Engine module life tracking system

• US 4,280,185 A
• Filed: 08/06/1979
• Issued: 07/21/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Martin, Anthony N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krass, Errol A.
• Application Number:
  US06/064,226
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/431, 364/506, 364/552, 364/551, 364/900, 340/52R, 60/223, 73/112, 116/201, 116/202, 116/302, 350/96.24
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/00 Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants controlling F02C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

A life tracking system (LTS) provides a life history recording for each module of a gas turbine engine, including module type and serial number together with total use, or operating time for each module. The total use may include total actual operating hours, total operating time under known high stress conditions, a weighted total time reflecting operational parameters, or any combination of these use indicators. The module information is stored as a permanent record with the module identification (ID) in a read/write non-volatile memory which may be read by a ground based data system. As such, each engine module may be tracked, automatically, from manufacture through its total life cycle in each engine configuration and/or aircraft in which it is used, without the necessity of human recording.

Claims

1. A life tracking system (LTS) for automatically identifying and recording the instant configuration of a gas turbine engine by engine module type and serial number, comprising:

plurality of engine module identifier units, each disposed on an associated engine module, and each providing identification signal information definitive of the associated module type and serial number in response to interrogation signals presented thereto; and

a life tracking unit (LTU), including electronic signal processing means having memory means for storing signals, and including transmitting means and receiving means each connected for response to said processing means and to each of said module identifier units, said transmitting means providing the interrogation signals to each of said module identifier units, each provided in response to a related identifier unit command signal presented to said transmitting means from said processing means, said receiving means being responsive to said identification signal information from each module for providing a processor compatible signal manifestation of each to said processing means, said processing means storing each signal manifestation in said memory means at a location therein associated with the particular identifier unit providing the signal information corresponding to said signal manifestation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said LTU further includes:

non-volatile memory means having a plurality of addressable signal locations therein for providing non-volatile signal storage of signal information presented thereto; and

wherein

said processing means presents said signal manifestations corresponding to said identification signal information to said non-volatile memory means, each presented to the particular one of said plurality of addressable signal locations therein associated with the module identifier unit providing said identification signal data to be stored.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said processing means further includes clock means for providing a real time of day signal, said processing means further presenting for storage in said non-volatile memory means together with each of said signal manifestations, the actual value of said time of day signal coincident therewith.

6. The system of claims 1 or 4 wherein said engine module identifier units comprise:

a data plate optical mask having a matrix array of signal encoder locations disposed between two parallel major surfaces of the mask, at least one of said major surfaces having visual identification signal characters disposed thereon, each associated with a related one of said encoder locations, said encoder locations being adapted to permit optical encoding of one or more selected identification signal characters to provide said identification signal information by perforation of the mask at the encoder location associated with the selected identification characters, each perforation providing an optical path through said mask at said selected encoder location; and

an enclosure assembly having a base portion and a cover portion, each including a mating major surface and including a plurality of fiber-optic waveguides disposed therethrough, one end of said waveguides in each portion being terminated at said mating major surface thereof in a matrix array corresponding to that of said matrix of signal encoder locations on said data plate optical mask, the other end of said waveguides in each portion being terminated at said LTU, said cover portion and said base portion being adapted to captively engage said data plate optical mask therebetween with registration of said waveguide matrices with said matrix of signal encoder locations to provide an optical path through said module identifier unit for each encoded identification signal character;

wherein

said identifier unit receives said interrogation signals from said LTU transmitting means in the form of optical energy presented to said waveguides of one of said enclosure assembly portions, and provides said identification signal information as an optical encoded signal through said waveguides associated with the other one of said portions to said receiving means.

7. The system of claim 1 or 4, wherein each of said engine module identifier units comprise:

data plate assembly means having one or more impedance networks disposed on a major surface thereof, each network being associated with a particular signal character of the identification signal data and each including parallel signal impedance paths connected at predisposed locations on said major surface between an input bus and an output bus of said network, each location being adapted to permit operator interruption of the electrical continuity of said buses at said location to provide each network with a selectable encoded impedance value defined by the sum of one or more of said parallel impedance paths, said major surface having visual identification characters disposed adjacent each of said locations whereby each encoded impedance value corresponds to a visual identification character, said data plate assembly further including first connector means for receiving each network output bus at a related one of a plurality of output bus contacts and for receiving all of said network input buses at a common input bus contact, said first connector means further including a signal source contact connected through a reference impedance value to said common input bus contact; and

enclosure assembly means, including a base portion and a cover portion each adapted to captively engage said data plate assembly therebetween, said base portion including second connector means for providing electrical interconnection of said first connector means to said LTU; and

wherein

said data plate assembly receives the interrogation signals presented through said second connector means at said signal source contact to provide, between said common input bus contact and each output bus contact, said identification signal information as the signal indications of the operator selected identification character for each network, each at a magnitude proportional to the ratio of the selected encoded impedance value of the network divided by said reference impedance value.

4. A life tracking system (LTS) for automatically recording the operating history of the engine modules of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

engine module identifier units, each disposed on an associated engine module, each providing identification signal information definitive of the associated module type and serial number in response to interrogation signals presented thereto;

engine sensor means, disposed on selected modules of the gas turbine engine, each providing the actual signal value of a selected engine performance parameter associated with the module; and

a life tracking unit (LTU), including electronic signal processing means responsive to said actual signal values from said engine sensor means, and having clock means for providing a real time of day signal and having memory means for storing signals, said LTU further including receiving means and transmitting means each connected for response to said processing means and to each of said module identifier units, said transmitting means providing the interrogation signals to each of said module identifier units, each provided in response to a related identifier unit command signal presented to said transmitting means from said processing means, said receiving means being responsive to said identification signal information from each identifier unit for providing a processor compatible signal manifestation of each to said processing means, said processing means storing each signal manifestation in said memory means at a location therein associated with the particular identifier unit providing the signal information corresponding to said signal manifestation together with the actual value of said time of day signal coincident therewith, said processing means further storing in said memory means together with the signal manifestation and actual value of the time of day signal for each of the selected engine modules having engine sensor means disposed thereon, the actual signal value of the selected performance parameter corresponding with said actual time of day signal value.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

non-volatile memory means having a plurality of addressable signal locations therein for providing non-volatile signal storage of signal information presented thereto; and

wherein

said processing means presents said signal manifestations, said coincident time of day signal value, and when present said performance parameter actual signal value, to said non-volatile memory means for storage at the particular ones of said addressable signal locations associated with the module identifier unit providing the related identification signal information.

8. An engine module identifier unit for providing identification signal information definitive of a gas turbine engine module type and serial number to a life tracking unit (LTU) in response to interrogation signals presented by the LTU, comprising:

a data plate optical mask having a matrix array of signal encoder locations disposed between two parallel major surfaces of the mask, at least one of said major surfaces having visual identification signal characters disposed thereon, each associated with a related one of said encoder locations, said encoder locations being adapted to permit optical encoding of one or more selected identification signal characters to provide said identification signal information by perforation of the mask at the encoder location associated with the selected identification characters, each perforation providing an optical path through said mask at said selected encoder locations; and

an enclosure assembly having a base portion and a cover portion, each including a mating major surface and including a plurality of fiber-optic waveguides disposed therethrough, one end of said waveguides in each portion being terminated at said mating major surface thereof in a matrix array corresponding to that of said matrix of signal encoder locations on said data plate optical mask, the other end of said waveguides in each portion being terminated at said LTU, said cover portion and said base portion being adapted to captively engage said data plate optical mask therebetween with registration of said waveguide matrices with said matrix of signal encoder locations, to provide an optical path through said module identifier unit for each of said encoded identification signal characters;

wherein

said identifier unit receives the interrogation signals from the LTU in the form of optical energy presented to said waveguides of one of said enclosure assembly portions and provides the identification signal information as an optical encoded signal through said waveguides associated with the other one of said portions.

9. An engine module identifier unit for providing identification signal information definitive of a gas turbine engine module type and serial number to a life tracking unit (LTU) in response to interrogation signals presented by the LTU, comprising:

data plate assembly means having one or more impedance networks disposed on a major surface thereof, each network being associated with a particular signal character of the identification signal data and each including parallel signal impedance paths connected at predisposed locations on said major surface between an input bus and an output bus of said network, each location being adapted to permit operator interruption of the electrical continuity of said buses at said location to provide each network with a selectable encoded impedance value defined by the sum of one or more of said parallel impedance paths, said major surface having visual identification characters disposed adjacent each of said locations whereby each encoded impedance value corresponds to a visual identification character, said data plate assembly further including first connector means for receiving each network output bus at a related one of a plurality of output bus contacts and for receiving all of said network input buses at a common input bus contact, said first connector means further including a signal contact connected through a reference impedance value to said common input bus contact; and

enclosure assembly means, including a base portion and a cover portion each adapted to captively engage said data plate assembly therebetween, said base portion including second connector means for providing electrical interconnection of said first connector means to said LTU; and

wherein

said data assembly receives the interrogation signals presented through said second connector means at said signal source contact to provide, between said common input bus contact and each output bus contact, the identification signal information as the signal indications of the operator selected identification character for each network, each at a magnitude proportional to the ratio of the selected encoded impedance value of the network divided by said reference impedance value.