Aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly

• US 9,010,198 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Rajamani, Ravi, Khibnik, Alexander I., Donat, William, Agrawal, Rajendra K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): KERAMET-AMIRCOLA, MOHAMMED E
• Application Number:
  US13/194,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20130025348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 73/65, 735/83, 735/92, 738/55, 738/61, 738/614.1, 73/233.3, 73/280.1, 738/655
• US Class Current: 73/861.41
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/009 Fire detection or protection; Erosion protection, e.g. from airborne particles
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/14 Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0266 with electrical classification
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0272 with screening; with classification by filtering B01D takes precedence
• 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 2015/0046 in gas, e.g. smoke
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/00 Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/165 Arrangements or constructions of Pitot tubes

Abstract

An example aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly includes an aircraft conduit defining a hollow core passage extending axially from an inlet opening to an outlet opening. A sensor arrangement detects debris carried by a fluid within the hollow core passage.

Claims

1. An aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly, comprising:

an aircraft conduit defining a hollow core passage extending axially from an inlet opening to an outlet opening;

a sensor arrangement that detects debris carried by a fluid within the hollow core passage; and

a pitot tube secured relative to the aircraft conduit, the pitot tube is configured to receive a first flow of air and the aircraft conduit is configured to receive a second flow of air that is different than the first flow of air.

2. The debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the pitot tube and aircraft conduit are positioned relative an aircraft using a common support.

23. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the pitot tube is configured to recieve a first flow of air and the hollow conduit is configured to receive a second flow of air that is different than the first flow of air.

3. An aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly, comprising:

an aircraft conduit defining a hollow core passage extending axially from an inlet opening to an outlet opening;

a sensor arrangement that detects debris carried by a fluid within the hollow core passage, the sensor arrangement comprising a first ring sensor and a second ring sensor; and

a controller configured to selectively initiate debris detection using the first ring sensor or the second ring sensor.

4. The aircraft debris monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the hollow core passage is uninterrupted across its entire diameter from the inlet opening to the outlet opening.

5. The aircraft debris monitoring system of claim 3, wherein a pressure of a fluid within the hollow core passage is substantially the same along the entire axial length of the hollow core passage.

6. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein the aircraft conduit is a nonmechanical aircraft conduit.

7. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein the hollow core passage is nonannular.

8. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, including a filter covering the inlet opening.

9. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, including a support that spaces the conduit from an outwardly facing surface of an aircraft.

10. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein fluid exiting the aircraft conduit from the outlet opening is communicated directly to atmosphere.

11. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein the fluid is a jet stream fluid.

12. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein the hollow core passage is open and uninterrupted across an entire diameter of the aircraft conduit.

13. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, further comprising:

a gas turbine engine that moves the aircraft conduit to move air through a flow passage of the aircraft conduit extending from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, wherein the flow passage is separate and distinct from any flow passage of the gas turbine engine.

14. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the aircraft conduit defines a uninterrupted and hollow core passage extending from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, the inlet opening provided by a forwardmost edge of the aircraft conduit, the outlet opening provided by a rearwardmost edge of the aircraft conduit.

15. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 13, including a support that secures the aircraft conduit to an outwardly facing surface of the gas turbine engine.

20. The aircraft debris monitoring sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein the hollow core passage has a diameter and the hollow core passage extends continuously across the entire diameter from a first radially inner wall of the aircraft conduit wall to an opposing, second radially inner wall of the aircraft conduit.

16. A method of analyzing debris comprising:

analyzing debris carried by a fluid using an electrostatic charge of the debris, the fluid within a hollow conduit passage that extends between an inlet and an outlet of an aircraft conduit;

moving the aircraft conduit to move the fluid relative to the aircraft conduit between the conduit inlet and the conduit outlet; and

using a sensor arrangement to determine the electrostatic charge, the sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor distributed circumferentially about an axis of the sensor housing.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the analyzing comprises detecting debris by measuring an electrostatic charge of the debris.

18. The method of claim 16, including alternating between a first debris sensor of the sensor arrangement and a second debris sensor of the sensor arrangement in response to a type of debris.

19. The method of claim 16, estimating a loss of lift using information about the debris collected during the analyzing.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the hollow conduit passage extends radially and continuously between opposing radially inwardly facing walls of an aircraft conduit.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the inlet is provided by a forwardmost edge of the aircraft conduit, and the outlet is provided by a rearwardmost edge of the aircraft conduit.