An Architecture for On-Line Measurement of the Tip Clearance and Time of Arrival of a Bladed Disk of an Aircraft Engine

Safety and performance of the turbo-engine in an aircraft is directly affected by the health of its blades. In recent years, several improvements to the sensors have taken place to monitor the blades in a non-intrusive way. The parameters that are usually measured are the distance between the blade tip and the casing, and the passing time at a given point. Simultaneously, several techniques have been developed that allow for the inferencefrom those parameters and under certain conditionsof the amplitude and frequency of the blade vibration. These measurements are carried out on engines set on a rig, before being installed in an airplane. In order to incorporate these methods during the regular operation of the engine, signal processing that allows for the monitoring of those parameters at all times should be developed. This article introduces an architecture, based on a trifurcated optic sensor and a hardware processor, that fulfills this need. The proposed architecture is scalable and allows several sensors to be simultaneously monitored at different points around a bladed disk. Furthermore, the results obtained by the electronic system will be compared with the results obtained by the validation of the optic sensor.Safety and performance of the turbo-engine in an aircraft is directly affected by the health of its blades. In recent years, several improvements to the sensors have taken place to monitor the blades in a non-intrusive way. The parameters that are usually measured are the distance between the blade tip and the casing, and the passing time at a given point. Simultaneously, several techniques have been developed that allow for the inferencefrom those parameters and under certain conditionsof the amplitude and frequency of the blade vibration. These measurements are carried out on engines set on a rig, before being installed in an airplane. In order to incorporate these methods during the regular operation of the engine, signal processing that allows for the monitoring of those parameters at all times should be developed. This article introduces an architecture, based on a trifurcated optic sensor and a hardware processor, that fulfills this need. The proposed architecture is scalable and allows several sensors to be simultaneously monitored at different points around a bladed disk. Furthermore, the results obtained by the electronic system will be compared with the results obtained by the validation of the optic sensor.This work has been funded in part by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER); by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad under project TEC2015-638263-C03-1-R; by the Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza under projects IT933-16 and ELKARTEK (KK-2016/0030, KK-2017/00033, KK-2017/00089 and KK-2016/0059)

Arquitectura para la medida del Tip Clearance y el Time of Arrival en motores aeronáuticos

165 p.Esta tesis propone una arquitectura para la medición de dos parámetros que caracterizan elfuncionamiento de un motor aeronáutico: el Tip Clearance y el Time of Arrival. El primero representa ladistancia desde la punta de álabe a la carcasa del motor. El segundo representa el instante en que el álabepasa frente al sensor. Ambos parámetros son el punto de partida para realizar un análisis del estado devibración que sufre ese motor.La arquitectura propuesta para le medida del Tip Clearance y del Time of Arrival consigue podermonitorizar cada álabe de forma individual realizando las medidas en tiempo real. La arquitectura sepuede adaptar a las formas de onda de diversos sensores de los que se emplean habitualmente en estecampo. También permite configurar diversos aspectos de la medida o del ensayo. La arquitectura esescalable y establece un medio de sincronización que permite que se puedan medir simultáneamentevarios sensores instalados en diferentes puntos de la carcasa de motor.La validación de la arquitectura se ha realizado con las formas de onda de un sensor óptico trifurcadoprobado en ensayos reales de una etapa compresora en un túnel de viento. En la implementación se hanpropuesto algoritmos para la determinación de los dos parámetros que se adaptan al procesadoconcurrente y secuencial de una FPGA

Arquitectura para la medida del Tip Clearance y el Time of Arrival en motores aeronáuticos

165 p.Esta tesis propone una arquitectura para la medición de dos parámetros que caracterizan elfuncionamiento de un motor aeronáutico: el Tip Clearance y el Time of Arrival. El primero representa ladistancia desde la punta de álabe a la carcasa del motor. El segundo representa el instante en que el álabepasa frente al sensor. Ambos parámetros son el punto de partida para realizar un análisis del estado devibración que sufre ese motor.La arquitectura propuesta para le medida del Tip Clearance y del Time of Arrival consigue podermonitorizar cada álabe de forma individual realizando las medidas en tiempo real. La arquitectura sepuede adaptar a las formas de onda de diversos sensores de los que se emplean habitualmente en estecampo. También permite configurar diversos aspectos de la medida o del ensayo. La arquitectura esescalable y establece un medio de sincronización que permite que se puedan medir simultáneamentevarios sensores instalados en diferentes puntos de la carcasa de motor.La validación de la arquitectura se ha realizado con las formas de onda de un sensor óptico trifurcadoprobado en ensayos reales de una etapa compresora en un túnel de viento. En la implementación se hanpropuesto algoritmos para la determinación de los dos parámetros que se adaptan al procesadoconcurrente y secuencial de una FPGA

Aeronautical Engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes

This bibliography lists 512 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in April 1982

Improving Data Collection and Analysis Interface for the Data Acquisition Software of the Spin Laboratory at NASA Glenn Research Center

In jet engines, turbines spin at high rotational speeds. The forces generated from these high speeds make the rotating components of the turbines susceptible to developing cracks that can lead to major engine failures. The current inspection technologies only allow periodic examinations to check for cracks and other anomalies due to the requirements involved, which often necessitate entire engine disassembly. Also, many of these technologies cannot detect cracks that are below the surface or closed when the crack is at rest. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, efforts at NASA Glenn Research Center are underway to develop techniques and algorithms to detect cracks in rotating engine components. As a part of these activities, a high-precision spin laboratory is being utilized to expand and conduct highly specialized tests to develop methodologies that can assist in detecting predetermined cracks in a rotating turbine engine rotor. This paper discusses the various features involved in the ongoing testing at the spin laboratory and elaborates on its functionality and on the supporting data system tools needed to enable successfully running optimal tests and collecting accurate results. The data acquisition system and the associated software were updated and customized to adapt to the changes implemented on the test rig system and to accommodate the data produced by various sensor technologies. Discussion and presentation of these updates and the new attributes implemented are herein reporte

Sensing Applications in Aircrafts Using Polymer Optical Fibres

We report on recent advances in the use of inexpensive polymer optical fibres (POFs) for sensing applications in avionics. The sensors analysed in this manuscript take advantage of the unique properties of polymers, such as high flexibility, elasticity, and sensitivity, and they range from strain, elongation, and vibration interrogators to level and temperature meters, leading to cost-effective techniques for structural health monitoring in aircraft structures. We also highlight recent power-supply methods using Power-over-POF in order to feed sensors remotely, and we discuss the constraints imposed by connectors on the performance of POF networks in aircrafts

Aeronautical engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 223)

This bibliography lists 423 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in January, 1988

Aeronautical engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 250)

This bibliography lists 420 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in February, 1990. Subject coverage includes: design, construction and testing of aircraft and aircraft engines; aircraft components, equipment and systems; ground support systems; and theoretical and applied aspects of aerodynamics and general fluid dynamics

Aeronautical engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 249)

This bibliography lists 637 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in November, 1988. Subject coverage includes: design, construction and testing of aircraft and aircraft engines; aircraft components, equipment and systems; ground support systems; and theoretical and applied aspects of aerodynamics and general fluid dynamics

Aeronautical engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 253)

This bibliography lists 637 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in May, 1990. Subject coverage includes: design, construction and testing of aircraft and aircraft engines; aircraft components, equipment and systems; ground support systems; and theoretical and applied aspects of aerodynamics and general fluid dynamics