System and method for measuring an axial position of a rotating component of an engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11814970-B2
Application number	US-202217861418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2022
Priority date	Nov 29, 2019
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

Methods and systems for measuring an axial position of a rotating component of an engine are described herein. The method comprises obtaining a signal from a sensor coupled to the rotating component, the rotating component having a plurality of position markers distributed about a surface thereof, the position markers having an axially varying characteristic configured to cause a change in a varying parameter of the signal as a function of the axial position of the rotating component. Based on the signal, the method comprises determining a rotational speed of the rotating component from the signal, determining the varying parameter of the signal, and finding the axial position of the rotating component based on a known relationship between the axial position, the rotational speed, and the varying parameter of the signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for measuring an axial position of a rotating component of an engine, the method comprising:
rotating the rotating component, the rotating component having a plurality of position markers distributed about a surface thereof, the position markers having an axially varying characteristic;
receiving a signal from a sensor coupled to the rotating component;
using the position markers to cause a change in a varying parameter of the signal from the sensor as a function of the axial position of the rotating component, the signal varying with a rotational speed of the rotating component and with a variation in the axial position of the rotating component;
determining the rotational speed of the rotating component from the signal from the sensor;
determining a value of the varying parameter of the signal from the sensor; and
determining the axial position of the rotating component as a function of the rotational speed of the rotating component and of the value of the varying parameter of the signal from the sensor;
wherein the varying parameter of the signal is amplitude.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the axial position of the rotating component comprises inputting the rotational speed and the varying parameter of the signal into at least one lookup table and outputting the axial position from the at least one lookup table.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one lookup table comprises a first lookup table that outputs an air gap between the sensor and the position markers based on the varying parameter of the signal and the rotational speed, and a second lookup table that outputs the axial position based on the air gap.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the axial position of the rotating component comprises interpolating two axial positions when the varying parameter of the signal is between a first value associated with a first axial position and a second value associated with a second axial position, for a given rotational speed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the axially varying characteristic is an axially varying slope across a top surface of the position markers, to create an axially varying air gap between the position markers and the sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position markers are provided on a feedback device that is mounted to the rotating component.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the feedback device further comprises troughs positioned between the position markers, the troughs also having the axially varying characteristic of the position markers.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the rotational speed of the rotating component from the signal comprises applying a zero-crossing detection method.

9. A system for measuring an axial position of a rotating component of an engine, the system comprising:
a plurality of position markers distributed about a surface of the rotating component, the position markers having an axially varying characteristic;
a sensor coupled to the rotating component and configured to generate a signal having a varying parameter as the rotating component rotates; and
a measuring circuit coupled to the sensor and configured to:
receive the signal from the sensor, the position markers causing the signal from the sensor to vary with a rotational speed of the rotating component and with a variation in the axial position of the rotating component;
determine the rotational speed of the rotating component from the signal from the sensor;
determine the varying parameter of the signal from the sensor; and
determine the axial position of the rotating component as a function of the rotational speed of the rotating component and the varying parameter of the signal from the sensor.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein determining the axial position of the rotating component comprises inputting the rotational speed and the varying parameter of the signal into at least one lookup table and outputting the axial position from the at least one lookup table.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one lookup table comprises a first lookup table that outputs an air gap between the sensor and the position markers based on the varying parameter and the rotational speed, and a second lookup table that outputs the axial position based on the air gap.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the axial position of the rotating component comprises interpolating two axial positions when the varying parameter of the signal is between a first value associated with a first axial position and a second value associated with a second axial position, for a given rotational speed.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the axially varying characteristic is an axially varying slope across a top surface of the position markers, to create an axially varying air gap between the position markers and the sensor.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a feedback device mounted to the rotating component and having the position markers provided thereon.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the feedback device further comprises troughs positioned between the position markers, the troughs also having the axially varying characteristic of the position markers.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the measuring circuit applies a zero-crossing detection for determining the rotational speed of the rotating component from the signal.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the varying parameter of the signal is amplitude.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the measuring circuit comprises a rectifier for determining the amplitude of the signal.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by a processing unit for measuring an axial position of a rotating component of an engine, the rotating component having a plurality of position markers distributed about a surface thereof, the position markers having an axially varying characteristic, the program instructions configured for:
receiving a signal from a sensor coupled to the rotating component;
detecting a change in a varying parameter of the signal from the sensor caused by the position markers as a function of the axial position of the rotating component, the signal varying with a rotational speed of the rotating component and with a variation in the axial position of the rotating component;
determining the rotational speed of the rotating component from the signal from the sensor;
determining a value of the varying parameter of the signal from the sensor; and
determining the axial position of the rotating component as a function of the rotational speed of the rotating component and of the value of the varying parameter of the signal from the sensor;
wherein the varying parameter of the signal is amplitude.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Shenouda Antwan
• Yakobov Ella

Classifications

• F01D21/003 Primary

  Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H) · CPC title

• G01P3/46

  by measuring amplitude of generated current or voltage {(in general G01R19/00)} · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• F05D2240/60

  Shafts · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title