Diagnostic method, system and device for a rotorcraft drive system

• US 10,380,810 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Hale, Rodney Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US15/677,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/006 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A method, system, and device for diagnosing an anomaly of a monitored component in a drive train, the method including obtaining rotational information associated with the component; receiving original data indicating the toothmesh frequency of the drive train; filtering the original data to remove energy above the toothmesh frequency; interpolating the filtered original data to generate an integer number of samples per tooth passage; and generating an amplified differential coherence (ADC). In some embodiments, an amplified differential coherence gearbox arrangement value (ADCT) is generated.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing an anomaly of a monitored component in a drive train, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the device configured to diagnose an anomaly, rotational information associated with the component;

receiving, by a device configured to diagnose an anomaly, original data indicating the toothmesh frequency of the drive train;

filtering, by the device configured to diagnose an anomaly, the original data to remove energy above the toothmesh frequency;

interpolating, by the device configured to diagnose an anomaly, the filtered original data to generate an integer number of samples per tooth passage; and

generating, by the device configured to diagnose an anomaly, an amplified differential coherence (ADC), wherein the step of generating the ADC comprises the following steps;

(i) determining a first intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCN), wherein the ADCN is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the first T/2 teeth of revolution i+1 of the monitored component, where T is the number of teeth on the monitored component;

(ii) determining a second intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCS), wherein the ADCS is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the last T/2 teeth of revolution i of the monitored component;

(iii) subtracting the second intermediary amplified differential coherence from the first intermediary amplified differential coherence to generate a third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

(iv) calculating the ADC using the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

tracking the ADC over flight hours to determine a healthy or unhealthy condition of the drive train.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotational information comprises at least one of a rotating speed of the component and a total number of teeth of the component.

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

determining a healthy or an unhealthy condition of the amplified differential coherence;

if the amplified differential coherence is an unhealthy condition;

identifying an unhealthy component.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of the operation and a maintenance of the monitored component.

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

generating, by the device configured to diagnose an anomaly, an amplified differential coherence gearbox arrangement value (ADCT).

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining a healthy or an unhealthy condition of the amplified differential coherence gearbox arrangement value (ADCT);

if the amplified differential coherence is an unhealthy condition;

identifying an unhealthy component.

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

adjusting at least one of the operation and a maintenance of the unhealthy component.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the ADC using the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value comprises;

if the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value is less than zero, then set the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value to zero;

or

if the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value is equal to zero or less than zero, then do not generate amplified differential coherence.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to diagnose an anomaly further comprises:

a display;

wherein the device provides a real-time indication of an anomaly in the monitored component.

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

storing a history, by the device configured to diagnose an anomaly, of original data;

wherein the history being stored before the diagnostic operation for the component is performed.

11. A device configured to diagnose an anomaly of a monitored component in a drive train, the device comprising

a memory configured to store original data indicating a toothmesh frequency of the drive train;

one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to;

obtain rotational information associated with the component;

receive the original data indicating a toothmesh frequency;

filter the original data to remove the energy above the toothmesh frequency;

interpolate the filtered original data to generate an integer number of samples per tooth passage; and

generate an amplified differential coherence (ADC), wherein the step of generate the ADC comprises the following steps;

(i) determine a first intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCN), wherein the ADCN is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the first T/2 teeth of revolution i+1, where T is the number of teeth on the monitored component;

(ii) determine a second intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCS), wherein the ADCS is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the last T/2 teeth of revolution i of the monitored component;

(iii) subtract the second intermediary amplified differential coherence from the first intermediary amplified differential coherence to generate a third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

(iv) calculate the ADC using the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

track the ADC over flight hours to determine a healthy or unhealthy condition of the drive train.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the processors are configured to:

determine a healthy or unhealthy condition of the amplified differential coherence;

if the amplified differential coherence is an unhealthy condition;

identify an unhealthy component.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the processors are configured to:

generate an amplified differential coherence gearbox arrangement value (ADCT).

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the processors are configured to:

determine a healthy or unhealthy condition of the amplified differential coherence gearbox arrangement value (ADCT);

if the amplified differential coherence is an unhealthy condition;

identify an unhealthy component.

15. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device further comprises:

a display;

wherein the device provides a real-time indication of an anomaly in the monitored component.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein the original data is stored before the diagnostic operation for the component is performed.

17. A system for diagnosing an anomaly of a monitored component in a drive train, the system comprising:

a rotorcraft comprising a body, a power train coupled to the body and comprising a power source and a drive train coupled to the power source;

a vibration sensor system coupled to the drive train; and

a diagnostic device associated with the vibration sensor system, the diagnostic device operable to;

obtain rotational information associated with the component;

receive original data indicating a toothmesh frequency of the drive train;

filter the original data to remove the energy above the toothmesh frequency;

interpolate the filtered original data to generate an integer number of samples per tooth passage; and

generate an amplified differential coherence (ADC), wherein the step of generate the ADC comprises the following steps;

(i) determine a first intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCN), wherein the ADCN is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the first T/2 teeth of revolution i+1, where T is the number of teeth on the monitored component;

(ii) determine a second intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCS), wherein the ADCS is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the last T/2 teeth of revolution i of the monitored component;

(iii) subtract the second intermediary amplified differential coherence from the first intermediary amplified differential coherence to generate a third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

(iv) calculate the ADC using the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

track the ADC over flight hours to determine a healthy or unhealthy condition of the drive train.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the diagnostic system is further operable to generate an amplified differential coherence gearbox arrangement value (ADCT).

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the vibration sensor system comprises at least one accelerometer.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computing device to diagnose an anomaly of a monitored component in a drive train to:

obtain rotational information associated with the component;

receive original data indicating a toothmesh frequency of the drive train;

filter the original data to remove the energy above the toothmesh frequency;

interpolate the filtered original data to generate an integer number of samples per tooth passage; and

generate an amplified differential coherence (ADC), wherein the step of generate the ADC comprises the following steps;

(i) determine a first intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCN), wherein the ADCN is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the first T/2 teeth of revolution i+1, where T is the number of teeth on the monitored component;

(ii) determine a second intermediary amplified differential coherence (ADCS), wherein the ADCS is the coherence evaluated at a toothmesh frequency between the first T/2 teeth of revolution i and the last T/2 teeth of revolution i of the monitored component;

(iii) subtract the second intermediary amplified differential coherence from the first intermediary amplified differential coherence to generate a third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

(iv) calculate the ADC using the third intermediary amplified differential coherence value; and

track the ADC over flight hours to determine a healthy or unhealthy condition of the drive train.