US-12624646-B2 - Apparatus and methods for monitoring propulsion systems

US12624646B2US 12624646 B2US12624646 B2US 12624646B2US-12624646-B2

Abstract

An apparatus includes first and second equipment health monitoring systems for a gas turbine engine. At least one parameter of the gas turbine engine to be monitored by the second equipment health monitoring system is different than a plurality of parameters to be monitored by the first equipment health monitoring system. The first equipment health monitoring system is electrically connected to a control system of the gas turbine engine while the second equipment health monitoring system is electrically isolated from the control system. As a result, the second equipment health monitoring system may be physically and electrically separate to other electronic systems of the apparatus.

Inventors

Paulas SEKARAN
Philip NAYLOR

Assignees

ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240606
Priority Date: 20230629

Claims (12)

1 . An apparatus comprising: a gas turbine engine including a control system configured to control operation of the gas turbine engine; a first equipment health monitoring system including a first processor, a first memory, and a first sensor array (i) positioned at various locations of the gas turbine engine to enable monitoring of a plurality of parameters of the gas turbine engine and (ii) being configured to generate first data for the plurality of parameters of the gas turbine engine, the processor being programmed to receive the first data generated by the first sensor array; a second equipment health monitoring system including a second processor, a second memory, and a second sensor array (i) positioned at one or more locations of the gas turbine engine to enable monitoring of one or more parameters of the gas turbine engine and (ii) configured to generate second data for the one or more parameters of the gas turbine engine, at least one of the one or more parameters to be monitored by the second equipment health monitoring system being different than the plurality of parameters to be monitored by the first equipment health monitoring system, wherein the first equipment health monitoring system is electrically connected to the control system of the gas turbine engine, and the second equipment health monitoring system is electrically isolated from the control system.
2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second memory of the second equipment health monitoring system is configured to store the second data for the one or more parameters of the gas turbine engine.
3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second memory of the second equipment health monitoring system is hand removable.
4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second equipment health monitoring system includes a transmitter configured to transmit, via a wired or wireless link, the second data for the one or more parameters of the gas turbine engine.
5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second equipment health monitoring system includes a clock configured to output a time, the second equipment health monitoring system being configured to associate the second data for the one or more parameters of the gas turbine engine with the time output of the clock.
6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second equipment health monitoring system comprises an electrical energy storage device configured to supply electrical power to the second equipment health monitoring system.
7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the electrical energy storage device is configured to supply electrical power to one or more sensors of the second sensor array of the second equipment health monitoring system.
8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second equipment health monitoring system comprises an electrical energy generating device configured to supply electrical power to the second equipment health monitoring system.
9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the electrical energy generating device comprises a thermoelectric generator.
10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine comprises a low-pressure compressor casing and a core casing, the first processor of the first equipment health monitoring system being mounted on the low-pressure compressor casing, and the second processor of the second equipment health monitoring system being mounted on the core casing.
11 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a third equipment health monitoring system configured to generate third data for one or more parameters of the gas turbine engine, at least one of the one or more parameters to be monitored by the third equipment health monitoring system being different than the plurality of parameters to be monitored by the first equipment health monitoring system, and different to than the one or more parameters to be monitored by the second equipment health monitoring system.
12 . A vehicle comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 .

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This specification is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from UK Patent Application Number 2309830.4 filed on Jun. 29, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD The present disclosure concerns apparatus and method for monitoring propulsion systems. BACKGROUND Vehicles, such as aircraft, usually include one or more propulsion systems (for example, a heat engine such as a gas turbine engine or a reciprocating engine) for providing thrust and/or electrical power to the propulsion system and vehicle. An equipment health monitoring system may be integrated within the propulsion system and/or the vehicle to enable various parameters (such as pressures, temperatures, and vibrations) of the propulsion system to be monitored. However, such equipment health monitoring systems may add weight to the vehicle, and may increase the fuel consumption of the vehicle when in operation (when flying between airports for example). BRIEF SUMMARY According to a first aspect there is provided apparatus comprising: a propulsion system; a first equipment health monitoring system configured to generate data for a plurality of parameters of the propulsion system; a second equipment health monitoring system configured to generate data for one or more parameters of the propulsion system, at least one of the one or more parameters to be monitored by the second equipment health monitoring system being different to the plurality of parameters to be monitored by the first equipment health monitoring system. The second equipment health monitoring system may include memory configured to store the data for the one or more parameters of the propulsion system. The memory may be hand removable. The second equipment health monitoring system may include a transmitter configured to transmit the data for the one or more parameters via a wired or wireless link. The propulsion system may include a control system configured to control the operation of the propulsion system, the first equipment health monitoring system may be electrically connected to the control system, and the second equipment health monitoring system may be isolated from the control system. The second equipment health monitoring system may include a clock configured to output a time, the second equipment health monitoring system may be configured to associate the data of the one or more parameters of the propulsion system with the time output by the clock. The second equipment health monitoring system may comprise an electrical energy storage device configured to supply electrical power to the second equipment health monitoring system. The electrical energy storage device may be configured to supply electrical power to one or more sensors of the second equipment health monitoring system. The second equipment health monitoring system may comprise an electrical energy generating device configured to supply electrical power to the second equipment health monitoring system. The electrical energy generating device may comprise a thermoelectric generator. Deployment and removal of the second equipment health monitoring system may take less time than deployment and removal of the first equipment health monitoring system. The propulsion system may comprise a gas turbine engine including a low-pressure compressor casing and a core casing, a processor of the first equipment health monitoring system may be mounted on the low-pressure compressor casing, and a processor of the second equipment health monitoring system may be mounted on the core casing. The apparatus may further comprise a third equipment health monitoring system configured to generate data for one or more parameters of the propulsion system, at least one of the one or more parameters to be monitored by the third equipment health monitoring system may be different to the plurality of parameters to be monitored by the first equipment health monitoring system, and different to the one or more parameters to be monitored by the second equipment health monitoring system. According to a second aspect there is provided a vehicle comprising the apparatus as described in any preceding paragraphs of the brief summary. According to a third aspect there is provided a method comprising: receiving data from a first equipment health monitoring system, the data being for a plurality of parameters of a propulsion system; determining whether the data received from the first equipment health monitoring system includes data for a first parameter of the propulsion system; and instructing deployment of a second equipment health monitoring system to monitor the first parameter where it is determined that the data received from the first equipment health monitoring system does not include data for the first parameter. The data received from the first equipment health monitoring system may be generated by the first equipment health monitoring system during