Gas Turbine Rotor Speed Signal Analysis for Foreign Body Ingestion Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting foreign body ingestion in gas turbine engines lack precision and reliability, leading to delayed maintenance and potential safety risks due to visual inspection limitations and existing sensor-based systems that cannot accurately differentiate between ingestion and other engine operations.
Innovation Solution
A method that measures the instantaneous speed of the rotor, filters the dynamic component to separate static and dynamic components, compares the filtered dynamic component to a standard resonance wave for ingestion detection, and emits an alarm when the ingestion indicator exceeds a threshold, without requiring additional sensors or structural modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visual inspection is used before each flight, then safety checks are performed, but detection precision is insufficient and causes operational delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual visual inspection system with an automated electronic detection system that measures rotor speed variations. The system uses a measurement device to continuously monitor rotor speed and automatically detects foreign body ingestion events, eliminating the limitations of human visual inspection while maintaining safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the engine to self-diagnose foreign body ingestion events by automatically monitoring its own rotor speed variations. The measurement device and processing system work autonomously to detect, analyze, and alert operators to ingestion events without requiring external manual inspection, thereby improving both precision and operational efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If rotor speed variation amplitude thresholding is used, then detection is simplified, but false alarms increase due to inability to differentiate ingestion from other operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by analyzing specific characteristics of the rotor speed signal rather than using a global threshold. The system identifies the unique temporal pattern and frequency characteristics of foreign body ingestion events, distinguishing them from other engine operations such as pumping. This localized analysis of signal properties improves reliability while maintaining operational simplicity.
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
This approach provides a more precise and reliable detection of foreign body ingestion, including low-energy events, by utilizing the unique vibrational signature of the rotor's first torsion mode, reducing false alarms, and enabling timely maintenance without immobilizing the aircraft.
Implementation Method 1
the filtered dynamic component is compared to a standard resonance wave so as to obtain an ingestion indicator, the standard resonance wave corresponding to the vibrational impulse response of a rotor
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automated detection of ingestion of at least one foreign body by a gas turbine engine, according to which: instantaneous speed of the rotor is measured; a speed signal of the rotor is filtered to separate a static component from a dynamic component thereof; the filtered dynamic component is compared to a standard resonance wave of the rotor to obtain an ingestion indicator, the standard resonance wave corresponding to the vibrational impulse response of a rotor; the obtained ingestion indicator is compared with a detection threshold; and a foreign body ingestion detection signal is emitted when the ingestion indicator is higher than the detection threshold.