US 12,258,905 B2Granted

Method and system of monitoring a component of an aircraft

AssigneeRolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG

InventorCarlos Enrique Diaz

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Abstract

A gas turbine engine for an aircraft that includes a nacelle, a fan, an engine core, a bypass duct extending between the engine core and the nacelle and guiding a bypass airflow through the bypass duct, and at least one non-structural strut extending in the radial direction within the bypass duct, wherein the non-structural strut includes an outside wall acting as a heat exchanger, and wherein the outside wall includes first transport means configured to transport in the outside wall at least one fluid to be cooled. It is provided that the non-structural strut further includes second transport means configured to transport a fluid to be heated, wherein the first transport means and the second transport means are configured such that the fluid to be heated is heated by the at least one fluid to be cooled and the at least one fluid to be cooled is cooled both by the bypass airflow and the fluid to be heated.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method of monitoring a component of an aircraft to detect a mechanical failure of the component, the method comprising:

providing a radar sensing element installed within a portion of the aircraft that is configured to transmit and detect radio waves;
determining a state devoid of mechanical failure of the component by interrogating the component by transmitting the radio waves from the radar sensing element to the component, detecting the radio waves reflected from the component, determining at least one property value of the reflected radio waves, and associating the at least one property value with a characteristic of the component in the state devoid of mechanical failure;
subsequently determining a current state of the component by interrogating the component by transmitting the radio waves from the radar sensing element to the component, detecting the radio waves reflected from the component, and determining the at least one property value of the reflected radio waves;
determining if the at least one property value identified in the current state of the component has changed from the at least one property value in the state devoid of mechanical failure in a manner indicative of a mechanical failure;
wherein the component is a static component of the aircraft;
wherein the at least one property value is indicative of at least one chosen from size, shape, orientation, material and distance of the component;
wherein the mechanical failure includes at least one chosen from:
a burst engine duct, a pressurized air duct, a combustor burn-through, a compressor bleed valve opening failure, a liquid pipe leak and a cooling system airflow failure in a gas turbine engine.

5 more elements

A system of monitoring a component of an aircraft to detect a mechanical failure of the component, the system comprising:

a radar sensing element installed within a portion of the aircraft that is configured to transmit and detect radio waves;
and
a control and evaluation unit in communication with the radar sensing element and receiving information from the radar sensing element;
wherein the control and evaluation unit is configured to determine in cooperation with the radar sensing element a state devoid of mechanical failure of the component by interrogating the component by transmitting the radio waves from the radar sensing element to the component, detecting the radio waves reflected from the component, determining at least one property value of the reflected radio waves, and associating the at least one property value with a characteristic of the component in the state devoid of mechanical failure;
wherein the control and evaluation unit is further configured to subsequently determine a current state of the component by interrogating the component by transmitting the radio waves from the radar sensing element to the component, detecting the radio waves reflected from the component, and determining the at least one property value of the reflected radio waves;
and
wherein the control and evaluation unit is further configured to determine if the at least one property value identified in the current state of the component has changed from the at least one property value in the state devoid of mechanical failure in a manner indicative of a mechanical failure;
wherein the at least one property value is indicative of a presence of a liquid in a location where the liquid should not be present;
wherein the at least one property value is indicative of at least one chosen from a burst engine duct, a pressurized air duct, a combustor burn-through, a compressor bleed valve opening failure, a liquid pipe leak and a cooling system airflow failure.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/546,866Filed 9 Dec 2021
Priority: EP 2021419615 Dec 2020
Published: US 2022/0186666 A116 Jun 2022
Granted: 25 Mar 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

F02C 7/18
Characterised by cooling medium: the medium being gaseous, e.g. air
F01D 21/14
Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for: responsive to other…
F02C 7/14
Cooling of plants: of fluids in the plant , e.g. lubricant or fuel
F02C 7/224
Fuel supply systems: heating fuel before feeding to the burner