Engine monitor and recorder

• US 4,575,803 A
• Filed: 12/30/1981
• Issued: 03/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semco Instruments, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Semco Instruments, Inc. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moore, M. Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US06/335,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/508, 364/550, 364/551, 364/552, 364/557, 364/569, 73/186, 73/787, 340/52 R, 346/33 R, 346/33 TP
• US Class Current: 701/100
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/00 Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

A turbine engine monitoring and recording system includes an engine mounted unit which contains at least a non-volatile memory and a data-processor, and a remote unit suitable for either cockpit mounting or for accessing by a ground portable unit including an additional data-processor and a display unit. Thermocouples and other sensors mounted on the engine supply raw data to the engine mounted electronics unit, and this input information includes temperature data. Elevated over-temperature levels are segregated and the time during which the engine is within each of the over-temperature bands is measured, and is recorded in a non-volatile, electronically alterable memory which is periodically updated during operation of the aircraft. The number of starts is also counted and stored, and the total running time of the engine is also recorded. Upon command from the remote unit, information is transferred from the non-volatile memory to the remote display unit, so that the time at which the turbine has been operated at specific over-temperature levels may be readily accessed.

Claims

1. A turbine engine monitoring and recording system comprising:

an engine-mounted electronic circuit means, including a data processor such as a microprocessor or microcomputer and a non-volatile memory for receiving engine operating information and for storing such information;

additional electronic circuit means, remote from the turbine engine, and including an additional microprocessor and display means;

temperature sensing means mounting on said engine for supplying temperature information to said engine-mounted circuit means;

circuit means included in said engine-mounted electronic circuit means for storing information indicating the number of times that the turbine engine has been started, and the cumulative length of time that the turbine has been operated above each of a plurality of predetermined temperature levels and within predetermined temperature bands;

additional circuit means for interconnecting said remote circuit means with said engine mounted circuit means;

said system including for each temperature channel, means for storing both the total time the turbine engine has been operated above each predetermined temperature defining the lower limit of the channel, and also the time the turbine engine has been operated above each said predetermined temperature beyond the manufacturers specified time limit for each operation above that temperature, to provide an indication of the cumulative operating time over limits; and

switch means associated with said remote electronic circuit means for ordering selected information stored in said non-volatile memory, and for displaying the ordered information on said display means.

2. A system as defined as defined in claim 1 including means for transmitting data from said engine mounted circuit means to said remote electronic circuit means serially over a single conductor, whereby the number of conductors extending between said engine-mounted and said remote circuit means is minimized.

3. A turbine engine monitoring and recording system comprising:

thermocouple means for monitoring the temperature of a jet engine;

digital circuit means for storing in a plurality of digital storage locations, channels of information corresponding to the cumulative time of operation of said engine above a corresponding plurality of predetermined temperature levels;

circuit means for receiving input temperature signals from said thermocouple means and for deriving therefrom said plurality of channels of information for storage in said digital storage locations;

means for periodically up-dating the stored temperature channel information;

means for displaying digital information;

monitor circuit means;

additional circuit means for intercoupling said displaying means and said monitor circuit means to receive information from said storage means;

said system including for each temperature channel, means for storing both the total time the turbine engine has been operated above each predetermined temperature defining the lower limit of the channel, and also the time the turbine engine has been operated above each said predetermined temperature beyond the manufacturers specified time limit for each operation above that temperature, to provide an indication of the cumulative operating time over limits; and

said monitor circuit means including a plurality of temperature channel switches corresponding respectively to said plurality of channels of temperature-time information stored in said digital circuit means, for causing the display in said displaying means of the up-dated information corresponding to the activated switch.

4. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein at least four different temperature channels and corresponding switches are provided.

5. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein means are also provided for storing a digital representation of the number of times the turbine engine has been started.

6. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said digital circuit means includes an electronically alterable non-volatile storage means.

7. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said digital circuit means is mounted in the engine compartment of an aircraft, and wherein said displaying means and said monitor circuit means including said switches are located remotely from said digital circuit means.

8. A system as defined in claim 7 further including means for transmitting the temperature channel information to be displayed from said digital circuit means to said display means, serially.

9. A system as defined in claim 7 wherein both said circuit means for receiving temperature signals and deriving temperature channel information, and also said monitor circuit means, include separate micro-processors.

10. A turbine engine monitoring and recording system comprising:

engine mounted electronic circuit means including a microprocessor and a non-volatile memory for receiving engine operating information and for storing such information;

additional electronic circuit means, remote from the turbine engine, and including an additional microprocessor and display means;

circuit means included in said engine mounted electronic circuit means for determining and for recording in said non-volatile memory information indicating the number of times that the turbine engine has been started, and the cumulative length of time that the turbine engine has been operated above each of a plurality of predetermined temperature levels and within predetermined temperature bands;

additional circuit means for interconnecting said remote circuit means with said engine mounted circuit means;

said system including for each temperature channel, means for storing both the total time the turbine engine has been operated above each predetermined temperature defining the lower limit of the channel, and also the time the turbine engine has been operated above each said predetermined temperature and within each temperature band beyond the manufacturers specified time limit for each operation above that temperature, to provide an indication of the cumulative operating time over limits; and

switching means associated with said remote electronic circuit means for ordering selected information stored in said non-volatile memory, and for displaying the ordered information on said display means.

11. A system as defined in claim 10 including means for transmitting said selected information serially from said engine mounted circuit means to said remote circuit means including said display means.