Gas Turbine Communication Gateway for Wireless Engine Data Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Gas turbine engines deployed in the field face challenges in accessing and updating configuration data due to rapid advancements in computer and communication technologies, requiring cumbersome and slow processes involving physical access and customized cables for interfacing with offboard systems.

Innovation Solution

A communication adapter with internal sensors and processing circuitry that receives time series data from the engine control, records and correlates internal sensor data, and transmits an enhanced data set wirelessly to offboard systems, eliminating the need for physical access and customized cables.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If physical access and customized cables are used to interface with offboard systems, then secure data access is achieved, but maintenance time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure data accessVSAvoidmaintenance time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical interface system (physical access and customized cables) with a wireless communication system. The communication adapter enables data transmission between the engine control system and offboard systems through wireless signals, eliminating the need for physical cable connections and manual intervention while maintaining secure data access through encrypted communication protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If physical access and customized cables are used to interface with offboard systems, then secure data access is achieved, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure data accessVSAvoidoperational difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The communication adapter operates autonomously, automatically establishing and maintaining wireless communication with offboard systems without requiring manual cable connections or physical access. The system self-manages data transmission, authentication, and communication protocols, reducing operational complexity and making the system easier to use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If configuration control items are updated through physical access, then system security is maintained, but productivity and update speed decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem securityVSAvoidupdate speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical update process (physical access and cable connections) with a wireless communication system. Configuration control items can be updated remotely by transmitting data packets wirelessly to the communication adapter, which then delivers the updates to the engine control system, dramatically increasing update speed while maintaining security through encrypted communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The communication adapter pre-establishes secure communication channels and authentication protocols before configuration updates are initiated. This preliminary setup enables rapid, secure updates without requiring physical access, as the security framework is already in place to handle incoming update transmissions automatically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11425200B2Gas turbine engine communication gateway with internal sensors

Publication Date: 2022.08.23 RTX CORP

AI summary

A communication adapter of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft includes an internal sensor system including a plurality of sensors within the communication adapter, a memory system, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive a plurality of time series data at the communication adapter from an engine control during operation of the gas turbine engine, record a plurality of internal sensor data versus time in the memory system based on the internal sensor system until an end condition is met, correlate the time series data with the internal sensor data based on an alignment in time to form an enhanced data set, and transmit the enhanced data set from the communication adapter to an offboard system based on a transmit condition.