Engine Particle Ingestion Classifier for Gas Turbine Engines

Particle ingestion can be a significant issue for military aircraft with gas turbine engines. Ingested particles can erode or foul engine components such as cooling holes, accelerating engine wear, and decreasing service intervals. To better understand particle ingestion, and to plan maintenance, the Navy is interested in developing sensors that can measure particle loading in real time onboard operational gas turbine engines. Ingested particles may include sand, dust, salt spray, sulfates, or even volcanic ash. Particles with high melting temperature, such as quartz, may fully transit the engine when ingested. Particles with low melting points can melt in the engine and stick to cool engine surfaces. For this reason, the particle load, size, and composition are of interest. We propose to develop a novel sensor technology capable of measuring particle size, loading, and composition onboard operational aircraft in real time. The sensor is inherently compact and lightweight, and does not require probes or sampling tubes that interact with the flow. In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of a novel approach to classify representative particles in the laboratory. In Phase II, we will develop and demonstrate a prototype flight sensor for measuring particle size, loading, and composition.