System and method for frangible plug electronic shaft shear detection
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorsJeffrey Heyerman, Nathan Tomes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for detecting shaft shear comprises a gas turbine engine including at least one turbine configured to drive a fan using a driveshaft. A plurality of frangible plugs is located downstream of the at least one turbine of the gas turbine engine. The plurality of frangible plugs is configured to provide an indication of shearing of the driveshaft responsive to breakage of at least a portion of the plurality of frangible plugs caused by impact of the at least one turbine with the portion of the plurality of frangible plugs.
Claims22
A system for detecting shaft shear, comprising:
- a gas turbine engine including at least one turbine configured to drive a driveshaft;
- a plurality of frangible plugs located downstream of the at least one turbine of the gas turbine engine, wherein the plurality of frangible plugs each further comprises:
- a brittle material configured to form a body of a frangible plug, wherein the brittle material is configured to break responsive to impact of the at least one turbine with the body of the frangible plug;
- a wire embedded within the frangible plug;
- wherein breakage of the brittle material is further configured to break the wire embedded within the frangible plug and generate an indication of shearing of the driveshaft responsive to breaking of the wire;
- and
- wherein the plurality of frangible plugs each further include a thermo-resistive sensor configured to generate the indication responsive to a heat increase caused by rubbing of the turbine with an associated frangible plug.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method for detecting shaft shear, comprising:
- placing a plurality of frangible plugs downstream of at least one turbine configured to drive a driveshaft within a gas turbine engine;
- breaking a portion of a brittle material forming a body of the plurality of frangible plugs responsive to impact of the at least one turbine with the portion of the plurality of frangible plugs caused by the shaft shear;
- breaking a wire embedded within the brittle material responsive to breakage of the brittle material;
- generating an indication of shearing of the driveshaft responsive to breakage of the wire embedded within the brittle material;
- wherein the step of generating the indication further comprises:
- detecting a heat increase caused by rubbing of the turbine with an associated frangible plug using a thermo-resistive sensor implemented within the plurality of frangible plugs;
- and
- generating the indication responsive to the detected heat increase;
- and
- shutting down the gas turbine engine responsive to the indication of shearing.
(canceled)
17-20. (canceled)
A system for detecting shaft shear, comprising:
- a gas turbine engine including at least one turbine configured to drive a driveshaft;
- a plurality of frangible plugs located downstream of the at least one turbine of the gas turbine engine;
- wherein the plurality of frangible plugs each further include a thermo-resistive sensor configured to generate the indication responsive to a heat increase caused by rubbing of the turbine with an associated frangible plug;
- and
- wherein the plurality of frangible plugs is configured to provide an indication of shearing of the driveshaft responsive to breakage of at least a portion of the plurality of frangible plugs caused by impact of the at least one turbine with the portion of the plurality of frangible plugs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.