Method of system design for failure detectability

• US 8,131,509 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Novis, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Phuong
• Application Number:
  US12/053,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,444 Days
• Field of Search: 702185-190
• US Class Current: 702/185
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms

Abstract

A system designed for failure detectability through detection and isolation of a particular design feature.

Claims

1. A system designed for failure detectability comprising:

a holistic sensor suite having a multiple of sensor types, said holistic sensor suite operable to detect an abnormal occurrence in a system having a multiple of components in part through detection of a particular design feature specific to each of the multiple of components; and

a computing device in communication with the holistic sensor suite, said computing device operable to combine a score from each of the multiple of sensor types to isolate which of the multiple of components experienced the abnormal occurrence.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said system is a gas turbine engine.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said holistic sensor suite comprises a vibration sensor.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said holistic sensor suite comprises an oil debris monitoring sensor.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said multiple of components comprise a multiple of seals.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said particular design feature comprises unique color-coded taggants embedded in each of said multiple of components.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said multiple of components comprise a non-ferrous material component.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said particular design feature comprises a multiple of mild steel spheroids embedded in each of said multiple of components, said multiple of mild steel spheroids identifiable by said holistic sensor suite.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said particular design feature comprises a unique alloy for each of said multiple of components.

10. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein each of said multiple of components is a seal.

11. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said particular design feature comprises unique alloy taggants embedded in each of said multiple of components, each of said multiple of components comprise a non-ferrous material component.

12. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said particular design feature comprises unique ferrous taggants embedded in each of said multiple of components, each of said multiple of components comprise a non-ferrous material component.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said holistic sensor suite comprises at least one vibration sensor and at least one oil debris monitoring sensor.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said holistic sensor suite comprises at least one vibration sensor and at least one temperature sensor.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said holistic sensor suite includes at least one sensor in each module of a gas turbine engine.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said holistic sensor suite comprises at least one temperature sensor downstream of a compressor section and at least one temperature sensor downstream of a turbine section.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said holistic sensor suite comprises at least one vibration sensor.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said holistic sensor suite comprises at least one oil debris monitoring sensor.

19. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said particular design feature comprises unique alloy taggants embedded in each of said multiple of components, each of said multiple of components comprise a non-ferrous material component.

20. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said particular design feature comprises a multiple of mild steel spheroids embedded in each of said multiple of components, said multiple of mild steel spheroids identifiable by said holistic sensor suite.

21. A method of system design for failure detectability comprising:

incorporating a particular design feature into each of a multiple of components within a system;

detecting an abnormal occurrence in the system with a holistic sensor suite having a multiple of sensor types in part through the particular design feature specific to each of the multiple of components; and

combining a score from each of the multiple of sensor types with a computing device in communication with the holistic sensor suite to isolate which of the multiple of components experienced the abnormal occurrence.