-engine does not increase, the controller determines that a broken shaft fault has occurred in the air turbine starter output shaft, the controller immediately closes the starting air valve, and alarms the EEC controller.
[0019] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, under conditions exceeding the air turbine starter rotation, if only the high-pressure rotor speed signal of the aircraft engine is present, the air turbine starter is operating normally; if the controller can also detect a high-speed signal from the air turbine starter, the controller determines that the air turbine starter clutch is faulty and alarms the EEC controller.
[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:
[0021] 1. This invention develops a working status detection system for the air turbine starting system of an aero-engine, which has working status identification, alarm, and recording functions. This system can record and identify the specific circumstances of abnormalities and faults occurring in the air turbine starting system, thereby determining the faulty component and providing an alarm to the engine control system.
[0022] 2. This invention can automatically identify the faulty component and provide a rapid and timely warning, facilitating timely operation by the pilot and greatly improving the safety performance of the aircraft.
[0023] 3. It can improve the work efficiency of airline ground staff, reduce aircraft or engine maintenance time, and lower airline operating costs. The operating conditions and status data of the air turbine starting system stored in the system can provide strong support for subsequent maintenance and troubleshooting. Attached Figure Description
[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this invention and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0025] Figure 1 This is a structural composition and control logic diagram of a typical aero-engine starting subsystem in the background technology.
[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the starter motor's operation and structure in the background technology;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the controller structure of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air turbine starter working status monitoring system of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the airflow pressure change curve and the set tolerance curve after the start air valve in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0030] This section describes embodiments of the present invention, used to explain and illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.
[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or case referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include more than one of those features. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.
[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integrated connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or point connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.
[0033] Example 1:
[0034] An air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system includes a controller, an air turbine starter, and a starting air valve. An air source is connected to the air turbine starter via the starting air valve. The controller is connected to and collects the pressure and temperature before and after the starting air valve. The air turbine starter is equipped with an oil level sensor, an oil temperature sensor, an oil metal shavings sensor, a starter speed sensor, and a starter vibration sensor. The controller is connected to and collects the signals from the above sensors. The controller is also connected to and collects the speed signal of the aero-engine. The controller exchanges data with the aero-engine EEC controller. The controller has a fault diagnosis strategy. Based on the collected signals and internal data, the controller controls the starting air valve according to the fault diagnosis strategy and issues a fault alarm.
[0035] The controller includes interconnected storage, processor, sensor signal acquisition card and interface. The fault diagnosis strategy is set in the storage. The sensor signal acquisition card collects the signals of each sensor and stores them in the storage. The processor receives instructions, reads the data in the storage, issues control instructions to start the air valve and issues fault alarm instructions.
[0036] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, if the pressure before the starting air valve does not rise or is less than the specified lower limit after the pilot issues the start command, a fault is identified in the air supply line switch valve; the controller will not open the starting air valve, the memory records this abnormality and fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0037] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, if the pressure before the starting air valve exceeds the upper limit of the specified value or the temperature exceeds the specified range after the pilot issues the start command, a fault in the upstream air supply equipment is identified, the controller will not open the starting air valve, the memory records this abnormality and fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0038] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, after the pilot issues a start command, if the airflow pressure and temperature before the start air valve are within the specified range, the controller opens the start air valve and collects feedback on the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve; if the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve are outside the set error range, the start air valve is determined to be faulty, the memory records this abnormality and fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0039] The tolerance band of the nominal starter air valve airflow pressure response curve can be defined by using multiple stored instantaneous pressure response curves from multiple engine starts to minimize false indications, or by testing and simulating known differences to predefine the tolerance band.
[0040] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starter subsystem operating status monitoring system is disclosed. Using the aforementioned air turbine starter subsystem operating status monitoring system, when the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the starter air valve meet the requirements, high-temperature, high-pressure air will perform work on the air turbine starter. During this process, the controller collects changes in starter lubricating oil temperature, level, and metal shavings content, and monitors and collects the vibration signal of the entire starter. When the starter is operating normally, the lubricating oil temperature in the oil sump does not exceed 150°C, the lubricating oil level is stable, and the metal shavings content does not exceed a preset value within a maintenance cycle. Under normal operating conditions, the vibration magnitude of the entire starter is stable, and the effective value of the vibration velocity does not exceed 100 mm / s. When any of the above signals are abnormal, the controller determines that the air turbine starter is faulty, the memory records this abnormality and the fault diagnosis result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
[0041] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, under normal starting conditions, if the air turbine starter speed and the high-pressure rotor speed of the aero-engine increase synchronously, and the two speed values meet a certain ratio requirement, then the starter is considered to be working normally, and the aero-engine can start normally; if there is only a speed signal of the air turbine starter, and the high-pressure rotor speed of the aero-engine does not increase, the controller determines that a broken shaft fault has occurred in the air turbine starter output shaft, the controller immediately closes the starting air valve, and alarms the EEC controller.
[0042] A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the aforementioned air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, under conditions exceeding the air turbine starter rotation, if only the high-pressure rotor speed signal of the aircraft engine is present, the air turbine starter is operating normally; if the controller can also detect a high-speed signal from the air turbine starter, the controller determines that the air turbine starter clutch is faulty and alarms the EEC controller.
[0043] Example 2:
[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, a typical aircraft engine starting system consists of components such as an air turbine starter, a starter air valve, an accessory gearbox, and an air source. Air can be supplied to the air turbine starter via the starter air valve from the auxiliary power unit (APU), or high-pressure air can be supplied to the air turbine starter via a ground-based air supply vehicle or engine cross-bleed air.
[0045] The air turbine starter structure consists of the following components: Figure 2 As shown, the starter motor mainly consists of a turbine stage, a reducer, a clutch, and an output shaft. High-pressure air supplied by the air source passes through the main air supply valve and then the starter air valve before entering the starter motor. This drives the turbine to continuously increase its speed and output power or torque. The power or torque output by the turbine is reduced and amplified by the reducer before being transmitted to the aircraft accessory gearbox via the output shaft. During this process, the starter turbine speed continuously increases until it is cut off. At this point, the starter air valve cuts off the air supply, and the speed of the starter turbine and reducer decreases until they stop working. Under the action of the clutch, the output shaft continues to rotate with the engine.
[0046] The air turbine starter of this invention includes a speed sensor that outputs a real-time starter motor speed signal. This speed sensor can be implemented using any sensor that meets the usage requirements. The air turbine starter of this invention also includes an oil level sensor that outputs a real-time starter motor oil level signal. This oil level sensor can be implemented using any sensor that meets the usage requirements. The air turbine starter of this invention includes an oil temperature sensor that outputs a real-time starter motor oil temperature signal. This oil temperature sensor can be implemented using any sensor that meets the usage requirements. The air turbine starter of this invention includes an oil metal shavings sensor that outputs a real-time starter motor oil metal shavings content signal. This oil metal shavings sensor can be implemented using any sensor that meets the usage requirements. The air turbine starter of this invention also includes a vibration sensor that outputs a real-time starter motor vibration signal during operation. This vibration sensor can be implemented using any sensor that meets the usage requirements.
[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, the controller device consists of components such as a sensor signal acquisition card, processor, memory, interface, electromagnetic environment shielding device, and housing. The sensor signal acquisition card is an integrated signal acquisition card capable of processing electrical signals such as temperature, pressure, vibration, and speed. The processor includes any known microprocessor of the required performance. The memory includes any computer-readable storage medium storing the data and control algorithms of the monitoring logic described herein, as well as data collected from the starter gear speed sensor, starter output shaft speed sensor, air starter valve pre-pressure and temperature sensor, air starter valve post-pressure and temperature sensor, lubricating oil level and temperature sensor, lubricating oil magnetic debris sensor, and starter vibration sensor. The interface has external communication capabilities, allowing access to sensor signals from the monitoring system and transmission of alarm signals processed by the processor to the engine control system. Its structure is as follows... Figure 3 As shown.
[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, the operating status monitoring and recording system controller can operate as an independent device and upload data signals to the engine controller, or it can integrate the controller's functions into the engine controller and ultimately upload alarm information to the aircraft control terminal.
[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the controller can collect temperature and pressure parameters of the airflow after the main air supply line switch valve (before the starter air valve); it can collect temperature and pressure parameters of the airflow after the starter air valve; it can collect signals of lubricating oil level, temperature, and metal shavings in the starter, as well as the starter's speed and vibration signals; and it can collect speed signals from the high-pressure rotor of the aero-engine. After collecting the above signals, the controller performs an assessment and recording of the starting system's operating status and issues alarms or emergency responses to abnormal situations.
[0050] If, after the pilot issues the start command, the pressure before the start air valve does not rise or falls below the specified lower limit, a fault in the air supply line switch valve is identified. The controller will not open the start air valve, the memory will record this anomaly and the fault diagnosis result, and an alarm will be sent to the EEC controller.
[0051] If, after the pilot issues the start command, the pressure before the start air valve exceeds the upper limit of the specified value or the temperature exceeds the specified range, a fault in the upstream air supply equipment is identified. This upstream air supply equipment is typically an aircraft engine, APU, or ground-based air supply vehicle capable of providing high-temperature, high-pressure gases. To protect the starter and aircraft engine, the controller will not open the start air valve, the memory will record this anomaly and fault diagnosis, and an alarm will be sent to the EEC controller.
[0052] After the pilot issues the start command, if the airflow pressure and temperature before the start air valve are within the specified range, the controller will open the start air valve and collect feedback on the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve. If the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve are outside the set error range, a start air valve malfunction is determined. The memory records this anomaly and the malfunction determination result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller. The tolerance band of the nominal pressure response curve can be defined using multiple stored instantaneous pressure response curves from multiple engine starts to minimize false indications. Alternatively, the tolerance band can be predefined from known differences through testing and / or simulation.
[0053] When the airflow pressure and temperature parameters after the starter air valve meet the requirements, the high-temperature, high-pressure air will perform work on the starter turbine. During this process, the turbine, reducer, and output shaft continuously increase speed to achieve the function of starting the engine. During this process, the controller will collect changes in starter oil temperature, level, and metal shavings content, and monitor and collect the vibration signal of the entire starter. When the starter is working normally, the oil temperature in the sump does not exceed 150℃, the oil level is stable, and the metal shavings content will not exceed the preset value within a maintenance cycle. Under normal operating conditions, the vibration level of the entire starter is stable, and the effective vibration velocity generally does not exceed 100mm / s. When any of the above signals are abnormal, the controller determines that the starter is faulty, records this abnormality and fault determination result in the memory, and sends an alarm to the EEC controller. The aforementioned oil temperature, oil level, metal shavings content in the oil, and starter vibration level can all be obtained from a large amount of experimental data conducted during the starter development process, serving as a baseline for the normal operation of the starter product.
[0054] The starter motor is equipped with a speed sensor, which continuously feeds back the starter motor speed signal to the controller. The controller's memory records the starter motor speed signal and the high-pressure rotor speed signal of the aircraft engine.
[0055] Under normal starting conditions, if the starter speed and the high-pressure rotor speed of the aircraft engine increase synchronously, and the two speed values meet a certain ratio requirement, the starter is considered to be working normally, and the aircraft engine can start normally. If there is only a starting speed signal, but the high-pressure rotor speed of the aircraft engine does not increase, a starter output shaft breakage fault has occurred. The controller determines that a shearing fault has occurred in the starter output shaft, closes the starting air valve within 1 second to prevent the starter from operating at a dangerous speed, records this abnormality and the fault judgment result in the memory, and alarms the EEC controller.
[0056] Under over-rotation conditions, if only the high-pressure rotor speed signal of the aircraft engine is detected, the starter motor is functioning normally. If the controller can also detect a high speed signal from the starter motor, the controller determines that the starter motor clutch is faulty. Furthermore, the memory records this anomaly and the fault diagnosis result, and sends an alarm to the EEC controller.
[0057] Ground maintenance personnel or starter equipment manufacturers can periodically read, or read, the starter operation records and preliminary fault diagnosis data stored in the controller when the engine is starting abnormally, to quickly determine the source of the fault, shorten ground work time, and improve aircraft / engine operating efficiency.
[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A monitoring system for the operating status of an air turbine starting subsystem, characterized in that, The system includes a controller, an air turbine starter, and a starter air valve. The air source is connected to the air turbine starter via the starter air valve. The controller is connected to and collects the pressure and temperature before and after the starter air valve. The air turbine starter is equipped with an oil level sensor, an oil temperature sensor, an oil metal shavings sensor, a starter speed sensor, and a starter vibration sensor. The controller is connected to and collects the signals from these sensors. The controller is also connected to and collects the engine speed signal. The controller exchanges data with the engine's EEC controller. The controller has a fault diagnosis strategy. Based on the collected signals and internal data, the controller controls the starter air valve according to the fault diagnosis strategy and issues a fault alarm.
2. The air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller includes interconnected storage, processor, sensor signal acquisition card and interface. The fault diagnosis strategy is set in the storage. The sensor signal acquisition card collects the signals of each sensor and stores them in the storage. The processor receives instructions, reads the data in the storage, issues control instructions to start the air valve and issues fault alarm instructions.
3. A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, If the pressure before the start air valve does not rise or is lower than the specified lower limit after the pilot issues the start command, a fault in the air supply line switch valve is identified; the controller will not open the start air valve, the memory will record this abnormality and fault judgment result, and an alarm will be sent to the EEC controller.
4. A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, If the pressure in front of the start air valve exceeds the upper limit of the specified value or the temperature exceeds the specified range after the pilot issues the start command, a fault in the upstream air supply equipment will be identified. The controller will not open the start air valve, the memory will record this abnormality and fault judgment result, and an alarm will be sent to the EEC controller.
5. A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, After the pilot issues the start command, if the air pressure and temperature before the start air valve are within the specified range, the controller opens the start air valve and collects the feedback air pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve. If the air pressure and temperature parameters after the start air valve are outside the set error range, the start air valve is determined to be faulty. The memory records this abnormality and fault judgment result and alarms the EEC controller.
6. The fault diagnosis method of the air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The tolerance band of the nominal starter air valve airflow pressure response curve can be defined by using multiple stored instantaneous pressure response curves from multiple engine starts to minimize false indications, or by testing and simulating known differences to predefine the tolerance band.
7. A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the airflow pressure and temperature parameters meet the requirements after the starter air valve is activated, the high-temperature, high-pressure air will perform work on the air turbine starter. During this process, the controller collects changes in starter lubricating oil temperature, level, and metal shavings content, and monitors and collects the vibration signal of the starter. When the starter is working normally, the lubricating oil temperature in the oil sump does not exceed 150°C, the lubricating oil level is stable, and the metal shavings content will not exceed the preset value within a maintenance cycle. Under normal working conditions, the vibration level of the starter is stable, and the effective value of the vibration velocity does not exceed 100 mm / s. When the above signals are abnormal, the controller determines that the air turbine starter is faulty, the memory records this abnormality and the fault judgment result, and an alarm is sent to the EEC controller.
8. A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Under normal starting conditions, if the speed of the air turbine starter increases synchronously with the speed of the high-pressure rotor of the aero-engine, and the two speed values meet a certain ratio requirement, then the starter is considered to be working normally and the aero-engine can start normally. If there is only a speed signal from the air turbine starter and no increase signal from the high-pressure rotor speed of the aircraft engine, the controller determines that a broken output shaft of the air turbine starter has occurred. The controller immediately closes the starting air valve and sends an alarm to the EEC controller.
9. A fault diagnosis method for an air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system, using the air turbine starting subsystem operating status monitoring system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, If only the high-pressure rotor speed signal of the aircraft engine is received when the air turbine starter is in operation beyond the air turbine starter's rotational condition, then the air turbine starter is working normally. If the controller can still detect a high-speed signal from the air turbine starter, the controller determines that the air turbine starter clutch is faulty and sends an alarm to the EEC controller.