Twin-Spool Turbomachine Sensor Health Monitoring by Vibration Averaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring turbomachine vibration sensors in twin-spool turbomachines suffer from false failure detections due to vibration levels being below detection thresholds during high-speed operations, particularly at high temperatures, leading to unreliable health monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A method for monitoring the health status of twin-spool turbomachine vibration sensors by averaging vibration levels over a predetermined duration and confirming the health status based on consecutive comparisons with predefined thresholds, ensuring robust detection of faulty sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vibration monitoring is performed during high-speed operations at high temperatures, then the monitoring should capture critical failure indicators, but the vibration levels remain below detection thresholds leading to false negative results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters by selecting specific speed ranges (low pressure regime between 10500-13500 rpm and high pressure regime between 14500-17500 rpm) where vibration levels are optimally elevated. This parameter selection ensures that vibration signals remain above detection thresholds during monitoring phases, resolving the contradiction between capturing critical failure indicators and maintaining detectable vibration levels.
2Adaptability or versatility
If monitoring phases are extended to cover all operational conditions, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but vibration levels during high-speed phases remain too low for effective detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining specific speed ranges (10500-13500 rpm for low pressure, 14500-17500 rpm for high pressure) where vibration levels are guaranteed to be above detection thresholds. The monitoring system proactively selects these phases for sensor health verification, ensuring that monitoring occurs when vibration signals are inherently stronger and more reliable for detection.
3Reliability
If traditional monitoring logic is used during take-off and post-flight phases, then sensor health can be verified, but false failures are declared due to insufficient vibration levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics by making the monitoring phase selection adaptive to real-time operational conditions. Instead of fixed monitoring phases, the system dynamically identifies and selects phases where the turbomachine operates within the predefined speed ranges, ensuring that monitoring always occurs when vibration levels are sufficiently high for reliable detection, thereby eliminating false failure declarations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for monitoring the state of health of at least two vibration sensors of a twin-spool turbomachine comprising a low-pressure spool and a high-pressure spool, one vibration sensor being located at the front of the turbomachine, and another vibration sensor being located at the rear of the turbomachine, each of the sensors being configured to measure the vibrations of the low-pressure spool and high-pressure spool at the front and at the rear of the turbomachine, the method being carried out in a processing unit (20) of the turbomachine, which processing unit is in communication with each of the sensors, the method comprising the following steps: - receiving the low-pressure speed (NBP) and high-pressure speed (NHP) of the turbomachine and, when the speeds are simultaneously in predetermined ranges, - receiving the front and rear vibration levels of the low-pressure and high-pressure spools which are recorded by each sensor; - establishing the mean of the values of the vibration levels of the low-pressure and high-pressure spools received over a predetermined receiving time; - establishing the state of health of the at least first and second vibration sensors from a comparison between the established mean values of the vibration levels of the low-pressure and high-pressure spools and predetermined thresholds.