Gas Turbine Gateway Antennas for Secure Offboard Engine Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines deployed in the field face challenges in accessing and updating configuration data and software due to rapid advancements in computer and communication technologies, requiring cumbersome physical connections and slow processes for interfacing with offboard systems.
Innovation Solution
A communication adapter with integrated antennas and processing circuitry is mounted on the gas turbine engine, enabling wireless communication and secure data transfer between the engine control and offboard systems, supporting data uploads, downloads, software updates, and remote troubleshooting, while allowing independent power control of the communication interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical cables and connections are used to interface with offboard systems, then communication reliability is maintained, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to cumbersome physical connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cable connections with wireless communication systems. The gateway device establishes wireless communication links with offboard systems, eliminating the need for physical cable connections while maintaining communication functionality. This substitution improves ease of operation by removing cumbersome physical connection requirements.
2Ease of operation
If wireless communication is implemented, then ease of operation improves by eliminating physical cables, but reliability may worsen due to potential wireless interference and security vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device serves as an intermediary between the engine control system and offboard systems. It establishes secure wireless communication links and implements authentication protocols, acting as a trusted mediator that ensures reliable and secure data transmission while maintaining ease of wireless operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device implements authentication feedback mechanisms where communication requests are authenticated before data transfer. This feedback loop ensures that only authorized systems can communicate wirelessly, maintaining reliability while preserving the ease of wireless operation.
3Productivity
If the communication adapter remains powered on continuously, then communication readiness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication adapter operates in periodic cycles, alternating between active communication mode and low-power sleep mode. It wakes up periodically to check for communication requests, process data transfers, and then returns to sleep mode. This periodic operation maintains communication readiness while significantly reducing average energy consumption compared to continuous operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication adapter of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft includes a housing configured to be coupled to the gas turbine engine, a plurality of antennas integrated in the housing, a memory system and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to establish communication with an engine control mounted on the gas turbine engine, establish wireless communication between the communication adapter and an offboard system external to the aircraft through at least one of the antennas integrated in the housing of the communication adapter, and authenticate communication requests at the communication adapter for data sent between the offboard system and the engine control.