Wireless engine monitoring system and associated engine wireless sensor network

• US 9,152,146 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ziarno, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Application Number:
  US13/489,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/29.1, 701/29.2, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/32.6, 701/32.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A plurality of wireless engine sensors each includes a sensing circuit that senses an engine parameter as engine data. A radio transceiver receives and transmits the engine data regarding the sensed engine parameters. An engine monitoring module includes a housing configured to be mounted at the aircraft engine. A sensor receiver is mounted within the housing and receives the engine data from the wireless engine sensors. A first wireless transmitter is carried by the housing. A memory is carried by the housing and a processor is carried by the housing and coupled to the memory and the first wireless transmitter and configured to collect and store in the memory engine data related to engine parameters sensed during operation of the aircraft engine by the plurality of wireless engine sensors and transmit the engine data via the first wireless transmitter.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for an aircraft engine, comprising:

a plurality of wireless engine sensors associated with the aircraft engine, each wireless engine sensor configured to sense an engine parameter as engine data and transmit wirelessly the engine data regarding the sensed engine parameter and receive engine data to change the respective operation of the engine parameter sensing;

an engine monitoring module comprising;

a housing mounted at the aircraft engine,

a wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver mounted within the housing and configured to receive the engine data regarding sensed engine parameters from the wireless engine sensors;

a first wireless transceiver carried by the housing,

a memory carried by the housing,

a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the memory, the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver, and the first wireless transceiver and configured to;

collect and store in said memory engine data relating to engine parameters sensed during operation of the aircraft engine by the plurality of wireless engine sensors;

transmit the engine data via the first wireless transceiver over a wireless communications signal into the aircraft,

a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit located within the aircraft and forming a wireless access point and wireless LAN within the aircraft and configured to transmit the engine data via the wireless LAN from the wireless LAN communications unit into the aircraft for further processing and receive and transmit to the engine monitoring module engine data regarding engine parameter sensing for transmission to the wireless engine sensors via the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver; and

wherein selected ones of the plurality of wireless engine sensors receive the engine data and change the operation of a respective sensor for a different engine parameter sensing operation.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of wireless engine sensors are configured to form an engine wireless sensor network.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a wireless engine sensor is configured to sense fuel flow, temperature, pressure, level, acceleration or vibration.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said first wireless transceiver is configured to transmit the engine data and a data address linked to an identifier of the aircraft engine.

5. The system according to claim 1, and further comprising a second wireless transceiver comprising a UHF transceiver configured to receive the engine data over the wireless LAN and transmit the engine data over an air-to-ground communications signal.

6. The system according to claim 1, and further comprising a second wireless transceiver configured to receive and transmit the engine data over a satellite communications link.

7. A monitoring system for an aircraft engine, comprising:

a plurality of wireless engine sensors associated with the aircraft engine, each wireless engine sensor configured to sense an engine parameter as engine data and transmit wirelessly the engine data regarding the sensed engine parameter and receive engine data to change the respective operation of the engine parameter sensing;

an engine monitoring module comprising;

a housing mounted at the aircraft engine,

a wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver mounted within the housing and configured to receive the engine data regarding sensed engine parameters from the wireless engine sensors;

a first wireless transceiver carried by the housing,

a memory carried by the housing,

a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the memory, the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver, and the first wireless transceiver and configured to;

collect and store in said memory engine data relating to engine parameters sensed during operation of the aircraft engine by the plurality of wireless engine sensors and transmit the engine data via the first wireless transceiver over a wireless communications signal into the aircraft;

a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit located within the aircraft and forming a wireless access point and wireless LAN within the aircraft and configured to transmit the engine data via the wireless LAN from the wireless LAN communications unit into the aircraft for further processing and receive and transmit to the engine monitoring module engine data regarding engine parameter sensing to the engine monitoring module and to the wireless engine sensors via the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver; and

wherein selected ones of the plurality of wireless engine sensors receive the engine data and change the operation of a respective sensor for a different engine parameter sensing operation.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of wireless engine sensors are configured to form an engine wireless sensor network.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein a wireless engine sensor is configured to sense fuel flow, temperature, pressure, level, acceleration or vibration.

10. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a second processor mounted in the aircraft and configured to determine engine operating parameters based on the sensed engine data.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said second processor mounted in the aircraft is configured to determine if an engine should be shut down during flight of the aircraft.

12. The system according to claim 7, and further comprising a second wireless transceiver located within the aircraft and operatively connected to the wireless LAN communications unit and configured to transmit the engine data.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said second wireless transceiver comprises a UHF transmitter configured to transmit the engine data over an air-to-ground communications signal.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein said second wireless transceiver is configured to transmit the engine data over a satellite communications link.

15. The monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein said first wireless transceiver is configured to transmit the engine data and a data address linked to an identifier of the aircraft engine.

16. A method of monitoring an aircraft engine, comprising:

mounting a plurality of wireless engine sensors at the aircraft engine, each wireless engine sensor configured to sense an engine parameter as engine data and transmit the engine data regarding the sensed engine parameter and receive engine data to change the respective operation of the engine parameter sensing; and

mounting an engine monitoring module at the aircraft engine, said engine monitoring module comprising a housing mounted at the aircraft engine, a wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver mounted within the housing and configured to receive engine data regarding sensed engine parameters from the wireless engine sensors, a first wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a memory carried by the housing, a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the memory, the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver, and the first wireless transceiver;

forming a wireless local area network (LAN) within the aircraft by locating a wireless LAN communications unit comprising a wireless access point and wireless communications unit within the aircraft;

collecting and storing in said memory engine data relating to engine parameters sensed during operation of the aircraft engine by the plurality of wireless engine sensors;

transmitting the engine data via the first wireless transceiver via the wireless LAN to the wireless communications unit;

transmitting the engine data to a location into the aircraft via the wireless LAN for further processing and receiving and transmitting to the engine monitoring module data regarding engine parameter sensing; and

transmitting to selected ones of the wireless engine sensors via the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor engine data for changing the operation of a respective sensor for different engine parameter sensing operation.

17. The method according to claim 16, and further comprising forming the plurality of wireless engine sensors as an engine wireless sensor network.

18. The method according to claim 16, and further comprising sensing at a wireless engine sensor fuel flow, temperature, pressure, level, acceleration or vibration.

19. The method according to claim 16, and further comprising transmitting the engine data via a second wireless transceiver over a satellite communications link.

20. The method according to claim 16, and further comprising transmitting the engine data over an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) communications signal as an air-to-ground communications signal.

21. The method according to claim 16, and further comprising assigning a data address to the engine monitoring module and linking the data address to an engine serial number for tracking the aircraft engine.

22. The method according to claim 16, and further comprising receiving the engine data within the wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit and processing the received engine data during flight of the aircraft and determining engine operating parameters.

23. The method according to claim 22, and further comprising determining engine operating parameters based on sensed engine data.

24. The method according to claim 22, and further comprising shutting down an engine during flight of the aircraft based on the determined engine operating parameters.