System and method for gathering flight load data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021072118-A1
Application number	US-201916564862-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2019
Priority date	Sep 9, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for gathering flight load data for a gas turbine engine includes providing a plurality of blocker doors rotatably mounted to a translating sleeve and a plurality of blocker door islands, each blocker door island disposed between circumferentially adjacent blocker doors of the plurality of blocker doors and mounted to at least one mounting point of the translating sleeve, wherein a blocker door island of the plurality of blocker door islands is a data acquisition unit; and connecting the data acquisition unit to at least one sensor in communication with the translating sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for gathering flight load data for a gas turbine engine, the method comprising providing a plurality of blocker doors, rotatably mounted to a translating sleeve, and a plurality of blocker door islands, each blocker door island disposed between circumferentially adjacent blocker doors of the plurality of blocker doors and mounted to at least one mounting point of the translating sleeve, wherein a blocker door island of the plurality of blocker door islands is a data acquisition unit; and
connecting the data acquisition unit to at least one sensor in communication with the translating sleeve.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the plurality of blocker doors, rotatably mounted to the translating sleeve, and the plurality of blocker door islands includes replacing a first blocker door island of the plurality of blocker door islands with the data acquisition unit and mounting the data acquisition unit to the at least one mounting point of the translating sleeve.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine includes a nacelle comprising the translating sleeve and a nacelle portion axially adjacent the translating sleeve, the translating sleeve and the nacelle portion disposed about an axial centerline of the gas turbine engine.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the translating sleeve is configured to axially translate relative to the nacelle portion and the nacelle portion is axially fixed relative to the gas turbine engine.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising gathering flight load data from the at least one sensor with the data acquisition unit.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising storing the flight load data with the data acquisition unit.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
removing the data acquisition unit from the translating sleeve subsequent to storing the flight load data; and reading the flight load data stored in the data acquisition unit.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes one or more of a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the data acquisition unit is in communication with the at least one sensor via a wire.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the data acquisition unit and the at least one sensor are configured to axially translate with the translating sleeve.

11 . A system for gathering gas turbine engine flight load data, the system comprising:
a thrust reverser comprising a translating sleeve and an inner barrel; a plurality of blocker doors hingedly attached to the thrust reverser; a plurality of blocker door islands, each blocker door island disposed between circumferentially adjacent blocker doors of the plurality of blocker doors and mounted to at least one mounting point of the thrust reverser; and at least one sensor in communication with the thrust reverser; wherein a blocker door island of the plurality of blocker door islands is a data acquisition unit and the data acquisition unit is connected to the at least one sensor.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the gas turbine engine includes a nacelle comprising the translating sleeve and a nacelle portion axially adjacent the translating sleeve, the translating sleeve and the nacelle portion disposed about an axial centerline of the gas turbine engine.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the translating sleeve is configured to axially translate relative to the nacelle portion and the nacelle portion is axially fixed relative to the gas turbine engine.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sensor includes one or more of a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the data acquisition unit is in communication with the at least one sensor via a wire.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the data acquisition unit and the at least one sensor are configured to axially translate with the translating sleeve.

17 . A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine core having an axial centerline; and a nacelle surrounding the engine core, the nacelle comprising a thrust reverser and an axially fixed nacelle portion axially adjacent the thrust reverser, the thrust reverser comprising:
a translating sleeve;
a plurality of blocker doors rotatably mounted to an interior surface of the translating sleeve;
a plurality of blocker door islands, each blocker door island disposed between circumferentially adjacent blocker doors of the plurality of blocker doors and mounted to at least one mounting point of the translating sleeve; and
at least one sensor in communication with the translating sleeve;
wherein a blocker door island of the plurality of blocker door islands is a data acquisition unit and the data acquisition unit is connected to the at least one sensor.

18 . The gas turbine engine of claim 17 , wherein the data acquisition unit has outer radial side mounted to translating sleeve and an inner radial side opposite the outer radial side and wherein the inner radial side defines a portion of a bypass flowpath of the gas turbine engine.

19 . The gas turbine engine of claim 17 , wherein the data acquisition unit and the at least one sensor are configured to axially translate with the translating sleeve.

20 . The gas turbine engine of claim 17 , wherein the at least one sensor includes one or more of a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor.

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Kestler Steven M
• Teets Kevin W

Classifications

• F02K1/72

  the aft end of the fan housing being movable to uncover openings in the fan housing for the reversed flow · CPC title

• F01D17/02

  Arrangement of sensing elements · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• G07C5/0841 Primary

  Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B) · CPC title

• F02K1/70

  using thrust reverser flaps or doors mounted on the fan housing · CPC title