NSF Award
0060511
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop full waveform models and minimal sensor algorithms for the GDATS eddy current sensor (ECS), recently chosen for the EMD phase of the JSF development. These algorithms will enable the practical real-time high performance health monitoring for turbine engines. Current processing techniques could require four or more sensors; however, these approaches do not make use of all the information made available by the ECS. Using the full ECS signature, it is possible, in theory, to estimate integral vibration frequency, phase and amplitude using only a single sensor. The reduction of the number of sensors required in each engine stage could potentially save millions of dollars.<br/><br/>There are no systems commercially available today for continuous health monitoring of aircraft gas turbine engines. The minimal sensor algorithms for continuous health monitoring have a large market. The customers are USAF, USN and UK MOD. Not only are such systems expected to be put on all new turbine engines such as for the JSF, but they will be retrofitted to the older aircraft as well.
