Wireless aircraft engine monitoring system

• US 9,972,896 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bulumulla, Selaka Bandara, Calder, David Patrick, Dell'Anno, Michael Joseph, Roach, Andrew Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Testardi, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/191,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20170369188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 7/02 Nacelles
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/00 Power-plant nacelles, fairings, or cowlings nacelles not otherwise provided for B64C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 29/06 Attaching of nacelles, fairings or cowlings
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/14 Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/286 substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft

Abstract

An engine monitoring system for an aircraft engine having a nacelle extending annularly thereabout and a sensor positioned radially inward therefrom. The system includes an engine control device coupled communicatively to the sensor and configured to receive engine data from the sensor and/or receive instruction data from a transmitter device positioned radially outward from a nacelle radially outward surface. The system also includes a composite panel including at least a portion of the nacelle and a ground plane positioned radially inward from the nacelle radially outward surface, the composite panel including an antenna coupled communicatively to engine control device and a radome positioned radially outward from ground plane. The antenna is configured to at least one of receive engine data from the engine control device and transmit engine data to a receiver device, and receive instruction data from the transmitter device and transmit instruction data to the engine control device.

Claims

1. An engine monitoring system for an aircraft engine, the aircraft engine having a nacelle extending annularly thereabout and including at least one sensor positioned radially inward from the nacelle, said system comprising:

an engine control device communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, said engine control device configured to at least one of receive engine data from the at least one sensor and receive instruction data from a transmitter device positioned radially outward from a radially outward surface of the nacelle; and

wherein at least a portion of the nacelle comprises a composite panel, said composite panel comprising;

a ground plane positioned radially inward from the radially outward surface of the nacelle;

a panel support structure;

an antenna enclosed within said panel support structure, said enclosed antenna communicatively coupled to said engine control device, said antenna configured to at least one of;

receive the engine data from said engine control device and to transmit the engine data to a receiver device positioned radially outward from the radially outward surface of the nacelle; and

receive the instruction data from the transmitter device and to transmit the instruction data to said engine control device; and

a radome positioned radially outward from said ground plane for protecting said antenna from physical damage and degradation.

2. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, the nacelle comprising a plurality of doors, wherein said composite panel further comprises at least one door of the plurality of doors.

3. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said composite panel is at least partially embedded within the nacelle.

4. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said radome comprises a radome material that is substantially transparent to electromagnetic signals.

5. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said radome material is fiberglass.

6. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the engine data includes information pertaining to operation of the aircraft engine including at least one of during flight service and during ground service.

7. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the engine data includes diagnostic data related to repair and maintenance.

8. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said antenna includes at least one of a patch antenna, a microstrip antenna, a microstrip patch antenna, and a planar inverted-F antenna.

9. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said antenna is further configured to at least one of transmit and receive at least one of the engine data and the instruction data using a wireless communication protocol including at least one of WiFi, cellular, WiMax™

, Bluetooth™

, and a wireless local area network (WLAN).

10. The engine monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said antenna is further configured to at least one of transmit and receive at least one of the engine data and the instruction data over a range of a plurality of frequencies.

11. A composite panel for monitoring an aircraft engine, the aircraft engine including a nacelle extending annularly thereabout, at least one sensor positioned radially inward from the nacelle, and an engine control device communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the engine control device configured to at least one of receive engine data from the at least one sensor and receive instruction data from a transmitter device positioned radially outward from a radially outward surface of the nacelle, wherein at least a portion of the nacelle comprises a composite panel, said composite panel comprising:

a ground plane positioned radially inward from the radially outward surface of said at least a portion of the nacelle;

a panel support structure,

an antenna enclosed within said panel support structure, said enclosed antenna communicatively coupled to said engine control device, said antenna configured to at least one of;

receive the engine data from the engine control device and to transmit the engine data to a receiver device positioned radially outward from the radially outward surface of the nacelle; and

receive the instruction data from the transmitter device and to transmit the instruction data to the engine control device; and

a radome positioned radially outward from said ground plane for protecting said antenna from physical damage and degradation.

12. The composite panel in accordance with claim 11, the nacelle including a plurality of doors, wherein said composite panel further comprises at least one door of the plurality of doors.

13. The composite panel in accordance with claim 12, wherein said composite panel is at least one of coupled to the nacelle and at least partially embedded within the nacelle.

14. The composite panel in accordance with claim 12, wherein said radome comprises a radome material that is substantially transparent to electromagnetic signals.

15. The composite panel in accordance with claim 14, wherein said radome material is fiberglass.

16. The composite panel in accordance with claim 12, wherein the engine data includes information pertaining to operation of the aircraft engine including at least one of during flight service and during ground service.

17. The composite panel in accordance with claim 16, wherein the engine data includes diagnostic data related to repair and maintenance.

18. The composite panel in accordance with claim 12, wherein said antenna includes at least one of a patch antenna, a microstrip antenna, a microstrip patch antenna, and a planar inverted-F antenna.

19. The composite panel in accordance with claim 12, wherein said antenna is further configured to at least one of transmit and receive at least one of the engine data and the instruction data using a wireless communication protocol including at least one of WiFi, cellular, WiMax™

, Bluetooth™

, and a wireless local area network (WLAN).

20. An aircraft comprising:

an aircraft engine comprising;

a nacelle extending annularly about said aircraft engine;

at least one sensor positioned radially inward from said nacelle;

an engine control device communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, said engine control device configured to at least one of receive engine data from the at least one sensor and receive instruction data from a transmitter device positioned radially outward from a radially outward surface of the nacelle; and

wherein at least a portion of the nacelle comprises a composite panel, said composite panel comprising;

a ground plane positioned radially inward from the radially outward surface of the nacelle;

a panel support structure;

an antenna enclosed within said panel support structure, said enclosed antenna communicatively coupled to said engine control device, said antenna configured to at least one of;

receive the engine data from said engine control device and to transmit the engine data to a receiver device positioned radially outward from the radially outward surface of the nacelle; and

receive the instruction data from the transmitter device and to transmit the instruction data to said engine control device; and

a radome positioned radially outward from said ground plane for protecting said antenna from physical damage and degradation.