# US 2016/0260263 A1 · Diagnosis of aircraft gas turbine engines

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- Number: US 2016/0260263 A1
- Document ID: US20160260263A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/058,237
- Filed: 2016-03-02
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-04
- Assignees: MTU Aero Engines AG
- Applicants: MTU Aero Engines AG
- Inventors: Andre Kando; Hassan Abdullahi; Anastasios Tsalavoutas; Thomas Speer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160260263A1

## CPC

- G07C 5/004: {Indicating the operating range of the engine (economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00)}
- B64D 45/00: Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for
- F02C 7/00: Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00)
- G05B 23/024: {Quantitative history assessment, e.g. mathematical relationships between available data; Functions therefor; Principal component analysis [PCA]; Partial least square [PLS]; Statistical classifiers, e.g. Bayesian networks, linear regression or correlation analysis; Neural networks}
- G05B 23/0275: {Fault isolation and identification, e.g. classify fault; estimate cause or root of failure}
- B64D 2045/0085: {Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration}
- F05D 2230/72: Maintenance
- F05D 2260/80: Diagnostics
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the at least partially automated diagnosis of aircraft gas turbine engines having the steps of: 1) detecting (S10) actual parameter values (NH, EGT) of an aircraft gas turbine engine for several operational segments (z1, z2, . . . ); 2) determining (S20) deviations (ΔNH, ΔEGT), of these actual parameter values from theoretical parameter values; and 3) determining (S40) damage pattern probabilities (P(HPC), P(LPC)) based on a similarity of at least one determined deviation, particularly based on a change (δ) between determined deviations (Δ), to deviation patterns (δNH, δEGT) of different known damage patterns.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for the at least partially automated diagnosis of aircraft gas turbine engines, comprising the steps of:
detecting (S10) actual parameter values (NH, EGT) of an aircraft gas turbine engine for several operational segments (z1, z2, . . . );
determining (S20) deviations (ΔNH, ΔEGT), of these actual parameter values from theoretical parameter values; and
determining (S40) damage pattern probabilities (P(HPC), P(LPC)) based on a similarity of at least one determined deviation, particularly based on a change (δ) between determined deviations (Δ), to deviation patterns (δNH, δEGT) of various known damage patterns.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a damage pattern probability (P(NN)) is determined (S40) for an unknown damage pattern.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein cause probabilities (P(LPT)) are determined (S50) for an unknown damage pattern based on a model of the aircraft gas turbine engine.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein cause probabilities based on variations in parameter values, particularly combinatorial variations, of the model of the aircraft gas turbine engine are determined.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein prior to determining the cause probabilities, the model of the aircraft gas turbine engine is calibrated (S40), based on current actual parameter values of the aircraft gas turbine engine.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the current actual parameter values comprise detected actual parameter values for at least one of the most recent ten operational segments.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein an error message (“FAULT”) will be generated (S40) if a deviation and/or a change in deviations exceeds a predetermined limit value (GNG, GEGT).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein actual parameter values comprise, in particular, values measured during operation and/or averaged values, and/or values transmitted via the internet, for different aircraft gas turbine engine parameters, in particular thermodynamic and/or kinematic parameters, particularly pressures, temperatures (EGT), fuel mass flows, and/or rotational speeds (NH).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein damage patterns and/or causes comprise components, particularly subassemblies, and/or defects.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein deviations of actual parameter values from theoretical parameter values are filtered.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein theoretical parameter values are determined (S20) based on a model of the aircraft gas turbine engine, in particular, an initially calibrated model.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the known damage patterns are stored in a database (1).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein one or a plurality of the steps (S10-S50) are carried out in an at least partially automated manner.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out in a system (10) for the diagnosis of aircraft gas turbine engines.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out by a computer program product with a program code, which is stored on a medium readable by a computer (10).

### Claim 16 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein prior to determining the cause probabilities, the model of the aircraft gas turbine engine is calibrated (S40), based on current actual parameter values of the aircraft gas turbine engine.