Method and apparatus for optimizing the performance envelope of an engine

• US 7,668,639 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Francois, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAWARI, REDHWAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/280,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/29, 701/30, 701/100, 701/44, 416/31, 416/223, 416/1, 416/35, 416/43
• US Class Current: 701/99
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/00 Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/28 Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/053 Explicitly mentioned power
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/11 to prolong engine life
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/303 Temperature

Abstract

A method for doing an optimization of the performance envelope initially authorized for an existing rotorcraft engine (M) to enable the engine (M), to be used in an optimized performance envelope that is different from the performance envelope initially authorized for the engine, is remarquable in that this optimization is compensated by modifying the total service life of the engine (M).

Claims

1. A method for optimization of a performance envelope which is used during a first time between overhauls initially authorized for an existing rotorcraft engine (M) to enable said engine (M) to be used in an optimized performance envelope which is used during a second time between overhauls that is different from said performance envelope initially authorized for said engine (M), comprising:

compensating said optimization by a change to a total service life of said engine using an apparatus that includes a meter provided with a clock and a calculator

wherein a real damage at a current instant ER3 is determined by

ER3=ER2+K2/TBO×

D2,

where ER2 is the real damage at a previous instant, K2 is a deterioration coefficient of said engine between said previous and the current instant, TBO is said first time between overhauls and D2 is a duration in which a monitored temperature has resulting from a power change between said previous and the current instant; and

displaying a real damage on a display provided in a cockpit of the rotorcraft.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein for said initially-authorized performance envelope comprising at least one operating rating corresponding to a given power level selected from the group consisting of a maximum takeoff power (PMD), a maximum continuous power (PMC) for a single-engine rotorcraft, a super-emergency power (PSU), a maximum emergency power (PMU), and an intermediate emergency power (PIU) for a multiengine rotorcraft, said PSU, PMU or PIU being utilized when one engine is inoperative for the multi engine rotorcraft, and to a given utilization time, said optimization is performed by modifying said power PMC, PMD, PIU, PMU, or PSU of said rating.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein for said initially-authorized performance envelope comprising at least one operating rating corresponding to at least one given power selected from the group consisting of a maximum takeoff power (PMD), a maximum continuous power (PMC) for a single-engine rotorcraft, a super-emergency power (PSU), a maximum emergency power (PMU) and an intermediate emergency power (PIU) for a multiengine rotorcraft, said PSU, PMU or PIU being utilized when one engine is inoperative for the multiengine rotorcraft, and a given utilization time, said optimization is performed by modifying said utilization time of said rating.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating in real time an instantaneous damage of said engine (M)

from said instantaneous damage, deducing a real damage of said engine since its most recent overhaul; and

removing said engine (M) from the rotorcraft in order to overhaul it as soon as a first condition is satisfied whereby said real damage is at its maximum amount.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating in real time an instantaneous damage of said engine;

from said instantaneous damage, deducing a real damage of said engine (M) since its most recent overhaul;

determining whether said real damage is at its maximum amount;

measuring in real time a number of flying hours performed by said engine (M) since its most recent overhaul;

determining whether said number of flying hours is equal to the first time between overhauls (TBO) of said engine (M); and

removing said engine (M) from the rotorcraft to overhaul it as soon as said real damage is at its maximum amount or said number of flying hours is equal to the TBO is satisfied.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said instantaneous damage is calculated from the deterioration coefficient K2 obtained from a curve (CO) determining said deterioration coefficient K2 as a function of a value of a monitored parameter of said engine (M).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said engine (M) is provided with a high pressure turbine and said monitored parameter is a turbine entry temperature (TET) of a gas at an inlet to said high pressure turbine.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said engine (M) is provided with a free turbine, and said monitored parameter is a temperature (T4) of a gas at an inlet to a free turbine.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein said instantaneous damage is calculated from the deterioration coefficient K2 obtained from a curve (CO) determining said deterioration coefficient K2 as a function of a value of a monitored parameter of said engine (M).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said engine (M) is provided with a high pressure turbine and said monitored parameter is a turbine entry temperature (TET) of a gas at an inlet to said high pressure turbine.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said engine (M) is provided with a free turbine, and said monitored parameter is a temperature (T4) of a gas at an inlet to the free turbine.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein the PSU is equal to 112% to 120% of PMD.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the PMU is equal to 105% to 110% of PMD.

14. A method for optimizing a performance envelope of a rotorcraft engine (M), comprising:

providing an initially-authorized performance envelope comprising at least one operating rating corresponding to a given power level selected from the group consisting of a maximum takeoff power (PMD), a maximum continuous power (PMC) for a single-engine rotorcraft, a super-emergency power (PSU), a maximum emergency power (PMU) and an intermediate emergency power (PIU) for a multiengine rotorcraft, said PSU, PMU or PIU being utilized when one engine is inoperative for the multiengine rotorcraft;

calculating in real time an instantaneous damage of said engine (M); and

from said instantaneous damage, deducing a real damage of said engine.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein for a given utilization time, said optimization is performed by modifying said power PMC, PMD, PIU, PMU, or PSU of said rating.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein for a given utilization time, said optimization is performed by modifying said utilization time of said rating.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the real damage is deduced for said engine since its most recent overhaul, and further comprising:

removing said engine (M) from the rotorcraft in order to overhaul it as soon as a first condition is satisfied whereby said real damage is at its maximum amount.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the real damage is deduced for said engine since its most recent overhaul, and further comprising:

determining whether said real damage is at its maximum amount;

measuring in real time a number of flying hours performed by said engine (M) since its most recent overhaul;

determining whether said number of flying hours is equal to a first time between overhauls (TBO) of said engine (M); and

removing said engine (M) from the rotorcraft to overhaul it as soon as said real damage is at its maximum amount or said number of flying hours is equal to the TBO is satisfied.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein a real damage at a current instant ER3 is determined by

ER3=ER2+K2/TBO×

D2,

where ER2 is the real damage at a previous instant, K2 is a deterioration coefficient of said engine between said previous and the current instant, TBO is said first time between overhauls and D2 is a duration in which a monitored temperature has resulting from a power change between said previous and the current instant.

20. A method for optimization of a performance envelope which is used during a first time between overhauls initially authorized for an existing rotorcraft engine (M) to enable said engine (M) to be used in an optimized performance envelope which is used during a second time between overhauls that is different from said performance envelope initially authorized for said engine (M), comprising:

compensating said optimization by a change to a total service life of said engine, using an apparatus that includes a meter provided with a clock and a calculator

wherein at instant t1, a real damage is equal to ER1, and when the engine (M) changes from power P1 to power P2 corresponding to a temperature T4 of T4₁, a duration D1 for when the power is at P2, t2 is an instant corresponding to an end of the duration D1, and when a power P3 is delivered from instant t2 to instant t3, a real damage ER3 at an instant t3 is determined by

ER3=ER2+K2/TBO×

D2,

where ER2 is the real damage at the previous instant t2, K2 is a deterioration coefficient of said engine between said previous instant and a current instant, TBO is the first time between overhauls and D2 is a duration in which a monitored temperature has a value of T4₂ arising from p3 resulting from a power change between said previous and the current instant.