Advanced Ultra-High Frequency Vibration Monitoring for Improved Turbine Engine Diagnostics and Prognostics

"Impact Technologies, in cooperation with Epoch Engineering, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell propose to develop and demonstrate a unique vibration monitoring system that integrates high fidelity, acoustic emissions data from a laser interferometer withintelligent feature extraction and fault isolation algorithms to effectively manage fleet-wide turbine engine vibration. The system will be capable of reporting on the early detection and progression of faults by utilizing the laser-based, acousticfrequency measurements for improved, incipient anomaly detection and the traditional bearing frequencies and higher-order harmonics for tracking fault progression as it transitions from low to higher severity levels. The system will focus on utilizing andfusing data from test cells during engine pass-off, initial airframe installation and problem investigations from installed engines to compile a comprehensive database for robust fault identification that continually improves as engines in the fleet aretested. The utilization of wideband, spectral vibration information can provide improved up-to-date assessments of engine health and predictions of component damage for use in automated maintenance and logistics systems.The gas turbine engine vibration monitoring technologies proposed herein will address the existing O&M goals for current USAF engines, as well as those set forth by the USAF's VAATE Intelligent Engines initiative, specifically to re