Aircraft Engine Material Failure Detection With Neuromorphic Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional synchronous sensors in aircraft engines generate large volumes of data at high frequencies, posing challenges in efficient analysis and storage, particularly on aircraft with limited capabilities, and fail to effectively detect material failures in real-time.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of neuromorphic sensors, such as high-speed cameras with optical magnification, that asynchronously report changes in data characteristics, activating other sensors only upon detecting material failures, thereby reducing unnecessary data collection and focusing resources on critical events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional synchronous sensors are used to monitor engine status, then continuous data collection is achieved, but large volumes of data are generated requiring extensive storage and processing resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information by using neuromorphic sensors that detect and report only changes in data characteristics (edges, transitions, anomalies) rather than continuously sampling all data. This extraction principle filters out redundant information while preserving critical anomaly detection capabilities, significantly reducing data volume without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by activating synchronous sensors only when anomalies are detected by the neuromorphic sensor, rather than running all sensors continuously. This selective activation reduces overall data generation while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability when needed, balancing resource usage with detection reliability.
2Reliability
If synchronous sensors operate continuously at high frequency, then complete engine status monitoring is achieved, but storage and processing capabilities are overwhelmed on aircraft with limited resources
Solution Approach 1:
The neuromorphic sensor acts as an intermediary between the engine and the data management system. It pre-processes and filters the data stream, extracting only significant changes and anomalies before transmission to the main system. This intermediary layer simplifies the data management burden on aircraft with limited resources while maintaining reliable material failure detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by having the neuromorphic sensor detect and flag anomalies before they require full system intervention. This preliminary detection allows the synchronous sensors to be activated only when necessary, reducing the overall complexity of the data management system while ensuring reliable material failure detection through early warning.
3Measurement precision
If synchronous sensors collect data at predetermined intervals, then consistent monitoring is maintained, but real-time anomaly detection is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic action strategically by having synchronous sensors operate at high frequency only when anomalies are detected, rather than maintaining continuous high-frequency sampling. This periodic activation triggered by neuromorphic sensor events achieves precise real-time anomaly detection while reducing overall data collection burden, eliminating the trade-off between precision and response time.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to aircraft engines and, more particularly, to detecting material failures associated with aircraft engines using neuromorphic sensors. In some embodiments, an event associated with a material failure in the portion of an aircraft engine is identified based on a change in a data characteristic from a neuromorphic sensor. In response to identifying the event associated with the material failure of the aircraft engine, at least one other sensor coupled to the aircraft engine is activated, where the activated sensor(s) is configured to collect data associated with the aircraft engine synchronously. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.