Adaptive algorithm-based engine health prediction

• US 10,282,925 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Steinert, Alan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schneider, Paula L
• Application Number:
  US15/286,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20180025557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 701 99
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0243 model based detection method, e.g. first-principles knowledge model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/08 Sorting, i.e. grouping record carriers in numerical or other ordered sequence according to the classification of at least some of the information they carry by merging two or more sets of carriers in ordered sequence G06F7/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A system and algorithm-based method of determining engine health and assuring available propulsion power based on historical data reflecting the individual engine'"'"'s unique performance “fingerprint.”

Claims

1. A method of reflecting recent corrected engine performance in a data storage device on an aircraft, the method comprising,

by a computer comprising a processor and memory:

periodically receiving, from an engine sensor coupled to the computer, engine operating information for the engine;

for each engine operating information that is periodically received, updating a stored data set in the data storage device to reflect a recent performance fingerprint of the engine, the updating comprising;

determining, from the engine operating information, a power parameter and a critical parameter;

correcting the power parameter and the critical parameter based on additional information available in an aircraft data bus on the aircraft;

recording as a data point in the stored data set, the corrected power parameter and the corrected critical parameter;

grouping the data point with statistically similar historical data points in the stored data set;

merging the data point and the statistically similar historical data points into a single representative data point in the stored data set, the stored data set including previously recorded power parameter and critical parameter data points; and

purging one or more older data points in the stored data set.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the engine operating information includes receiving the engine operating information from the aircraft data bus.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the critical parameter is an MGT value.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the power parameter is a power margin.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data point represents the engine'"'"'s power if it were performing on a test stand under standard conditions.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the power parameter and the critical parameter represent a stable data point; and

discarding the engine operating information in the event that the power parameter and the critical parameter do not represent a stable data point.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the power parameter and the critical parameter represent a valid data point; and

discarding the engine operating information in the event that the power parameter and the critical parameter do not represent a valid data point.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determining whether the power parameter and the critical parameter represent a valid data point comprises determining whether there is weight on landing gear.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the correcting comprises applying a correction factor based on an outside air temperature.

10. A method of continuously indicating engine health on an aircraft, the method comprising,

by a computer comprising a processor and memory:

periodically receiving, from an engine sensor coupled to the computer, engine operating information for an engine on the aircraft;

for each engine operating information that is periodically received, updating a stored data set in a data storage device on the aircraft to reflect a recent performance fingerprint of the engine, the updating comprising;

recording a data point in the stored data set;

grouping the data point with statistically similar historical data points in the stored data set;

merging the data point and the statistically similar historical data points into a single representative data point in the stored data set; and

purging one or more older data points in the stored data set;

responsive to the updating, determining a health of the engine, the determining comprising;

selecting an engine performance curve to use in creating an engine health model;

executing a curve-fitting process to obtain a fitted curve, the fitted curve being based on the selected engine performance curve and the stored data set;

evaluating engine health by comparing the fitted curve to a 100% specification-level performance curve for the engine, the evaluating yielding engine health information; and

outputting the engine health information to an on-board display.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the selected engine performance curve includes the 100% specification-level performance curve for the engine.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein executing a curve-fitting process to obtain a fitted curve includes translating the selected engine performance curve to achieve a low error with respect to the stored data set.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein executing a curve-fitting process to obtain a fitted curve includes rotating the selected engine performance curve to achieve a low error with respect to the stored data set.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein executing a curve-fitting process to obtain a fitted curve comprises:

translating the selected engine performance curve to achieve a low error with respect to the stored data set; and

rotating the selected engine performance curve to achieve a low error with respect to the stored data set,

wherein the translating and rotating steps are achieved based on an optical fit.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein evaluating engine health by comparing the fitted curve to a 100% specification-level performance curve for the engine includes evaluating margins between the fitted curve and the 100% specification-level performance curve at various points to determine an overall estimate of engine health.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein evaluating engine health by comparing the fitted curve to a 100% specification-level performance curve for the engine includes evaluating a margin between the fitted curve and the 100% specification-level performance curve at a chosen point to determine an expected power margin at the chosen point.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the determining the health of the engine is performed periodically based on flight hours.

18. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

periodically receiving, from an engine sensor coupled to a computer, engine operating information for an engine on an aircraft;

for each engine operating information that is periodically received, updating a stored data set in a data storage device on the aircraft to reflect a recent performance fingerprint of the engine, the updating comprising;

determining, from the engine operating information, a power parameter and a critical parameter;

correcting the power parameter and the critical parameter based on additional information available in an aircraft data bus on the aircraft;

recording, as a data point in the stored data set, the corrected power parameter and the corrected critical parameter;

grouping the data point with statistically similar historical data points in the stored data set;

merging the data point and the statistically similar historical data points into a single representative data point in the stored data set, the stored data set including previously recorded power parameter and critical parameter data points; and

purging one or more older data points in the stored data set;

responsive to the updating, determining a health of the engine, the determining comprising;

selecting an engine performance curve to use in creating an engine health model;

obtaining a fitted curve by translating and rotating the selected engine performance curve to achieve a low error with respect to the stored data set;

evaluating engine health by comparing the fitted curve to a 100% specification-level performance curve for the engine, the evaluating yielding engine health information; and

outputting engine health information to an on-board display.