Patent ID: 8528317
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: B64D,F01D,F02C,G07C

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting the ingestion of an object by an aircraft turbine engine during flight, the method comprising: installing a camera inside a nacelle of said turbine engine, said camera being aimed at a fan of said engine; connecting said camera to a computer on board of said aircraft, said computer being programmed to identify phases of flight of said aircraft and having on its resident memory a database of fan reference images characteristic to normal operation of said fan in each of said flight phases of said aircraft; acquiring, with said camera during flight, digital images of said fan, said images being acquired at an acquisition frequency proportional to the speed of rotation and number of blades of said fan; transmitting said images to said computer; comparing, using said computer, said acquired digital images with fan reference images corresponding to the same flight phases as said acquired images; selecting abnormal acquired images which differ from corresponding compared reference images; and identifying, based on said selecting of abnormal acquired images, an abnormal operation fan condition corresponding to an alert level caused by ingestion of an object by said turbine engine.