Overthrust Protection System for Aircraft Engine Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a safety mechanism to automatically detect and respond to uncontrollable high thrust events in aircraft engines during ground operations, ensuring engine shutdown to prevent potential hazards.
Innovation Solution
An overthrust protection system comprising an engine overspeed protection unit with overspeed logic and an overspeed solenoid valve, coupled with an overthrust controller that measures engine thrust and detects aircraft-on-ground conditions to trigger engine shutdown when an overthrust condition is exceeded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an automatic engine shutdown mechanism is implemented to prevent high thrust events, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The overthrust protection function is merged with the existing engine overspeed protection unit, combining two safety functions into a single integrated system. The overthrust controller uses the existing overspeed logic and solenoid valve infrastructure, adding only the necessary thrust measurement and comparison capabilities rather than creating a completely separate shutdown system.
Solution Approach 2:
The overspeed protection unit is designed to serve multiple functions: it responds to both traditional overspeed conditions and the new overthrust conditions. The same solenoid valve and fuel flow removal mechanism are used for both overspeed and overthrust shutdowns, making the system multi-functional and reducing overall complexity.
2Measurement precision
If thrust measurement and monitoring systems are added to detect overthrust conditions, then detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust measurement capability is integrated into the existing electronic engine control (EEC) system, allowing the EEC to serve both its traditional engine control function and the new overthrust detection function. This multi-functionality approach avoids adding a completely separate measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The overthrust controller acts as an intermediary component that receives thrust measurements from the EEC, compares them against threshold values, and triggers the overspeed protection unit when overthrust is detected. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall architecture by creating a dedicated comparison and decision-making layer without requiring complex direct integration between all components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively detects and responds to uncontrollable high thrust events by ensuring engine shutdown only when the aircraft is on the ground, enhancing safety by preventing unexpected thrust increases during ground operations.
Implementation Method 1
an overspeed solenoid valve coupled to the overspeed logic and responsive to a command from the overspeed logic to shut down the engine
Data Source
AI summary
An overthrust protection system for an aircraft engine. The system comprises an engine overspeed protection unit comprising overspeed logic and an overspeed solenoid valve controlled by the overspeed logic, the overspeed logic configured to energize the overspeed solenoid valve for removing fuel flow to the engine upon detection of an overspeed condition of the aircraft engine; and an overthrust controller coupled to the overspeed protection unit and configured to measure engine thrust and to detect an overthrust condition when an engine thrust threshold has been exceeded, and configured to trigger energizing of the overspeed solenoid valve upon detection of the overthrust condition and an aircraft-on-ground condition.