Propeller health monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10717545-B2
Application number	US-201715698805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2017
Priority date	Sep 16, 2016
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A method for monitoring the health of propellers in an aircraft is provided. The method includes receiving a first propeller pitch angle of a first propeller of an aircraft; calculating a first residual pitch angle which is the difference between the first propeller pitch angle and a second propeller pitch angle; and comparing the first residual pitch angle to at least one threshold. The at least one threshold may include upper and lower thresholds. It is established that the health of the propeller may be impaired if the residual pitch angle is outside the at least one threshold, for example it exceeds the upper threshold or is below the lower threshold. If it is established that the health of the propeller may be impaired, an alert is made for inspection and maintenance to take place.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring aircraft propeller health the method comprising:
with a propeller controller, in response to a change in torque reacted by a blade of a first propeller of the aircraft, changing a pitch angle of all blades of the propeller in order to maintain a constant speed of rotation of the first propeller;
receiving a first propeller pitch angle of the first propeller of an aircraft on a processing device, wherein pitch angle is an average pitch angle of all the blades of the propeller;
calculating a first residual pitch angle which is the difference between the first propeller pitch angle and a second propeller pitch angle on the processing device;
comparing, on the processing device, the first residual pitch angle to at least one threshold; and
establishing, on the processing device, that the health of the propeller may be impaired if the first residual pitch angle is outside the at least one threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one threshold includes upper and lower thresholds.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising establishing that the health of the propeller may be impaired if the first residual pitch angle exceeds the upper threshold or is below the lower threshold.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving propeller pitch angles of further propellers of the same aircraft;
calculating further residual pitch angles which are the difference between pairs of propeller pitch angles;
comparing the further residual pitch angles to the upper and lower thresholds; and
establishing that the health of a propeller may be impaired if multiple residual pitch angles are outside of a range defined between the lower and upper thresholds, said residual pitch angles having been calculated using data from one or more common propellers.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising indicating an alert for maintenance if it is established that the health of a propeller may be impaired.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second propeller pitch angle is a pitch angle of a second propeller of the aircraft, the method further comprising receiving the second propeller pitch angle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second propeller pitch angle is a predicted pitch angle generated by a computer model, the method further comprising receiving the second propeller pitch angle.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a third propeller pitch angle of a second propeller of the aircraft;
calculating a second residual pitch angle which is the difference between the first and third propeller pitch angles; and
comparing the second residual pitch angle to at least one threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein comparing the second residual pitch angle to at least one threshold includes comparing the second residual pitch angle to upper and lower thresholds.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the upper and lower thresholds for the second residual pitch angle are between +0.1° to +5° and between −0.1° to −5°, respectively.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the upper and lower thresholds for the second residual pitch angle are between +0.3° to +1° and between −0.3° to −1°.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the upper and lower thresholds for the second residual pitch angle are between +0.5° and −0.5° respectively.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one threshold for the first residual pitch angle is between 0.1° to 5°.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one threshold for the first residual pitch angle is between 0.2° to 2°.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one threshold for the first residual pitch angle is 0.5°.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing that the health of the propeller may be impaired if the first residual pitch angle is above the at least one threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising indicating an alert for maintenance if it is established that the health of the propeller may be impaired.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a system that, in response to a change in torque reacted by a blade of a first propeller of the aircraft, changes a pitch angle of all blades of the propeller in order to maintain a constant speed of rotation of the first propeller, the system comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a first propeller pitch angle of the first propeller of an aircraft, wherein pitch angle is an average pitch angle of all the blades of the propeller;
calculate a first residual pitch angle which is the difference between the first propeller pitch angle and a second propeller pitch angle;
compare the first residual pitch angle to at least one threshold; and
establish that the health of the propeller may be impaired if the first residual pitch angle is outside the at least one threshold.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the processor is integrated into a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a propeller blade pitch angle detector.

Assignees

• Ratier Figeac Sas

Inventors

• El Haloui Abdellah

Classifications

• B64C11/30 Primary

  Blade pitch-changing mechanisms · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F01D7/00

  Rotors with blades adjustable in operation; Control thereof (for reversing F01D1/30) · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title