Simulated Aircraft Engine Accelerometer for Vibration Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft engine testing methods are expensive, time-consuming, and risk damage to engines and flight test aircraft, as they require fuel consumption and manual calculation for each test condition, limiting evaluation to single vibration types.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising simulated accelerometers with an engine simulator, accelerometer signal simulator, waveform generator, filter section, mixer, and charge converter to generate and synchronize complex accelerometer signals, allowing for controlled laboratory testing of multiple vibration types without risking actual aircraft engines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flight test aircraft are used for engine testing with balance weights, then engine vibration and trim balance can be tested, but it is expensive, time-consuming, and introduces potential damage to engine and aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the aircraft engine system through software simulation. The simulation model replicates engine dynamics, vibration characteristics, and trim balance behavior without requiring physical flight tests. This allows comprehensive testing of engine components and systems in a safe virtual environment, eliminating damage risk while maintaining testing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a software-based intermediary layer between the test objectives and the physical engine. This software acts as a mediator that translates real engine parameters into simulated test scenarios, enabling vibration and trim balance testing without direct interaction with the actual engine, thus preventing potential damage.
2Ease of manufacture
If manual calculation and single signal generation is used, then testing can be performed, but evaluation is limited to one vibration type at a time and requires manual manipulation for each condition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal software platform that can generate and analyze multiple vibration signal types simultaneously. The system handles various vibration modes (broadband random, narrowband, tonal, impulse) through a single integrated toolset, eliminating the need for separate manual calculations and signal generation processes for each vibration type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary computational setup by pre-calculating vibration spectra, power spectral densities, and cross-spectral densities before actual testing. The software prepares test configurations, signal parameters, and analysis routines in advance, enabling rapid execution of comprehensive vibration tests without manual manipulation during the testing phase.
3Reliability
If fuel is burned during flight testing, then engine operation can be tested, but it is expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical mechanical testing system (actual engine operation requiring fuel combustion) with a computational software system. The simulation engine replicates mechanical vibrations, thermal loads, and performance characteristics through mathematical models, eliminating the need for fuel consumption while maintaining engine performance validation capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure is generally directed to a simulated aircraft engine (12) accelerometer apparatus, system and method that that generates aircraft engine (12) simulator outputs. An accelerometer signal simulator (320) receives aircraft engine (12) simulator outputs and generates accelerometer signal simulator (320) outputs, and an accelerometer waveform generator (350) receives the accelerometer signal simulator (320) outputs and synchronizes at least one accelerometer signal simulator (320) outputs to a reference timing signal from one of the aircraft engine (12) simulator outputs. The simulated accelerometer (300) further includes a filter section (372, 374, 376 and 378) that receives and filters noise from the plurality of accelerometer waveform generator (350) outputs to generate a plurality of filtered accelerometer waveform generator (350) outputs, a mixer (380) that receives and combines each of the plurality of filtered accelerometer waveform generator (350) outputs to generate a single filtered accelerometer waveform generator (350) output, and a charge converter (382) that receives and converts the single filtered accelerometer waveform generator (350) output to a current charge vibration simulation output.