Apparatus for detecting inadequate maintenance of a system

• US 9,256,990 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Meisels, David Benjamin, Boyd, Peter Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): MUSTAFA, IMRAN K
• Application Number:
  US12/872,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

Apparatus 10 for detecting inadequate maintenance of a system 12 of an aircraft or other vehicle is provided. The apparatus comprises: computer readable medium or media 14 configured to store data 18 relating to operation or non-operation of the system 12 over a period of time; and a data processing unit 16 configured to evaluate the data to identify at least one event indicative of the inadequate maintenance of the system.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an inadequate past maintenance procedure performed in the past on an aircraft system, the method performed by a data processing system and comprising:

using sensor signals generated by one or more sensors associated with at least one system of an aircraft to generate system data from the sensor signals, the system data representing one or more operating parameters associated with an operation of the at least one aircraft system during the execution of a past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

accessing reference data representing the past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

using a comparison of the generated system data with the accessed reference data to detect a signature in the system data corresponding to the execution of the past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

determining from the comparison that the execution of the past maintenance procedure was inadequate;

generating one or more warning signals indicative of the inadequate past maintenance procedure; and

storing the one or more warning signals indicative of the inadequate past maintenance procedure in non-transitory computer-readable memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning signals represent at least one instruction associated with corrective maintenance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the past maintenance procedure is selected from the group consisting of:

a desalination wash of a gas turbine engine;

a performance recovery wash of a gas turbine engine; and

a compressor turbine wash of a gas turbine engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises starting a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises turning over a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises dry motoring a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

7. A non-transitory medium or media comprising machine-readable instructions executable by a data processor, the machine-readable instructions, when executed, causing the processor to:

use sensor signals generated by one or more sensors associated with at least one system of an aircraft to generate system data from the sensor signals, the system data representing one or more operating parameters associated with an operation of the at least one aircraft system during the execution of a past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

access reference data representing the past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

based at least partly on a comparison of the generated system data with the accessed reference data, detect a signature in the system data corresponding to the execution of the past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

determine from the comparison that the execution of the past maintenance procedure was inadequate;

generate one or more warning signals indicative of the inadequate past maintenance procedure; and

store the one or more warning signals indicative of the inadequate past maintenance procedure in non-transitory computer-readable memory.

8. The medium or media of claim 7, wherein the warning signals represent at least one instruction associated with corrective maintenance.

9. The medium or media of claim 7, wherein the past maintenance procedure is selected from the group consisting of:

a desalination wash of a gas turbine engine;

a performance recovery wash of a gas turbine engine; and

a compressor turbine wash of a gas turbine engine.

10. The medium or media of claim 7, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises starting a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

11. The medium or media of claim 7, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises turning over a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

12. The medium or media of claim 7, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises dry motoring a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

13. A system for detecting an inadequate past maintenance procedure performed on an aircraft system, the system comprising at least one data processor configured to execute machine-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

use sensor signals generated by one or more sensors associated with at least one system of an aircraft to generate system data from the sensor signals, the system data representing one or more operating parameters associated with an operation of the at least one aircraft system during the execution of a past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

access reference data representing the past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system;

detect a signature in the system data corresponding to the execution of the past maintenance procedure requiring operation of the at least one aircraft system based at least partly on a comparison of the generated system data with the accessed reference data;

determine from the comparison that the execution of the past maintenance procedure was inadequate;

generate one or more warning signals indicative of the inadequate past maintenance procedure; and

store the one or more warning signals indicative of the inadequate past maintenance procedure in non-transitory computer-readable memory.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the warning signals represent at least one instruction associated with corrective maintenance.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the past maintenance procedure is selected from the group consisting of:

a desalination wash of a gas turbine engine;

a performance recovery wash of a gas turbine engine; and

a compressor turbine wash of a gas turbine engine.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises starting a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises turning over a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the past maintenance procedure comprises dry motoring a gas turbine engine during a period of inactivity.