Engine Component Integrity Monitoring via Dual Trusted Data Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring component fatigue in gas turbine engines, particularly in simpler aircraft, rely on inadequate communication systems that do not meet regulatory trust levels, leading to potential overestimation of component wear and premature maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize two independent communication paths with different trust levels to transmit usage data from an engine controller to presentation devices, ensuring that critical fatigue data is communicated at a suitable trust level compliant with regulatory standards, thereby maintaining the integrity of the communication system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If simple counting statistics (flight time or distance) are used to monitor component fatigue, then the monitoring system is simple and available on basic aircraft, but the accuracy of fatigue assessment deteriorates leading to overestimation of component wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces communication paths with different trust levels as intermediaries between the engine controller and presentation devices. By routing usage data through communication paths with appropriate trust levels, the system enables accurate fatigue monitoring without requiring complex hardware on simple aircraft, thus resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and measurement accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If sophisticated hardware is used for monitoring component fatigue, then the measurement precision of fatigue assessment is improved, but the device complexity increases and such hardware may not be available on simple aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of trust level assignment for different communication paths rather than changing the physical hardware complexity. By assigning different trust levels to different communication paths and using these trusted paths to transmit usage data, the system achieves accurate fatigue monitoring using existing simple aircraft hardware, thus improving measurement precision without increasing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If usage data is transmitted through communication paths with lower trust levels, then the ease of operation and availability of communication is improved, but the reliability of data transmission deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into multiple independent communication paths, each assigned a specific trust level. By dividing the data transmission across multiple paths with different trust levels, the system maintains ease of operation and communication availability while ensuring that critical usage data is transmitted through sufficiently reliable paths to meet regulatory requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for monitoring component integrity during operation of an engine are provided. Usage data associated with a period of operation of the engine is obtained at an engine controller. The engine controller has assigned thereto a first trust level. A first indication of the usage data is transmitted from the engine controller to a first presentation device forming part of a first communication path, which has assigned thereto a second trust level lower than the first trust level. A second indication of the usage data is transmitted from the engine controller to a second presentation device forming part of a second communication path, which is independent from the first communication path and has assigned thereto the second trust level. The trust level of the first and second communication paths is elevated by having the usage data transmitted through the first and second independent communication paths.