System for detecting shaft shear event

• US 10,167,784 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Dooley, Kevin Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ziaeianmehdizadeh, Navid
• Application Number:
  US13/661,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20140121934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/06 Shutting-down
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/46 Emergency fuel control

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting a shaft shear event in a turbine engine. An accelerometer coupled to the engine detects an axial acceleration indicative of a shaft shear event in the engine. A control system is configured to, in response to the detected axial acceleration, transmit a signal to initiate a shut down of a fuel system of the engine.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a break of a turbine-driven shaft of a gas turbine engine during operation of the gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

detecting a first axial acceleration of a component of the gas turbine engine other than the turbine-driven shaft, the first axial acceleration having a magnitude equal to or exceeding a preset threshold and a first direction along a longitudinal axis of the turbine-driven shaft;

after detecting the first axial acceleration of the component, detecting a second axial acceleration of the component, the second axial acceleration having a second direction along the longitudinal axis of the turbine-driven shaft and opposite the first direction; and

initiating a shutdown of the gas turbine engine after detecting the second axial acceleration.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the preset threshold for the first axial acceleration is 50 g.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the gas turbine engine is an aircraft engine and the first axial direction is a forward direction of movement of the gas turbine engine on an aircraft.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, comprising detecting the second axial acceleration within a predefined time period of the first axial acceleration, the predefined time period being between 5 and 50 ms.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the component of the gas turbine engine is a casing of the gas turbine engine.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the component of the gas turbine engine is a carcass of the gas turbine engine.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the component of the gas turbine engine is a housing of a controller of the gas turbine engine.