System and method for heat exchanger failure detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10676206-B2
Application number	US-201715835838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A system and a method for detecting a failure of a heat exchanger provided on an engine of an aircraft. An out-of-range fuel temperature downstream of an outlet of the heat exchanger is detected. A health of a fuel tank temperature signal indicative of a temperature of at least one fuel tank of the aircraft is monitored. A main oil temperature signal indicative of a temperature of oil in the engine is received. The failure is detected based on the main oil temperature and on the health of the fuel tank temperature signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for detecting a failure of a heat exchanger provided on an engine of an aircraft, the method comprising:
detecting an out-of-range fuel temperature downstream of an outlet of the heat exchanger;
monitoring a health of a fuel tank temperature signal indicative of a temperature of at least one fuel tank of the aircraft;
receiving a main oil temperature signal indicative of a temperature of oil in the engine; and
detecting the failure based on the main oil temperature and on the health of the fuel tank temperature signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the out-of-range fuel outlet temperature comprises:
receiving the input data from a fuel temperature sensor, the input data comprising a measurement of a temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger;
comparing the input data to a predetermined temperature range; and
detecting the out-of-range fuel outlet temperature responsive to determining that the temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger is outside the range.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the input data from a fuel temperature switch, the input data comprising an indication that a temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger is outside a predetermined temperature range.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the failure comprises detecting one of an excessive heating condition of the heat exchanger, an insufficient heating condition of the heat exchanger, and a failure of a sensing device configured to monitor a temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein monitoring the health of the fuel tank temperature signal comprises detecting that the fuel tank temperature signal is compromised and further wherein detecting the excessive heating condition comprises detecting that the main oil temperature exceeds a threshold associated with the excessive heating condition.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein monitoring the health of the fuel tank temperature signal comprises detecting that the fuel tank temperature signal is healthy and further wherein detecting the excessive heating condition comprises detecting that the main oil temperature exceeds a first threshold associated with the excessive heating condition and detecting that the fuel tank temperature exceeds a second threshold associated with the excessive heating condition.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein monitoring the health of the fuel tank temperature signal comprises detecting that the fuel tank temperature signal is healthy and further wherein detecting the insufficient heating condition comprises detecting that the main oil temperature exceeds a first threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition and detecting that the fuel tank temperature is below a second threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein monitoring the health of the fuel tank temperature signal comprises detecting that the fuel tank temperature signal is healthy and further wherein detecting the failure of the sensing device comprises detecting that the fuel tank temperature exceeds a first threshold associated with the excessive heating condition and that the main oil temperature exceeds a threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition and below a second threshold associated with the excessive heating condition.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein monitoring the health of the fuel tank temperature signal comprises detecting that the fuel tank temperature signal is healthy and further wherein detecting the failure of the sensing device comprises detecting that the fuel tank temperature exceeds a first threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition and is below a threshold associated with the excessive heating condition and detecting that the main oil temperature exceeds a second threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a health of the main oil temperature signal, wherein the failure is detected provided the main oil temperature signal is healthy.

11. A system for detecting a failure of a heat exchanger provided on an engine of an aircraft, the system comprising:
a memory; and
a processing unit coupled to the memory and configured to:
detect an out-of-range fuel temperature downstream of an outlet of the heat exchanger;
monitor a health of a fuel tank temperature signal indicative of a temperature of at least one fuel tank of the aircraft;
receive a main oil temperature signal indicative of a temperature of oil in the engine; and
detect the failure based on the main oil temperature and on the health of the fuel tank temperature signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect the out-of-range fuel outlet temperature comprising:
receiving input data from a fuel temperature sensor, the input data comprising a measurement of a temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger;
comparing the input data to a predetermined temperature range; and
detecting the out-of-range fuel outlet temperature responsive to determining that the temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger is outside the range.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is configured to receive input data from a fuel temperature switch, the input data comprising an indication that a temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger is outside a predetermined temperature range.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect one of an excessive heating condition of the heat exchanger, an insufficient heating condition of the heat exchanger, and a failure of a sensing device configured to monitor a temperature of fuel downstream of the outlet of the heat exchanger.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect that the fuel tank temperature signal is compromised and to detect the excessive heating condition comprising detecting that the main oil temperature exceeds a threshold associated with the excessive heating condition.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect that the fuel tank temperature signal is healthy and to detect the excessive heating condition comprising detecting that the main oil temperature exceeds a first threshold associated with the excessive heating condition and detecting that the fuel tank temperature exceeds a second threshold associated with the excessive heating condition.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect that the fuel tank temperature signal is healthy and to detect the insufficient heating condition comprising detecting that the main oil temperature exceeds a first threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition and detecting that the fuel tank temperature is below a second threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit is configured to detect that the fuel tank temperature signal is healthy and to detect the failure of the sensing device comprising detecting that the fuel tank temperature exceeds a first threshold associated with the excessive heating condition and that the main oil temperature exceeds a threshold associated with the insufficient heating condition and below a second threshold associated with the excess

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Manoukian Patrick
• Watt Robin
• Chahal Amandeep

Classifications

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• F28F2265/00

  Safety or protection arrangements; Arrangements for preventing malfunction · CPC title

• B64D2041/002

  Mounting arrangements for auxiliary power units (APU's) · CPC title

• B64D33/08

  of power plant cooling systems · CPC title

• B64D37/34 Primary

  Conditioning fuel, e.g. heating (during filling B64D37/18) · CPC title