AR-Guided Engine Servicing for Accurate On-Wing Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for servicing gas turbine engines require costly and time-consuming disassembly and inspection, limiting efficiency and increasing maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing augmented reality and robotic assemblies for autonomous or semi-autonomous servicing, including inspection and repair, with augmented reality devices providing real-time information and guidance to human operators, and robotic assemblies capable of navigating and performing tasks with minimal human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional disassembly and inspection methods are used, then thorough inspection can be performed, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital twin or virtual model of the engine that mirrors the physical engine's state. Sensors on the physical engine feed data to this digital copy, allowing inspectors to examine the virtual model in detail without disassembling the actual engine. This copying approach maintains inspection accuracy while eliminating time-consuming physical disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical disassembly and manual inspection with automated sensing systems and digital visualization. Sensors, cameras, and computational models substitute for mechanical teardown procedures, enabling non-intrusive inspection that preserves both accuracy and reduces time requirements.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If engine is disassembled for inspection, then internal components become accessible, but the process increases cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a detailed digital replica of the engine's internal structure and component states, the system makes all components accessible within the virtual model. Inspectors can navigate and examine any component in the digital twin without physically opening or disassembling the engine, thus improving accessibility while reducing procedural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital twin serves as an intermediary between the physical engine and the inspector. Rather than directly interacting with the complex physical system requiring disassembly, the inspector interacts with the simplified digital representation, which mediates access to all components without the complexity of physical teardown procedures.
3Productivity
If on-wing maintenance is performed, then downtime is reduced, but inspection accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the need to remove the engine from the wing by using sensor systems and digital modeling that can operate in-situ. Sensors mounted on the wing or on portable fixtures can capture data from engine components while the engine remains installed, maintaining inspection accuracy through automated sensing while enabling on-wing maintenance for improved productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital twin allows complete inspection of engine components while the physical engine remains mounted on the wing. By copying all relevant component states and conditions into the virtual model through sensor data, the system preserves inspection accuracy that would traditionally require engine removal, thus enabling productive on-wing maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of servicing engines, an exemplary method of servicing an engine, the method including receiving, by one or more computing devices, information corresponding to one or more components of the engine; determining, by the one or more computing devices, a location of the one or more components of the engine with respect to a location of an augmented reality device; and presenting, in a current field of view display of the augmented reality device, at least a portion of the information corresponding to the one or more components of the engine, wherein the portion of the information includes a rendering of the one or more components, instructions regarding operations to be performed on the one or more components, directional arrows or contextual information associated with the one or more components, or any combination thereof.