Gas Turbine Particulate Sensor System for Accumulation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft gas turbine engines lack systems to differentiate between types, quantities, and sizes of particulate matter, such as ice, dust, or volcanic ash, which accumulate and affect engine performance, necessitating a method to sense and manage particulate ingestion and accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising first and second particulate sensors mounted at strategic positions on the gas turbine engine, coupled with a processor to determine the type, quantity, and size of particulate, and calculate the amount accumulated, with the ability to compare this to threshold values and generate alerts or initiate corrective actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If particulate sensors are installed to detect particulate accumulation, then measurement capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into multiple independent sensors positioned at different locations (first position upstream, second position downstream) to detect particulate accumulation at different stages. Each sensor independently measures particulate characteristics, and the processor integrates these segmented measurements to determine total accumulation, resolving the contradiction by distributing measurement functionality across multiple simple units rather than one complex system
Solution Approach 2:
A processor acts as an intermediary between the particulate sensors and the engine control system. The processor receives raw sensor signals, processes them to determine particulate type, quantity, and size, and then generates appropriate control signals. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the complex processing logic separately from the sensing and actuation components
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed at different positions, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement function is segmented across multiple sensors positioned at different locations within the engine. The first sensor is positioned upstream to detect incoming particulate, while the second sensor is positioned downstream to detect particulate after potential accumulation. This spatial segmentation enables differentiation between particulate type, quantity, and accumulation status without requiring each sensor to perform all measurement functions independently
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a spatial dimension to measurement by placing sensors at different positions (upstream and downstream) and potentially at different heights or orientations. This dimensional arrangement allows the system to infer accumulation information by comparing measurements across space rather than requiring a single complex sensor to measure all parameters simultaneously
3Reliability
If real-time particulate monitoring is implemented, then engine reliability is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system operates with periodic sampling rather than continuous monitoring, where the processor evaluates sensor signals at predetermined time intervals or when threshold conditions are met. This periodic operation maintains engine reliability by detecting accumulation events while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous real-time monitoring of all sensor parameters
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for determining particulate accumulation in a gas turbine engine includes sensing the number, size, and type of particulate at a first position on the gas turbine engine and supplying first data representative thereof, where the first position located at a first side of a gas turbine engine component; sensing the number, size, and type of particulate at a second position on the gas turbine engine and supplying first data representative thereof, where the second position located at a second side of the gas turbine engine component and downstream of the first position; and processing the first data and the second data to determine the mass of the particulate accumulated on the gas turbine engine component.