Patent Application
20180079533
In the accompanying drawings:
Referring to
Each illuminator 14 generally consists of an electrically-driven light-illuminating element, for example, an aforementioned light-emitting diode (LEDs) 14′, or a gaseous device such as a plasma-generated light source or a flash tube. The illuminators 14 may be oriented so as to emit light either primarily outwards from the jet engine 20; inwards towards externally-visible internal components of the jet engine 20, such as the first fan stage 28; or a combination thereof. The one or more illuminators 14 may be located anywhere along the outside of the jet engine 20 or within the inlet duct 30 thereof in order to either provide a distinctive pattern of illumination, or to provide for illuminating externally-visible internal components of the jet engine 20. For example, in addition to the inlet 16 and/or exhaust 18 of the jet engine 20, one or more illuminators 14 could be located along or proximate to an associated bypass duct of the jet engine 20. For multi-engine aircraft 12′, each jet engine 20 thereof could be outfitted—as described hereinabove—with the one or more illuminators 14.
In accordance with one set of embodiments for which the one or more of illuminators 14 are oriented so as to provide for illuminating an externally-visible rotating component of the jet engine 20—for example, the first fan stage 28—the speed of the rotating element may be sensed by an associated rotational speed sensor 26 and provided to the controller 24 so as to provide for the controller 24 to strobe the one or more of illuminators 14 in synchronism with the associated rotating component, so as to provide for controlling the perceived rotational speed of the rotating element, as perceived by an external observer. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
Generally, the illumination mode (i.e. the pattern or timing of activations, intensities, and colors of the associated one or more illuminators 14) can be either manually selected or set by the pilot via the associated control input 22, or can be automatically determined responsive to an operating condition of the aircraft 12, 12′ or an operating condition of the associated jet engine 20. For example, in accordance with one mode of operation, the aircraft engine illumination system 10, 10.1 is activated only when the aircraft 12, 12′ is on the ground, for example, responsive to a signal from a weight-on-wheels sensor 32 that detects from the landing gear 34 of the aircraft 12, 12′ whether or not the aircraft 12, 12′ is airborne, so as to avoid a potential confusion or distraction to other aircraft when in flight. For example, in accordance with one mode of operation, an operator (e.g. pilot) of the aircraft 12, 12′ could, e.g. by a manual control input 22 to the controller 24, cause the illuminators 14, 14′ to flash or operate in a particular attention-grabbing sequence when either crossing, entering, or operating along an active runway or taxiway, so as to provide for preventing or avoiding a collision with another aircraft.
The first aspect of an aircraft engine illumination system 10, 10.1—if associated exclusively with a jet engine 20 manufactured by a particular manufacturer—when used in a given aircraft 12, 12′, provides a public notice that the particular manufacturer's jet engine 20 is being used in that aircraft 12, 12′, so as to either have the effect of a “trademark” of that manufacturer's jet engine 20, or to explicitly represent a trademark—registered or not—of the manufacturer of the jet engine 20
Referring also to
For a first fan stage 28 rotating at RPS revolutions per second, the first fan stage 28 can be made to appear stationary or slowly rotating forward or backwards relative to a particular rotationally-indexed position of the first fan stage 28, if the time period between strobes of the inlet-fan illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1 is set to AtE as given by:
where N is an integer, and |δ|<1. If δ=0, the first fan stage 28 will appear to be stationary and rotationally indexed at the same position for each strobe; if δ>0, the first fan stage 28 will appear to rotate forwards; and if δ<0, the first fan stage 28 will appear to rotate backwards. The first fan stage 28 can be made to appear quasi-stationary or slowly rotating forward or backwards relative thereto, but without necessarily-consistent rotational indexing of the first fan stage 28 for different strobe times, if the time period between strobes of the inlet-fan illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1 is set to ΔtQ as given by:
where NBlades is the integral number of blades of the first fan stage 28.
Referring to
With the inlet-fan illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1 strobed at an interval ΔtE from equation (1) with δ=0 each resulting image captured by the one or more cameras 38 would show the first fan stage 28 at a uniformly-rotationally-indexed position so that each portion of the image provides for analyzing the same portion of the first fan stage 28 at different times and over time, which may be compared with a stored reference image to look for differences that might result from icing, Foreign Object Damage (FOD), fluid leakage, or other causes. Alternatively, e.g. when using continuous illumination; or additionally, e.g. in synchronism with the strobed illumination, the images could be synchronized with the rotation of the jet engine 20 by alternately opening and closing a shutter or light valve associated with the camera at the interval ΔtE from equation (1).
Alternatively, or additionally, one or more cameras 38 may be located on the fuselage 40 or tail 48 of the aircraft 12, 12′ in view of the exhaust 18 of the jet engine 20, which together with associated illuminators 14, 14′, provide for inspecting for, or detecting, a malfunction of the jet engine 20 from that perspective.
Yet further alternatively, or additionally, one or more cameras 38 may be located on, or in, the jet engine 20, together with associated illuminators 14, 14′, to provide for inspecting internal portions thereof during operation of the aircraft 12, 12′, for example, aft of the first fan stage 28 where ice is known to accrete, e.g. on a core of an associated bypass splitter; in an associated bypass duct; or under the nacelle 42; in order to provide for inspecting for, or detecting, ice accumulation, fluid leaks, Foreign Object Damage (FOD), or other damage or malfunction.
Yet further alternatively, or additionally, the one or more cameras 38 and associated illuminators 14, 14′ may be adapted to generate and sense light at one or more invisible wavelengths that provide for enhance sensitivity to the material being sensed. For example, one or more infrared cameras 38′ and illuminators 14, 14′ may be used to inspect for ice and to obtain images in inclement conditions when the inlet air has snow, ice crystals or rain. Furthermore, ultraviolet wavelengths may be used to inspect for leakage of fluids containing a UV leak detection dye. Furthermore, aircraft engine diagnostic system 100 could incorporate one or more night-vision cameras 38, 38″.
In one set of embodiments, the illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1 and one or more cameras 38 are mounted so as to minimize or reduce disruption of associated aerodynamic drag, and to minimize or reduce susceptibility to icing or Foreign Object Damage (FOD), for example, by flush mounting and/or by use of associated supplemental heating to prevent localized ice accumulation. Flush-mounted cameras 38 or illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1 may incorporate, or cooperate with, associated lenses or other optical elements that provide for an associated field-of-view that is biased towards the object being viewed by the camera(s) 38.
In accordance with one set of embodiments, the controller 24 may be supplemented with an associated image processor 50—either on board the aircraft 12, 12′ or at another location, for example, a ground station, another aircraft, or a satellite—to provide for either preprocessing the image—for example, with edge enhancement or adjustment of image intensity or color;—or for analyzing the image to automatically detect one or more of the aforementioned problems—for example, by segmenting the image of the first fan stage 28 into associated image segments corresponding to each associated fan blade, and analyzing the profile and/or area of each fan blade image segment to detect changes that might result from ice buildup or Foreign Object Damage (FOD).
Alternatively, or additionally, the image processor 50 could provide for pilot-or-observer-controlled selection, pan and/or zoom of the image(s) from the one or more cameras 38 displayed on the cockpit display 44, so as to provide for a more detailed inspection of particular regions of interest. Furthermore, in respect of the imaging of a rotating component, for example, the first fan stage 28, either the image processor 50 could provide for rotating the image so as to provide for positioning the image of a particular blade of interest in a particular, consistent orientation on the cockpit display 44, for example, vertically up; or the inlet-fan illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1, or camera shutter(s) or light valve(s), could be strobed so as to provide for controlling the orientation of the image on the cockpit display 44. Yet further, the fan and/or shaft speed sensor 26 may be adapted to provide for detecting or generating an index signal that provides for rotationally indexing the first fan stage 28 or associated shaft, so as to provide for associating particular blades of the first fan stage 28 with corresponding particular portions, or orientations, of the associated image displayed on the cockpit display 44. For example, if the inlet-fan illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1, or camera shutter(s) or light valve(s), are strobed in accordance with equation (1)—with δ=0 so that the image is stationary,—then in cooperation with the above-described index signal, the orientation of the resulting image on the cockpit display 44 of the first fan stage 28 may be adjusted—either continuously, or incrementally by blade—by the pilot or observer to control which of the blades of the first fan stage 28 is oriented in a selected orientation, e.g. vertically-up. As another example, if the inlet-fan illuminators 14, 14′, 14.1, or camera shutter(s) or light valve(s), are strobed in accordance with equation (2)—with δ=0 so that the image on the cockpit display 44 is stationary,—then the image of a particular blade of the first fan stage 28 may be displayed in the selected orientation, e.g. vertically-up, by simply initially changing the value of N in equation (2), for example, over the range of N0 to N0+NBlades, where N0 is an integer, which, in cooperation with the above-described index signal, provides for the pilot or observer to select—by blade ID—any particular blade of the first fan stage 28 for display on the cockpit display 44 in the selected orientation, which display may be further panned and/or zoomed by the pilot or observer; and then strobingin accordance with equation (1)—to maintain the selected blade in the selected postion. Accordingly, if a particular problem is observed with a particular blade of the first fan stage 28, the above-described features provide for selectively monitoring this particular blade over time to see whether or not there is a progressive deterioration thereof that might warrant further action.
Accordingly, the aircraft engine illumination system 10, 10.2 and/or associated aircraft engine diagnostic system 100 provides for improving aircraft safety by enabling the pilot or an associated observer to monitor—either by direct observation, or using images recorded by one or more cameras 38—the one or more jet engines 20 of an aircraft 12, 12′ during operation thereof, with associated illumination form one or more illuminators 14, 14′ under low-light conditions.
As used herein, the term jet engine 20 is intended to include any nacelle or tail pipe that might be associated therewith. Furthermore, although the aircraft engine illumination systems 10, 10.1, 10.2 and aircraft engine diagnostic system 100 have been illustrated in the context of an aircraft 12, 12′ powered by one or more jet engines 20, it should be understood that the type of aircraft powerplant is not limiting, and that these systems 10.1, 10.2, 100 could be applied to aircraft powered by any type of powerplant, for example, airplanes, helicopters or drones—piloted directly or remotely, or autonomously—powered by one or more turbo-fan, turbo-jet, or turbo-shaft engines with any number of associated shafts, or some other type of powerplant, for example, further including, but not limited to, internal combustion engines or electric motors. Accordingly, any reference hereinabove to jet engine 20 is intended to refer to any type of aircraft powerplant for any type of aircraft 12. For example, the above-described “freeze-frame” functionality of these systems 10.1, 10.2, 100 can be used provide for a stationary view of the propeller(s) or rotor(s) of associated propeller- or rotor-driven aircraft, and, for systems 10.2, 100, to provide for inspecting for ice accumulation, Foreign Object Damage (FOD) or other damage or malfunction of the associated propeller(s) or rotor(s).
Referring to
Either additionally, or alternatively, an alternative aspect of the aircraft illumination system 10, 10.3′ may also, or instead, cooperate with associated one or more externally-visible illuminators 14, 14′ that are associated, e.g. operatively coupled to, other portions of the aircraft 12, 12′, for example, to the fuselage, wings or empennage thereof, but otherwise structured and operative in accordance with the above-described third aspect aircraft engine illumination system 10, 10.3.
While specific embodiments have been described in detail in the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. It should be understood, that any reference herein to the term “or” is intended to mean an “inclusive or” or what is also known as a “logical OR”, wherein when used as a logic statement, the expression “A or B” is true if either A or B is true, or if both A and B are true, and when used as a list of elements, the expression “A, B or C” is intended to include all combinations of the elements recited in the expression, for example, any of the elements selected from the group consisting of A, B, C, (A, B), (A, C), (B, C), and (A, B, C); and so on if additional elements are listed. Furthermore, it should also be understood that the indefinite articles “a” or “an”, and the corresponding associated definite articles “the’ or “said”, are each intended to mean one or more unless otherwise stated, implied, or physically impossible. Yet further, it should be understood that the expressions “at least one of A and B, etc.”, “at least one of A or B, etc.”, “selected from A and B, etc.” and “selected from A or B, etc.” are each intended to mean either any recited element individually or any combination of two or more elements, for example, any of the elements from the group consisting of “A”, “B”, and “A AND B together”, etc. Yet further, it should be understood that the expressions “one of A and B, etc.” and “one of A or B, etc.” are each intended to mean any of the recited elements individually alone, for example, either A alone or B alone, etc., but not A AND B together. Furthermore, it should also be understood that unless indicated otherwise or unless physically impossible, that the above-described embodiments and aspects can be used in combination with one another and are not mutually exclusive. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth the appended claims, and any and all equivalents thereof.
The instant application claims the benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/395,955 filed on 16 Sep. 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62395955 | Sep 2016 | US |
