N093-183 TITLE: Innovative Foreign Object Damage (FOD) Detection and Identification Technology for Military Turbine Engines

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Space Platforms

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Joint Strike Fighter

OBJECTIVE: Develop technology that identifies the particular location and magnitude of foreign object damage and integrate the solution with the repair and blending of integrally bladed rotors (IBRs)/blisks and stationary airfoils.

DESCRIPTION: State-of-the-art military turbine engines incorporate IBR(s)/blisks, which are one-piece components consisting of blades and a disk (blisks), in the compression system. The purpose of these IBR(s)/blisks is to reduce weight through part count reduction and improve performance and maintainability. FOD is the primary driver for unscheduled engine removals in today�s fleet environment. To maintain affordability and fleet readiness, the need for identifying the FOD event and location and the magnitude of the FOD damage must be assessed while the engine is still on wing. Current methods using blendable boroscopes are moderately effective, but they can be only be operated by experienced and specialized technicians, which adds complexity to aircraft maintenance. A novel and enabling FOD detection technology that will permit identification on both rotors and stators when the engine is mounted on wing and can be used by field technicians to identify and assess the extent of damage and location is needed. The technology should be able to meet these requirements in addition to addressing affordability and maintainability requirements of advanced military propulsion power plants. A novel sensor technology that could integrate FOD detection with vibration, clearance and blade/vane mode identification would be intended outcome of this initiative.

PHASE I: Conceptualize, evaluate, and determine the feasibility of FOD detection, magnitude and location on stationary and rotating airfoils. Demonstrate cost-effectiveness of the proposed technique. Identify hardware and tools needed for the procedure. Evaluate improvements over current identification and repair methodologies.

PHASE II: Build a prototype and demonstrate the technique and subsequent improvement in engine environments. Address potential adverse affordability issues and identify mitigating solutions.

PHASE III: Integrate the technology into maintenance procedures at an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or depot.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The ability to repair fielded turbine engines at low cost is desirable for the commercial sector. Expensive and redundant repairs could be minimized by employing this technology to reduce time off wing of turbine engines.

REFERENCES:
1. W. Strack, D. Zhang, J. Turso, W. Pavlik, I. Lopez. "Foreign Object Damage Identification in Turbine Engines." NASA TM 2005-213588; Army ARL�MR�0611, March 2005.

2. J.A. Turson, J.S. Litt. "A Foreign Object Damage Event Detector Data Fusion System for Turbofan Engines." NASA TM 2004-213192; Army ARL-MR-3201, August 2004.

KEYWORDS: Integrally Bladed Rotor; Blisk; Foreign Object Damage; Damage Detection, Turbine Engine

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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