Method and system for detection of inclement weather through engine parameters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019170902-A1
Application number	US-201715832086-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 6, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting inclement weather in the vicinity of an aircraft engine are described herein. At least a first engine parameter and a second engine parameter are obtained, each engine parameter varies with changing weather conditions. An arithmetic value is determined as a function of at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter. The arithmetic value varies with changing weather conditions. A rate of change of the arithmetic value is determined. Inclement weather is detected when the rate of change exceeds a threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for detecting inclement weather in the vicinity of an aircraft engine, the method comprising:
obtaining at least a first engine parameter and a second engine parameter, each engine parameter varying with changing weather conditions; determining an arithmetic value as a function of at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter, the arithmetic value varying with changing weather conditions; determining a rate of change of the arithmetic value based on a derivative of the arithmetic value; and detecting inclement weather when the rate of change exceeds a threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter comprises measuring at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter comprises obtaining at least one calculated engine parameter determined from an arithmetic function of one or more engine parameters.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first engine parameter is temperature at a first location of the engine and the second engine parameter is pressure at a second location of the engine.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first engine parameter is temperature at a first location of the engine and the second engine parameter is temperature at a second location of the engine.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first engine parameter is pressure at a first location of the engine and the second engine parameter is pressure at a second location of the engine.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first engine parameter is fuel flow to the engine and the second engine parameter is pressure at a second location of the engine.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first engine parameter is fuel flow to the engine and the second engine parameter is temperature at a second location of the engine.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first engine parameter is rotational speed of a low pressure shaft of a low pressure spool of the engine and the second engine parameter is rotational speed of a high pressure shaft of a high pressure spool of the engine.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the arithmetic value as a function of at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter comprises determining a ratio of the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first engine parameter increases with inclement weather and the second engine parameter decreases with inclement weather.

12 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first engine parameter is temperature at station number 5 of the engine and the second engine parameter is pressure at station 5 of the engine.

13 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first engine parameter is temperature at station number 5 of the engine and the second engine parameter is temperature at station number 2 .

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising filtering the arithmetic value to obtain a filtered arithmetic value, and wherein determining the rate of change of the arithmetic value comprises determining a derivative of the filtered arithmetic value.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a time interval of the derivative depends on at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter.

16 . The method of clam 1 , wherein the threshold depends on at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter.

17 . A system for detecting inclement weather in the vicinity of an aircraft engine, the system comprising:
at least one processing unit; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for:
obtaining at least a first engine parameter and a second engine parameter, each engine parameter varying with changing weather conditions;
determining an arithmetic value as a function of at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter, the arithmetic value varying with changing weather conditions;
determining a rate of change of the arithmetic value based on a derivative of the arithmetic value; and
detecting inclement weather when the rate of change exceeds a threshold.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processing unit for obtaining at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter comprising measuring at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processing unit for obtaining at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter comprising obtaining at least one calculated engine parameter determined from an arithmetic function of one or more engine parameters.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first engine parameter is temperature at a first location of the engine and the second engine parameter is pressure at a second location of the engine.

21 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first engine parameter is temperature at a first location of the engine and the second engine parameter is temperature at a second location of the engine.

22 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first engine parameter is pressure at a first location of the engine and the second engine parameter is pressure at a second location of the engine.

23 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first engine parameter is fuel flow to the engine and the second engine parameter is pressure at a second location of the engine.

24 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first engine parameter is fuel flow to the engine and the second engine parameter is temperature at a second location of the engine.

25 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first engine parameter is rotational speed of a low pressure shaft of a low pressure spool of the engine and the second engine parameter is rotational speed of a high pressure shaft of a high pressure spool of the engine.

26 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processing unit for determining the arithmetic value as a function of at least the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter comprising determining a ratio of the first engine parameter and the second engine parameter.

27 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the first location is at a same station number of the engine as the second location.

28 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the first location is different from the second location.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Henning Andrea
• Turcotte Jasmin

Classifications

• F23N2231/06

  for flame failures · CPC title

• F02C7/00

  Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants (controlling F02C9/00) · CPC title

• F23N5/00

  Systems for controlling combustion (regulating fuel supply F23N1/00, regulating air supply or draught F23N3/00) · CPC title

• F23N1/002 Primary

  using electronic means (F23N1/04 - F23N1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2270/301

  Pressure · CPC title