Monitoring engine components
First Claim
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1. A method for monitoring local defects in one or more transmission gears of a gearbox during service, comprising:
- arranging one or more eddy current sensor(s) to interact with the transmission gear(s) as they are rotating during service, wherein the one or more eddy current sensor(s) are carried by a monitoring gear or part of a monitoring gear that is shaped so as to enmesh with the transmission gear(s) to be monitored thereby to pass the sensor(s) across a portion of a surface of the transmission gear(s) during relative movement therebetween;
measuring an amplitude of an output signal from the eddy current sensor(s) resulting from interaction with the rotating engine component; and
detecting a change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal indicative of a local defect, wherein the detecting of the change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal comprises processing the output signal to distinguish the change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal from a bulk change in amplitude of the output signal which indicates a misalignment of the one or more transmission gears, thereby distinguishing the local defect from the misalignment of the one or more transmission gears.
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Abstract
A method for monitoring local defects in a rotating engine component such as a gear uses one or more eddy current sensor(s) arranged to interact with the engine component as it is rotating during service. The eddy current sensor(s) may be carried by one or more teeth of a monitoring gear. A device is arranged to measure an output signal from the eddy current sensor(s) resulting from interaction with the rotating engine component. The output signal is processed so as to detect a change in shape of the output signal indicative of a local defect.
7 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring local defects in one or more transmission gears of a gearbox during service, comprising:
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arranging one or more eddy current sensor(s) to interact with the transmission gear(s) as they are rotating during service, wherein the one or more eddy current sensor(s) are carried by a monitoring gear or part of a monitoring gear that is shaped so as to enmesh with the transmission gear(s) to be monitored thereby to pass the sensor(s) across a portion of a surface of the transmission gear(s) during relative movement therebetween; measuring an amplitude of an output signal from the eddy current sensor(s) resulting from interaction with the rotating engine component; and detecting a change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal indicative of a local defect, wherein the detecting of the change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal comprises processing the output signal to distinguish the change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal from a bulk change in amplitude of the output signal which indicates a misalignment of the one or more transmission gears, thereby distinguishing the local defect from the misalignment of the one or more transmission gears. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for monitoring a gearbox, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more transmission gears; a monitoring gear or part of a monitoring gear carrying one or more eddy current sensor(s) arranged to interact with the transmission gear(s) to monitor local defects in the transmission gear(s) as they are rotating in the gearbox during service, wherein the monitoring gear or the part of the monitoring gear is shaped so as to enmesh with the transmission gear(s) to be monitored thereby to pass the sensor(s) across a portion of a surface of the transmission gear(s) during relative movement therebetween; a device arranged to measure an amplitude of an output signal from the eddy current sensor(s) resulting from interaction with the transmission gear(s); and a processor arranged to process the output signal to detect a change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal indicative of a local defect, wherein the detecting of the change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal indicative of the local defect comprises processing the output signal to distinguish the change in shape of the amplitude of the output signal indicative of a local defect from a bulk change in amplitude of the output signal which indicates a misalignment of the one or more transmission gears, thereby distinguishing the local defect from the misalignment of the transmission gear(s). - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification