Turbine Water Ingestion Detection via Multi-Indicator Summation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting water or hail ingestion in aeroengine gas turbines are not robust, effective, or fast, often leading to undetected ingestion under various circumstances, especially at idling speeds or during descent.
Innovation Solution
A detection method that estimates two different indicators of water or hail ingestion and calculates a global indicator by summing these, allowing for detection under diverse conditions, including temperature and rotation speed measurements, with normalization functions to minimize false positives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temperature difference detection method is used (FR 2 681 377), then water ingestion can be detected under certain conditions, but detection reliability deteriorates when characteristics must be determined empirically and detection fails under various circumstances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameters from empirical temperature differences to directly measurable physical quantities (temperature T3 at combustion chamber inlet, rotation speed N2). This eliminates the need for empirical characteristic determination while improving detection reliability across various operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the detection approach by using multiple independent indicators (temperature-based indicator and rotation speed-based indicator) that are summed to form a global indicator. This segmentation allows each indicator to be calculated independently from direct measurements without empirical calibration.
2Reliability
If pressure detection in combustion chamber is used (U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,831), then water ingestion detection is attempted, but measurement precision deteriorates due to small pressure variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pressure measurement system with thermal and rotational measurement systems. Temperature T3 and rotation speed N2 provide more precise and reliable indicators of water ingestion than the small pressure variations in the combustion chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temperature T3 at the combustion chamber inlet and rotation speed N2 as intermediary parameters that more sensitively indicate water ingestion than direct pressure measurement. These intermediaries amplify the detection signal for better precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If single indicator detection is used, then detection system remains simple, but detection effectiveness deteriorates under diverse operating circumstances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple detection indicators (temperature-based indicator I1 and rotation speed-based indicator I2) into a single global indicator IG by summation. This combining approach maintains detection simplicity while improving adaptability to diverse operating conditions through multi-parameter monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A detection method for detecting ingestion of water or hail in a gas turbine engine, the engine including at least a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine, the method including: estimating a value of a first indicator representative of water or hail being ingested; estimating a value of a second indicator representative of water or hail being ingested, the second indicator being different from the first indicator; and calculating a value of a global indicator by summing at least the first indicator and the second indicator.