Continuous Gas Turbine Performance Analysis via Phase Compensation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current performance assessment methods for gas turbine engines, such as daily pre-flight power assurance tests, are costly, potentially dangerous, and do not provide continuous monitoring, leading to delayed detection of engine performance deterioration.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for continuous performance analysis that collects transient data, applies transfer functions to generate phase-compensated data representing steady-state relationships, and calculates estimates using stored performance characteristic curves, allowing for real-time monitoring without requiring steady-state conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a daily pre-flight power assurance test is conducted to verify engine performance, then the engine can meet minimum power requirements, but the helicopter may be exposed to enemy fire and significant flight time and engine life is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs continuous performance monitoring during normal flight operations, so the performance assessment is already completed before the pre-flight test would be needed. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated test flights that would expose the helicopter to additional risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The engine performance monitoring system uses the engine's own operational data during normal missions to assess its performance, rather than requiring separate test operations. The system serves its own diagnostic needs through continuous sensing and analysis of its own performance parameters.
2Reliability
If a daily pre-flight power assurance test is conducted to verify engine performance, then the engine can meet minimum power requirements, but significant flight time and engine life is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors engine performance during all flight operations, accumulating performance data over time. This continuous monitoring replaces the need for periodic dedicated test flights, as performance assessment occurs continuously during normal useful flight time.
Solution Approach 2:
Performance assessment is performed continuously during normal operations, so the evaluation is already complete before any pre-flight test would be conducted. This eliminates redundant testing and the associated time consumption.
3Measurement precision
If a daily pre-flight power assurance test is conducted after steady-state conditions are achieved, then accurate performance measurement is obtained, but the test provides results only at the beginning of the first flight
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors and assesses engine performance throughout all flight operations, providing real-time performance information rather than delayed results. This eliminates the time lag between performance changes and detection that occurs with periodic steady-state testing.
Solution Approach 2:
Performance assessment is performed continuously during normal operations, so performance information is already available before any pre-flight test would be conducted. This eliminates the delay of waiting for steady-state conditions to develop during dedicated test flights.
4Productivity
If transient performance data is collected during non-steady-state operation, then continuous monitoring is enabled, but the data does not represent steady-state relationships
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces transfer functions as mathematical intermediaries that transform transient performance data into equivalent steady-state representations. These transfer functions act as mediators between the raw transient measurements and the steady-state performance relationships, enabling accurate assessment without requiring actual steady-state conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the mathematical representation of performance parameters through transfer functions, transforming transient data into steady-state equivalent forms. This parameter transformation allows transient operational data to accurately represent steady-state relationships without requiring the system to actually operate in steady-state.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of conducting a continuous performance analysis for a system includes collecting transient performance data for a first parameter of the system and a second parameter of the system. Transfer functions are applied to the transient performance data for at least one of the first and second parameters to thereby generate phase compensated performance data representative of a steady state relationship between the first and second parameter. For each phase compensated performance datum, an estimate of the first parameter is calculated at a predetermined value of the second parameter using the phase compensated performance datum and a previously stored performance characteristic curve representative of the steady state relationship between the first and second parameters in a deterioration model extrapolation method. A very efficient binning method is used for storing phase compensated performance data and converting them into steady state performance characteristic curves of any non-linear shape.