Turbine engine debris ingestion monitor
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for detecting debris ingested into an air flow stream of a turbine engine during the operation thereof, comprising:
- sensor means having a sensor surface disposed in the air flow stream to be struck by the debris for producing a plurality of stress waves indicative of both impact stressed resulting from debris impacts and background stresses resulting from the operation of the engine, and means for converting said stress waves into an analog electrical signal having a plurality of bipolar pulses each indicative of the debris striking said surface;
bandpass filter means receiving said electrical signal and issuing a filtered electrical signal devoid of at least a great proportion of those frequency components of said electrical signal at which the effect of said impact stresses on the amplitude of said electrical signal is indistinguishable from that of said background stresses; and
signal processing means, responsive to said filtered electrical signal for providing an output signal having a plurality of output pulses derived from said bipolar pulses and indicative of a level of debris ingested into the engine.
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Abstract
A turbine engine debris ingestion monitor has an acoustic emission sensor 18, 18a mounted on a surface 14, 14a disposed in an air flow stream of a turbine engine 12. The sensor converts acoustic emissions 16, generated by particles of debris 10 impacting on the surface, into an electrical signal. A counting circuit 22 (FIG. 2) processes the signal resulting in an output, indicative of the level of debris ingested into the engine, which is recorded in the aircraft'"'"'s flight data recording system 110.
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8 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting debris ingested into an air flow stream of a turbine engine during the operation thereof, comprising:
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sensor means having a sensor surface disposed in the air flow stream to be struck by the debris for producing a plurality of stress waves indicative of both impact stressed resulting from debris impacts and background stresses resulting from the operation of the engine, and means for converting said stress waves into an analog electrical signal having a plurality of bipolar pulses each indicative of the debris striking said surface; bandpass filter means receiving said electrical signal and issuing a filtered electrical signal devoid of at least a great proportion of those frequency components of said electrical signal at which the effect of said impact stresses on the amplitude of said electrical signal is indistinguishable from that of said background stresses; and signal processing means, responsive to said filtered electrical signal for providing an output signal having a plurality of output pulses derived from said bipolar pulses and indicative of a level of debris ingested into the engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification