System and method of estimating gas turbine engine performance

• US 8,204,671 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Rajendra K., Rajamani, Ravi, Schneider, William F., Wood, Coy Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANG, MICHAEL DEAN
• Application Number:
  US12/467,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 607/79, 701/100
• US Class Current: 701/100
• 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: F05D 2260/607 Preventing clogging or obstruction of flow paths by dirt, dust, or foreign particles
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/14 Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An example method of estimating gas turbine engine performance deterioration includes monitoring debris in at least a portion of an engine and estimating performance deterioration of at least one component of the engine using information from the monitoring. The method may use gas path parameters, such as pressures, temperatures, and speeds to establish the estimated performance deterioration. An example gas turbine engine performance assessment system includes a debris monitoring system configured to monitor debris moving through a portion of an engine and a controller programmed to estimate performance deterioration of at least one component of the engine based on information from the debris monitoring system.

Claims

1. A method of estimating gas turbine engine performance deterioration comprising:

monitoring debris in at least a portion of an engine;

estimating performance deterioration of at least one component of the engine using information from the monitoring; and

adjusting a variable component of the engine to slow performance deterioration due to the debris.

2. The method of claim 1 including monitoring at least one of a pressure, a temperature, or a speed of a gas moving through a gas path.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the variable component comprises a variable compressor vane.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one component comprises the variable component.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring includes quantifying the debris.

6. The method of claim 1 including using an engine deterioration model for said estimating.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimating comprises estimating a loss in engine performance.

8. The method of claim 1 including initiating a notification if the estimated performance deterioration corresponds to an established value.

9. A method of estimating deterioration of a gas turbine engine comprising:

monitoring airflow moving through a portion of an engine to detect a presence of debris carried by the airflow;

determining a characteristic of the debris;

estimating performance deterioration of at least one component of the engine based at least in part on the characteristic; and

estimating performance losses of the at least one component of the engine using a programmable controller.

10. The method of claim 9 including adjusting at least one component of the engine in response to the characteristic to slow performance deterioration due to the debris.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the characteristic comprises an amount of debris.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the characteristic comprises a type of debris.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the portion of the engine comprises an area extending forward a fan section of the engine.

14. A gas turbine engine performance assessment system comprising:

a debris monitoring system configured to monitor debris moving through a portion of an engine; and

a controller programmed to estimate performance deterioration of at least one component of the engine based on information from the debris monitoring system, wherein the controller is programmed with an engine deterioration model that estimates deterioration.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller is programmed to estimate performance deterioration of the at least one component using at least one of a pressure, a temperature, or a speed of a gas moving through a gas path.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller is programmed to adjust at least one component of the engine to slow deterioration due to the debris.