Aircraft Engine Health Monitoring via Wireless Fault Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines, particularly those not configured for measuring and analyzing certain operation parameters, face challenges in monitoring health parameters like vibrations, which can lead to damage and performance degradation without dedicated sensors and compatible controllers, necessitating improvements in health monitoring systems.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for monitoring aircraft engine health using a health evaluation device that wirelessly transmits fault signals to the controller when health parameters exceed predetermined thresholds, incorporating a health instrument to measure vibrations or other parameters and a communication link to integrate with existing engine systems without requiring retrofitting or re-certification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a health evaluation device is added to monitor engine parameters, then health monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The health evaluation device acts as an intermediary component that receives signals from existing engine instruments through a communication bus, processes health parameters, and transmits fault signals back to the controller. This mediator approach enables health monitoring without directly modifying the original engine control architecture, thus improving reliability while minimizing added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The health evaluation device is designed to work with multiple existing engine instruments and communication protocols simultaneously, serving universal health monitoring functions across different engine configurations. This multi-functionality allows a single device to provide comprehensive health monitoring without requiring separate dedicated systems for each parameter, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
2Ease of operation
If wireless transmission of fault signals is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces physical wired connections with wireless signal transmission between the health evaluation device and the engine controller. By substituting the mechanical connection (wires) with electromagnetic signal transmission, the system achieves easier installation and operation while the wireless transmission complexity is managed through standardized communication protocols and integrated transceivers
3Ease of manufacture
If minimally-invasive integration is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but measurement precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The health evaluation device serves as a non-invasive intermediary that interfaces with existing engine instruments through standard communication buses without requiring physical modification of the engine or its control systems. This approach enables easy integration and manufacture while maintaining measurement precision by leveraging the accuracy of existing certified instruments and adding only signal processing functionality in the intermediary device
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the health monitoring function by processing and analyzing signals that already exist in the engine control system. Rather than adding physical sensors that would require invasive installation, the health evaluation device copies and analyzes existing instrument data, achieving easy integration while preserving the precision of the original measurement systems
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for operating an aircraft engine. A health parameter for the aircraft engine is monitored by a health evaluation device, the health parameter received from a first instrument. the health parameter is compared, by the health evaluation device, to a predetermined threshold. When the health parameter reaches the predetermined threshold, the health evaluation device wirelessly transmits a fault signal to a controller associated with the aircraft engine to elicit a health response from the controller, the fault signal containing at least two mutually-exclusive fault codes associated with an operating condition of the aircraft engine monitored by a second instrument.