Systems and methods for monitoring gas turbine engines

• US 7,886,875 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Shevchencko, Eric A, Szolomayer, Robert D
• Primary Examiner(s): Langdon; Evan H
• Application Number:
  US11/776,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20090014245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.4, 184/6.11, 737/56
• US Class Current: 184/6.11
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/10 responsive to unwanted deposits on blades, in working-fluid conduits or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/06 Arrangements of bearings bearings F16C; Lubricating of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/11 to prolong engine life
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0656 using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2858 Metal particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2888 Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration lubricating properties G01N33/30

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring gas turbine engines are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: monitoring lubrication oil at multiple locations of the gas turbine engine to detect a presence of debris in the oil; determining a characteristic of the debris in the oil; and correlating the characteristic of the debris with the location of detection to determine, while the gas turbine engine is operating, whether the engine is operating within predetermined limits.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a gas turbine engine comprising:

monitoring lubrication oil, at multiple locations of the gas turbine engine, to detect a presence of debris in the oil;

approximating a source of origin of the debris;

determining a characteristic of the debris; and

correlating the characteristic with the source to determine whether the engine is operating within predetermined limits;

the monitoring, approximating, determining and correlating being performed while the gas turbine engine is operating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in monitoring the lubrication oil, at least one of the locations is monitored by an oil debris monitor that comprises an induction coil.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, in monitoring the lubrication oil, at least one of the locations, other than the location monitored by the oil debris monitor, is monitored by a debris capture device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the debris capture device is a magnetic chip detector.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the debris capture device comprises a filter that is operative to detect magnetic and non-magnetic debris.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in monitoring the lubrication oil, multiple oil monitoring components are monitored; and

approximating a source of origin comprises determining which of the oil monitoring components first detected the debris.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

each of the oil monitoring components is associated with a corresponding engine component; and

approximating a source of origin further comprises attributing the debris to the engine component associated with the oil monitoring component that detected the debris.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the predetermined limits is a debris limit.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an alert indication responsive to determining that the engine is not operating within at least one of the predetermined limits.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing multiple debris detection devices fluidly connected to an oil debris monitor, wherein the lubrication oil is monitored at each of the multiple locations with a respective one of the debris detection devices, and wherein the characteristic of the debris is determined by the oil debris monitor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the multiple debris detection devices comprise multiple debris capture devices.