Aircraft Engine Anti-Ice Sensor Fault Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft engine anti-ice sensor faults often lead to erroneous readings due to water or fluid presence, triggering costly and time-consuming maintenance procedures, including systematic component removal and inspection.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that compare pressure data from multiple sensors to generate a variance value, indicating liquid presence when it exceeds a threshold, thereby identifying faulty sensors without extensive maintenance, using on-board and remote computing devices to analyze data from pressure sensors and torque motors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If typical fault isolation procedures are used to detect faulty sensors, then sensor faults can be identified, but maintenance costs and downtime increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis by continuously monitoring pressure data from multiple sensors and calculating variance values before actual sensor failure occurs. This allows early detection of liquid presence in sensors, enabling proactive maintenance scheduling that minimizes operational downtime while ensuring sensor reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical fault isolation procedures with an automated electronic system that uses processors to analyze pressure data, calculate variances, and generate fault indications. This substitution eliminates the need for systematic component removal and physical inspection, dramatically reducing maintenance time while maintaining detection accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If systematic component removal and inspection procedures are performed, then faulty sensors can be located, but maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-diagnosis by automatically analyzing pressure data from multiple sensors, calculating variance values, and identifying which sensor contains liquid. This self-service capability eliminates the need for expensive manual inspection procedures while maintaining precise faulty sensor location accuracy, directly reducing maintenance costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that analyzes pressure data between the sensors and the maintenance personnel. This intermediary calculates variance values and generates fault indications, providing precise faulty sensor identification without requiring direct manual inspection, thereby reducing maintenance costs while preserving measurement precision.
3Productivity
If multiple pressure sensors are monitored and variance analysis is performed, then faulty sensors can be identified without extensive maintenance, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the fault detection task by assigning specific functions to different components: pressure sensors collect data, the processor calculates variances, and the system generates fault indications. This segmentation manages complexity by dividing the overall system into distinct functional modules while maintaining high maintenance efficiency through automated variance analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor serves multiple functions by continuously monitoring pressure data, calculating variance values, comparing thresholds, and generating fault indications for multiple sensors. This multi-functionality manages system complexity by using a single processing unit to handle all sensor analysis tasks, improving productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for detecting faulty engine anti-ice sensor is disclosed and may include obtaining first pressure data representing a first pressure over a period of time at a first engine anti-ice pressure sensor on an aircraft engine. The method may further include obtaining second pressure data representing a second pressure over the period of time at a second engine anti-ice pressure sensor on the aircraft engine. The method may also include generating a variance value based at least partially on a variance of a difference between the first pressure data and the second pressure data. The method may include providing an indication that liquid is within the first engine anti-ice pressure sensor or the second engine anti-ice pressure sensor when the variance value exceeds a threshold.