Propulsor blade imaging assembly for an aircraft propulsion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12379645-B2
Application number	US-202318136109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2023
Priority date	Apr 18, 2023
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system includes a propulsor section and an imaging device. The propulsor section includes a propulsor and a structural body. The propulsor includes a plurality of propulsor blades. The structural body forms an outer air flow surface forming a portion of an air flow path through the propulsor section. The imaging device includes a housing and a camera. The housing includes a housing body and a cover. The housing body is mounted in the structural body. The housing body forms a cavity and an opening of the cavity. The cover is pivotable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The camera is disposed in the cavity with the cover positioned in the stowed position. The camera is configured to capture image data of each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades with the cover positioned in the deployed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, the assembly comprising:
a propulsor section for the aircraft propulsion system, the propulsor section including a propulsor and a structural body, the propulsor including a plurality of propulsor blades configuration for rotation about a rotational axis of the aircraft propulsion system, the structural body forming an outer air flow surface, the outer air flow surface forming a portion of an air flow path through the propulsor section;
an imaging device including a housing and a camera, the housing including a housing body and a cover, the housing body mounted in the structural body, the housing body forming a cavity and an opening of the cavity, the opening of the cavity disposed at the outer air flow surface, the cover pivotably mounted to the housing body, the cover pivotable between a stowed position and a deployed position, the cover positioned in the opening in the stowed position, the camera disposed in the cavity with the cover positioned in the stowed position, the camera configured to capture image data of each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades as the propulsor blades rotate about the rotational axis with the cover positioned in the deployed position;
wherein the housing body extends about an axial centerline of the housing, the camera configured for axial translation between a first axial position and a second axial position relative to the axial centerline, the camera disposed in the cavity in the first axial position, the camera disposed outside the cavity in the second axial position.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the propulsor further includes a nose cone and the nose cone forms the structural body.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the nose cone is rotationally fixed relative to the rotational axis.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the propulsor section further includes a propulsor case extending circumferentially about the rotational axis and circumscribing the plurality of propulsor blades, the propulsor case forming the structural body.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover in the deployed position is disposed upstream of the camera with respect to the air flow path.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the camera is mounted to the cover, the camera pivotable with the cover between the stowed position and the deployed position.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes an outer side and an inner side, the outer side forming a portion of the outer air flow surface with the cover in the stowed position.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the cover includes a mirror disposed at the inner side.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the camera is positionally fixed relative to the housing body.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to capture the image data for a portion of a radial span of each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the portion of the radial span is at a root end of each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the imaging assembly further includes a controller connected in signal communication with the imaging device, the controller including a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
initiate the capture of the image data by controlling the camera to capture the image data based on a measured rotation speed of the propulsor about the rotational axis.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the imaging device to position the cover in the deployed position prior to initiating the capture of the image data.

14. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to identify a presence or an absence of damage for each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades using the image data.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to transmit to an offboard system an indication of identification of the presence of damage to at least one propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades.

16. An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, the assembly comprising:
a propulsor including a plurality of propulsor blades configured for rotation about a rotational axis of the aircraft propulsion system;
an imaging device including a housing and a camera, the housing including a housing body and a cover, the housing body forming a cavity and an opening of the cavity, the cover pivotable between a stowed position and a deployed position, the cover positioned in the opening in the stowed position, the camera disposed in the cavity with the cover positioned in the stowed position, the camera configured to capture image data of each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades as the propulsor blades rotate about the rotational axis with the cover positioned in the deployed position; and
a controller connected in signal communication with the imaging device, the controller including a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
control the imaging device to position the cover from the stowed position to the deployed position; and
initiate the capture of the image data, with the cover in the deployed position, by controlling the camera to capture the image data;
wherein the housing body extends about an axial centerline of the housing, the camera configured for axial translation between a first axial position and a second axial position relative to the axial centerline, the camera disposed in the cavity in the first axial position, the camera disposed outside the cavity in the second axial position.

17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the camera is mounted to the cover, the camera pivotable with the cover between the stowed position and the deployed position.

18. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein:
the cover includes an outer side, an inner side, and a mirror, the inner side forming a portion of the cavity with the cover in the stowed position, the mirror disposed at the inner side; and
the camera is positionally fixed relative to the housing body.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp
• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Hagen Gregory S
• Attridge Paul
• Lincoln David L
• Chaudhry Zaffir A
• Goyette Scott
• Shaw Janet
• King Jeffrey P

Classifications

• G01N21/95

  characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined (G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

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

• F02C7/04

  Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title

• F05D2220/36

  specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines · CPC title