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Statistically correlated electrostatic engine diagnostics

  • US 4,590,562 A
  • Filed: 12/28/1982
  • Issued: 05/20/1986
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1982
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Electrostatic diagnostic apparatus for distinctly recognizing different events occurring in an operating gas turbine engine, comprising:

  • electrostatic signal means, including a probe to be disposed in the gas stream of an engine, for providing, when said probe is disposed in the gas stream of an operating engine, a probe signal having a waveshape defined by amplitude variations thereof across a time interval of a given duration in response to electrostatic charge flowing in the gas stream in the vicinity of said probe;

    an analog to digital converter connected for response to said electrostatic signal means; and

    signal processing means connected to said analog to digital converter(a) for causing said analog to digital converter to sample the probe signal provided by said electrostatic signal means in a manner to provide a record of digital signals indicative of the amplitude variations thereof defining the waveshape thereof,(b) for storing, in response to the amplitude of one of said digital signals being in excess of a threshold magnitude, a record comprising a contiguous sequence of said digital signals sufficient to define the waveshape of said probe signal, repetitively, to provide a classification group consisting of a given number of said records,(c) for selectively providing, for each of said records, a particular engine event identifying signal selected, in response to said amplitude variations across said time interval, from among a plurality thereof, each said identifying signal corresponding to a related one of a plurality of engine events, in dependence on the waveshape of said probe signal having characeristics correlated to an engine event corresponding to said selected engine event identifying signal, and(d) for providing a particular engine event category signal, for said group, correlated to an engine event corresponding to the one of said engine event identifying signals provided for the greatest number of records in said group.

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