Avionics Thermal Unbalance Detection for Turbine Engine Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preventing thermal unbalance in aircraft turbine engines after shutdown are inadequate as they do not account for the specific state of the engine or the conditions of its stopping sequence, leading to potential damage from rotor-stator contacts during restart.
Innovation Solution
An avionics device that monitors turbine engines using temperature, pressure, and acceleration measurements to estimate the presence of thermal unbalance, employing statistical models and databases to provide pilots with real-time information and assist in decision-making regarding safe restart times, thereby preventing rotor-stator contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed time period is imposed after engine shutdown to prevent thermal unbalance, then engine safety is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to unnecessary waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static fixed-time restriction into a dynamic, adaptive system that continuously monitors engine parameters (temperature, pressure, acceleration) and adjusts the restart prohibition period based on actual thermal unbalance conditions. This allows the system to extend safety protection while reducing unnecessary waiting time when thermal unbalance is minimal, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring of engine parameters during shutdown and before restart. By measuring temperature distribution, pressure changes, and acceleration vibrations, the system assesses thermal unbalance in real-time and provides feedback to the pilot regarding safe restart timing. This feedback mechanism enables safety decisions based on actual engine state rather than conservative fixed intervals, improving both safety and operational efficiency
2Measurement precision
If thermal unbalance monitoring is implemented using multiple sensors and statistical models, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes existing engine sensors (temperature, pressure, acceleration sensors already present in modern turbine engines) to monitor thermal unbalance conditions. By repurposing these existing components for thermal unbalance detection rather than adding dedicated new sensors, the system achieves improved measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors changes in physical parameters (temperature distribution, pressure differentials, vibration acceleration) to detect thermal unbalance. By focusing on parameter changes rather than absolute values and using statistical analysis of these changes, the system achieves high detection accuracy while keeping the measurement system relatively simple and leveraging standard sensor capabilities
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces the risk of rotor-stator contact damage by providing accurate estimates of thermal unbalance and recommended restart times, improving engine safety and performance.
Implementation Method 1
using measurements from an accelerometer monitoring a particular turbine engine while it is starting to detect the energy released by any contact
Implementation Method 2
thermal unbalance is estimated by making use of at least: a measured temperature
Implementation Method 3
thermal unbalance is estimated by making use of at least: a measured pressure
Implementation Method 4
thermal unbalance is estimated by using a statistical model, e.g. comprising a decision tree, a neural network, or any other appropriate probabilistic model or statistical model
Data Source
AI summary
A method of characterizing a turbine engine, the method comprising:steps of using measurements from an accelerometer monitoring a particular turbine engine while it is starting to detect the energy released by any contact during said starting between the rotor and the stator of the turbine engine, and of associating any such detection of contact with thermodynamic data measured on the particular turbine engine; and thena recognition training step, based on the associations, to enable a thermal context of the turbine engine to be used to recognize the presence of a rotor thermal unbalance to be taken into account in order to avoid contacts between the rotor and the stator on starting.