METHOD FOR DETECTING A FLUID LEAK IN A TURBOMACHINE AND SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING A FLUID

• US 20150337679A1
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Snecma (Safran SA)
• Inventors: EVERWYN, Alexandre Patrick Jacques Roger, Rodhain, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 10,400,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/085 to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/12 responsive to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/08 the gas being bled from the gas-turbine compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/047 Heating to prevent icing
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/303 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/309 Rate of change of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/002 by using thermal means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/025 Details with respect to the testing of engines or engine parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting a fluid leak in a turbomachine. The turbomachine comprises a high temperature fluid source, at least one fluid distribution pipe adapted to distribute said fluid to different parts of the turbomachine and/or the aircraft which is intended to be equipped with said turbomachine, a turbomachine compartment in which the distribution pipe is at least partly accommodated, said compartment having in operation a low temperature relative to the high temperature of the fluid supplied by the fluid source. The method comprises the following steps: measuring a temperature variation in the compartment between two instants to obtain a temperature gradient; and detecting a fluid leak if the temperature gradient is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature gradient. The invention further relates to a system for distributing a high temperature fluid for a turbomachine and a turbomachine comprising such a system for distributing a fluid.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a fluid leak in an aircraft turbomachine, the turbomachine comprising:

a high temperature gas fluid source which provides high temperature gas fluid,

at least one gas fluid distribution pipe adapted to distribute the gas fluid to different parts of the turbomachine and/or a aircraft which is intended to be equipped with the turbomachine,

a turbomachine compartment in which the distribution pipe is at least partly accommodated, the compartment containing air which has in operation a temperature and a pressure respectively lower to the temperature and the pressure of the gas fluid,

the method comprising the following steps;

measuring a temperature variation of the air in at least one location in the compartment between two instants to obtain a temperature gradient,

detecting a gas fluid leak in the compartment if the temperature gradient is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature gradient.

2. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

measuring a temperature of the air in at least one location in the compartment,

detecting a gas fluid leak if the measured temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature.

3. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1 wherein measuring the temperature variation is carried out in at least two locations in the compartment so as to obtain at least two temperature gradients,

detecting a gas fluid leak thus occurring if at least one of both temperature gradients is greater than the threshold temperature gradient.

4. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1, comprising a further step of:

inhibiting the step of detecting a gas fluid leak when the turbomachine is in a predetermined state in which the temperature gradient is greater than or equal to the threshold temperature gradient.

5. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1 comprising a further step of:

modifying the threshold temperature gradient as a function of the turbomachine state.

6. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1, comprising a further step of:

closing the at least one gas fluid pipe upstream the compartment if a leak is detected.

7. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1, wherein the at least one location in which the air temperature gradient is measured is a location set at a distance of the at least one gas fluid pipe comprises between half an exterior diameter of the at least one gas fluid pipe and four times of the exterior diameter of the at least one gas fluid pipe.

8. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1, wherein the at least one location in which the air temperature gradient is measured is at the surface of a thermal isolated layer disposed on the at least one gas fluid pipe.

9. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1, wherein the temperature variation of the air measurement is obtained by the means of a temperature sensor of the variable resistance type.

10. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 1, wherein the turbomachine comprises a first and a second gas fluid pipes, the high temperature gas fluid source being a turbomachine compressor supplying high temperature air as a gas fluid, the first gas fluid pipe being a pipe able to distribute said high temperature air to the aircraft and to a starter of the turbomachine, the second gas fluid pipe being a pipe able to distribute the high temperature air at an air inlet scoop of the turbomachine, the first and the second pipes being at least partly accommodated in the compartment.

11. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 10, wherein a first air temperature variation measurement location is set at a distance of the first gas fluid pipe greater or equal to half of an exterior diameter of the first gas fluid pipe, and a second air temperature variation measurement location is set at a distance of the second gas fluid pipe greater or equal to half of an exterior diameter of the second gas fluid pipe.

12. The method for detecting a leak according to claim 11, wherein the distance between the first air temperature variation measurement location and the first gas fluid pipe is inferior or equal to four times the exterior diameter of the first gas fluid pipe, and wherein the distance between the second air temperature variation measurement location and the second gas fluid pipe is inferior or equal to four times the exterior diameter of the second gas fluid pipe.

13. A system for distributing a high temperature gas fluid for a aircraft turbomachine, comprising:

a high temperature gas fluid source which provides high temperature gas fluid,

at least one fluid distribution pipe adapted to distribute the gas fluid to different parts of the turbomachine and/or the aircraft,

a turbomachine compartment in which the distribution pipe is at least partly accommodated, said compartment containing air which has in operation a temperature and a pressure respectively inferior to a temperature and a pressure of the gas fluid,

at least one temperature sensor of the turbomachine compartment,

a processing unit arranged to control the at least one temperature sensor and configured to detect a fluid leak in the compartment,

wherein the processing unit is configured to supply, from the at least temperature sensor, a measurement of a temperature variation of the air at at least a location in the compartment between two instants in order to deduce therefrom a temperature gradient, and to detect a gas fluid leak if the temperature gradient is greater than and/or equal to a threshold temperature gradient.

14. The system for distributing a fluid according to claim 13, wherein the turbomachine compartment is radially situated between a fan casing and a nacelle of the turbomachine.

15. The system for distributing a fluid according to claim 14, wherein two temperature sensors are fitted in the turbomachine compartment on either side of the fan casing of the turbomachine.