Accelerometer configuration

• US 6,909,948 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mollmann, Daniel E., ven der Merwe, Gert
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US10/426,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/34, 701/3, 416/37, 416/38, 416/61, 734/55, 734/62
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/28 with special adaptations for determining imbalance of the body in situ, e.g. of vehicle wheels

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for using the external accelerometer in an aircraft engine configuration as a backup accelerometer, in the event the internally located production accelerometer fails. The sensor location of the external accelerometer has an acceptable sensitivity to fan imbalance, similar to the location of the former alternate accelerometer. The signal from this external accelerometer is duplicated using software in the signal conditioning hardware, creating the second, alternate signal. As an alternative embodiment, the signal may be duplicated by simply teeing or branching the original signal, using hardware rather than software.

Claims

1. A vibration measurement system for measuring vibration to detect rotor imbalance and monitor engine health for an aircraft engine, comprising:

an internally mounted accelerometer for detecting imbalance;

an external accelerometer for detecting rotor imbalance; and

a signal conditioning computer including software for duplicating a signal from the external accelerometer function, modifying said signal by means of an algebraic, and using the modified signal to provide the function of the internally mounted accelerometer if said internally mounted accelerometer fails, and wherein the software defines that a variable whose value represents an amplitude of the internally mounted accelerometer is now equal to a scale factor times an amplitude of the external accelerometer.

2. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the internally mounted accelerometer detects fan imbalance.

3. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the external accelerometer detects vibration caused by imbalances in the aircraft engine.

4. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the algebraic function comprises a constant.

5. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scale factor is chosen to provide an amplitude approximately like the amplitude of the internally mounted accelerometer.

6. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scale factor comprises a variable scale factor.

7. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the variable scale factor is a function of rotor speed.

8. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scale factor further comprises a scale factor having a constant offset with respect to the amplitude of the external accelerometer.

9. A vibration measurement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the algebraic function comprises a scale factor.

10. A method for measuring vibration to detect rotor imbalance and monitor engine health for an aircraft engine, comprising the steps of:

mounting an internal accelerometer for detecting imbalance;

mounting an external accelerometer for detecting rotor imbalance;

providing a signal conditioning computer including software for duplicating a signal from the external accelerometer, modifying said signal by means of an algebraic function, and using the modified signal to provide the function of the internally mounted accelerometer if said internally mounted accelerometer fails; and

providing an algebraic function that is a constant.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising the step of providing an algebraic function that is a scale factor.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the internally mounted accelerometer detects fan imbalance.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the external accelerometer detects vibration caused by imbalances in the aircraft engine.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the software defines that a variable whose value represents an amplitude of the internally mounted accelerometer is now equal to a scale factor times an amplitude of the external accelerometer.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the scale factor is chosen to provide an amplitude approximately like the amplitude of the internally mounted accelerometer.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the scale factor comprises a variable scale factor.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the variable scale factor is a function of rotor speed.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the step of providing wherein a scale factor having a constant offset with respect to the amplitude of the external accelerometer.