Method and computer program for detecting surge events in a turbine engine

A computer-implemented method for identifying surge events in a gas turbine engine comprising:

• a. obtaining temperature values of exhaust gases of the engine at multiple instants during the operation of the engine,
• b. obtaining values of a temperature variation indicator based on the temperature values,
• c. determining that a first criteria and a second criteria are consecutively met, wherein the first criteria includes at least one temperature value above a predetermined exhaust temperature threshold and a second criteria being at least one value of the temperature variation indicator being above a first predetermined temperature variation threshold, and in response to the determination that the first criteria and the second criteria are consecutive met:
• c i. defining a monitoring interval extending from when the first criteria and the second criteria are consecutively met and continuing for a period while the first criteria and the second criteria are consecutively met,
• c ii. obtaining a set of speed values of a rotation speed of a shaft of the gas turbine engine during the monitoring interval, determining the minimum value in the set of speed values, and comparing the minimum speed value to a first predetermined speed threshold,
• iii. obtaining a set of temperature values of the temperatures of the exhaust gases during the monitoring interval, calculating a temperature gap between a highest temperature value in the set of temperature values and a lowest temperature value in the set of temperature values, and comparing the temperature gap with a first predetermined temperature gap threshold, and repeating steps c, ci, cii and ciii for at least two separate monitoring intervals, and
• d. issuing an alert signal in response to during the at least two separate monitoring intervals the minimum speed value is below the first predetermined speed threshold and the temperature gap is above the predetermined temperature gap threshold.

A method to detect and act on a surge event in a gas turbine, the method comprising:

• obtain in real time temperature data from sensors monitoring gases flowing through or being exhausted from the gas turbine, wherein the temperature data is includes temperatures indicating a gas temperature and a time of the temperature;
• determining a temperature of the gases and variations of the temperature of the gases based on the temperature data;
• detecting as a first criteria a gas temperature of the gases exceeding an exhaust temperature threshold, and as a second criteria a temperature variation exceeding temperature variation threshold;
• defining successive monitoring intervals between when a first instant of the first criteria or the second criteria are both met, continuing while the first criteria and the second criteria are consecutively met and ending when the first criteria and the second criteria are not consecutively met;
• obtaining a set of values of a rotation speed of a shaft of the engine during each of the monitoring intervals, determining the minimum value in this set of values, and comparing this minimum speed value to a first predetermined speed threshold,
• obtaining a set of temperature values of the temperature of exhaust gases during each of the monitoring intervals, calculating a temperature gap between a highest temperature value in the set of temperature values and a lowest temperature value in the set of temperature values, and comparing the temperature gap with a first predetermined temperature gap threshold, and
• issuing an alert signal if, during two of the monitoring intervals, the minimum speed value is below said first predetermined speed threshold and the temperature gap is above said predetermined temperature gap threshold, triggering an alert signal.