Aircraft vehicular propulsion system monitoring device and method

• US 7,925,392 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Altieri, Russell E., Kuhn, James F., Southward, Steve C., Ferguson, Matthew, Fowler, Leslie P., Jolly, Mark R., Badre-Alam, Askari
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US12/099,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/5, 701/29, 701/51, 702/151, 702/182, 738/623.32, 738/623.33, 738/661, 324/209
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/005 the motors being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/31 for testing the alignment of axes

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring rotating shaft shafts and couplings in an aircraft propulsion system is described. The measurement system/method provides for accurate and precise monitoring of a rotating shaft flexible coupling in a fixed wing aircraft vehicle propulsion system. The measuring system/method provides for a high reliability short take off vertical landing fixed wing aircraft in which the vertical propulsion dynamically rotating drive shaft system and couplings are monitored in real time. The vehicular shaft coupling misalignment measuring system utilizes multiple positional sensors to provide highly reliable and precise determination of the dynamic characteristics of the rotating sensor target components of the propulsion system drive shaft. The relative position of the sensors is rigidly fixed externally from the rotating targets with a structural frame. The collar misalignment measuring system of the invention provide a misalignment measurement of the propulsion system drive shaft flexible coupling which relates to a critical performance of rotating shaft coupling in the operation of an aircraft vehicle. The method/system provides for monitoring a rotating drive shaft system and dynamically measuring a rotating drive shaft coupling in a fixed wing aircraft propulsion system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a shaft system, said method comprising providing a shaft system with a rotating member with a magnetic sensor target, providing a sensor rigid measurement system with a magnetostrictive sensor proximate said rotating member sensor target while inhibiting a physical contact between said measurement system magnetostrictive sensor and said rotating member, providing an interrogation pulse generator, providing a waveform detector for receiving a returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform, providing a template waveform, outputting an interrogation pulse from said interrogation pulse generator, receiving a returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform, and comparing said received returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform with said template waveform to determine a return time of said returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform to magnetostrictively measure a characteristic of said rotating member to monitor a performance of said shaft system.

2. A method of measuring a rotating shaft, said method comprising providing a shaft with a rotating member with a sensor target, providing a sensor measurement system with a magnetostrictive sensor proximate said rotating member sensor target while inhibiting a physical contact between said measurement system magnetostrictive sensor and said rotating member, said sensor measurement system including an interrogation pulse generator, a waveform detector for receiving a returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform, and a template waveform,

outputting an interrogation pulse from said interrogation pulse generator into said magnetostrictive sensor, receiving a returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform from said magnetostrictive sensor, and comparing said received returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform with said template waveform to determine a return time of said returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform to magnetostrictively measure a rotating positional characteristic of said rotating member to measure said rotating shaft.

3. A method of measuring a rotating shaft, said method comprising providing a shaft with a first rotating member with a sensor target and a second rotating member with a sensor target, providing a sensor measurement system with at least a first magnetostrictive sensor proximate said first rotating member sensor target and said second rotating member sensor target, said sensor measurement system including an interrogation pulse generator, a waveform detector for receiving a returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform, and a template waveform,

outputting an interrogation pulse from said interrogation pulse generator into said magnetostrictive sensor, receiving returned magnetostrictive pulse waveforms from said magnetostrictive sensor, and comparing said received returned magnetostrictive pulse waveforms with said template waveform to determine return times of said returned magnetostrictive pulse waveforms to measure a plurality of distances of said first rotating member sensor target and said second rotating member sensor target.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first rotating member sensor target is a disk and said second rotating member sensor target is a disk.

5. A rotating shaft measurement system for noncontactingly monitoring a rotating member including a sensor target, said rotating shaft measurement system including a sensor rigid collar comprised of at least a first magnetostrictive sensor, said first magnetostrictive sensor rigidly fixed on said sensor rigid collar proximate said rotating member, said sensor rigid collar measurement system first magnetostrictive sensor magnetostrictively monitors a position of said rotating member sensor target to provide a measurement of a dynamic rotating positional characteristic of said rotating member, said measurement system including an interrogation pulse generator, a waveform detector for receiving a returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform, and a template waveform, said interrogation pulse generator outputting an interrogation pulse from said interrogation pulse generator into said magnetostrictive sensor, said waveform detector receiving a returned magnetostrictive pulse waveform from said magnetostrictive sensor for comparison with said template waveform.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first magnetostrictive sensor is a magnetically biased magnetostrictive sensor.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said system has a temperature use range greater than 100°

C.