Abstract:
An example reconfigurable vehicle monitoring arrangement includes a housing securable relative to a vehicle, a communication base at least partially disposed within the housing, and a universal connector assembly configured to selectively operatively connect the communication base with a plurality of different modules. At least one of the modules is configured to communicate data gathered from a plurality of vehicle data sources to the communication base.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This application relates generally to a monitoring system for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a reconfigurable monitoring system. 
         [0002]    As known, a monitoring system for a vehicle acquires data from various data sources. Example data sources include vibrations, temperatures, pressures, fluid levels, debris monitors, switch closures, etc. In some examples, sensors distributed throughout the vehicle gather data from the data sources. The gathered data is then communicated from the sensors to the monitoring system. Technicians interact with the monitoring system to obtain data, rather than separately communicating with each sensor. Technicians use the gathered data to estimate how operating conditions have influenced the health of a component within the vehicle, for example. Aircraft are one type of vehicle that utilize monitoring systems. Many aircraft include a prognostic and health monitoring system that gathers data from a gas turbine engine of the aircraft and the surrounding areas. 
         [0003]    The typical monitoring system is designed to gather specific types of data. Gathering different types of data, gathering additional data, or responding to changing data requirements requires replacing or extensive redesign of the monitoring system, which can be costly and time consuming. For example, on the aircraft, communications between temperature sensors and the monitoring system often require higher speed connections than communications between vibration sensors and the monitoring system. Accordingly, the monitoring system is initially built to include specific high speed connections associated with a specific number of temperature sensors and specific low speed connections associated with a specific number of vibration sensors. If a technician wants the monitoring system to later gather different types or quantities of the data sources, the entire monitoring system must be replaced or the entire monitoring system must be removed from the aircraft and redesigned. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    An example reconfigurable vehicle monitoring arrangement includes a housing securable relative to a vehicle, a communication base at least partially disposed within the housing, and a universal connector assembly configured to selectively operatively connect the communication base with a plurality of different modules. At least one of the modules is configured to communicate data between gathered from a plurality of vehicle data sources to the communication base. 
         [0005]    An example modular vehicle monitoring system includes a housing, a communication base, a first module, a second module, and a universal connector. The communication base is configured to selectively engage the first module, the second module, or both using the universal connector portion. At least one of the first module and the second module is configured to communicate data gathered from a plurality vehicle data sources to the communication base. 
         [0006]    An example method of monitoring data sources includes connecting a first module arrangement to a communication base of a vehicle monitoring system using at least one universal connector. The first module arrangement is configured to communicate with at least one vehicle data source. The method also includes reconfiguring vehicle monitoring system to include a second module arrangement by connecting the second module arrangement to the communication base of the vehicle monitoring system using the at least one universal connector. The second module arrangement is configured to communicate with at least one other vehicle data source. 
         [0007]    These and other features of the example disclosure can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of an example gas turbine engine having a monitoring system. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic view of the  FIG. 1  gas turbine engine and monitoring system. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic view of another example monitoring system suitable for use within the  FIG. 1  engine. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the  FIG. 3  monitoring system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates an example gas turbine engine  10  of an aircraft  12 . The gas turbine engine  10  includes (in serial flow communication) a fan section  14 , a low-pressure compressor  18 , a high-pressure compressor  22 , a combustor  26 , a high-pressure turbine  30 , and a low-pressure turbine  34 . The gas turbine engine  10  is circumferentially disposed about an engine centerline X. During operation, air is pulled into the gas turbine engine  10  by the fan section  14 , pressurized by the compressors  18  and  22 , mixed with fuel, and burned in the combustor  26 . The turbines  30  and  34  extract energy from the hot combustion gases flowing from the combustor  26 . 
         [0013]    In a two-spool design, the high-pressure turbine  30  utilizes the extracted energy from the hot combustion gases to power the high-pressure compressor  22  through a high speed shaft  38 . The low-pressure turbine  34  utilizes the extracted energy from the hot combustion gases to power the low-pressure compressor  18  and the fan section  14  through a low speed shaft  42 . 
         [0014]    Referring now to  FIG. 2  with continuing reference to  FIG. 1 , a monitoring system  50  is secured to the engine  10  in this example. The monitoring system  50  communicates with a multiple of data sources. The sensors  54  distributed within the aircraft  12  facilitate communicating between the monitoring system  50  and data sources of the aircraft  12 . In this example, some of the sensors  54  are located outside the engine  10  near components of the aircraft  12  other than the engine  10 . 
         [0015]    The examples described in this disclosure relating to the gas turbine engine  10  are not limited to the two-spool architecture described and may be used in other architectures, such as a single-spool axial design, a three-spool axial design, and still other architectures. Further, the examples in this disclosure are not limited to only monitoring components like the engine  10  or to only vehicles like the aircraft  12 . In other examples, the monitoring system  50  monitors other components and is used in other types of vehicles, such as water-based vehicles or land-based vehicles. That is, there are various types of components and vehicles that could benefit from the examples disclosed herein. 
         [0016]    The example monitoring system  50  includes a housing  58  and a communication base  62 . A technician  66  selectively communicates with the communication base  62  to retrieve data from the monitoring system  50  in a known manner. In this example, a switch  70  represents the selective communication between the technician  66  and the communication base  62 . The technician  66  communicates with the communication base  62  only when the aircraft  12  is on the ground in one example. In another example, the technician  66  wirelessly communicates with the communication base  62  during flight to obtain data as the data is collected from the aircraft  12 . 
         [0017]    The example monitoring system  50  also includes a first module  74  and a second module  78 . The communication base  62  engages the first module  74  and the second module  78  to collect information from the sensors  54 . 
         [0018]    The first module  74  includes a bus connector portion  82   a  for selectively engaging a bus subsystem  86  of the communication base  62 . Engaging the bus subsystem  86  with the bus connector portion  82   a  provides a communication path for data to move between the first module  74  and the communication base  62 . The first module  74  is shown in an engaged position in this example. 
         [0019]    The second module  78  includes a bus connector portion  82   b  for selectively engaging the bus subsystem  86  of the communication base  62 . Engaging the bus subsystem  86  with the bus connector portion  82   b  provides a communication path for data to move between the first module  74  and the communication base  62 . The second module  78  is shown in an engaged position in this example. 
         [0020]    A third module  90  includes a bus connector portion  82   c  for selectively engaging the bus subsystem  86  of the communication base  62 . The communication base  62  establishes an area  94  for receiving the third module  90  when the bus connector portion  82   c  is engaged with the bus subsystem  86 . In this example, the third module  90  is shown in a disengaged position and the area  94  is entirely within the housing  58  of the monitoring system  50 . In another example, a portion of the area  94  extends outside the housing  58 . That is, a portion of the third module  90  extends outside the housing  58  when the bus connector  82   c  is engaged with the bus subsystem  86 . 
         [0021]    Relative to the bus subsystem  86  of the communication base  62 , the bus connector portions  82   a - 82   c  are the same. Accordingly, the monitoring system  50  can be reconfigured to include different arrangements of the first module  74 , the second module  78 , and the third module  90 . For example, moving the third module  90  along path  1  to the area  94  would reconfigure the monitoring system  50  to include the third module  90  in an engaged position. The third module  90  can also move along path  2  and replace the second module  78  to provide another configuration. In yet another configuration, the second module  78  can move along path  3  and swap places with the first module  74 . Reconfiguring the first module  74 , the second module  78 , and the third module  90  does not disrupt the communication base  62 . A person having skill in this art and the benefit of this disclosure would recognize that many other configurations are possible. 
         [0022]    In this example, the first module  74  is operatively connected to a first sensor group  102 , and the second module  78  is operatively connected to a second sensor group  110 . The sensors  54  in the first sensor group  102  are configured to monitor temperatures of the engine  10 , and the sensors  54  in the second sensor group  110  are configured to monitor vibrations of the engine  10 , for example. 
         [0023]    The first module  74 , the second module  78 , and the third module  90  each include hardware and software specific to communications between the communication base  62  and the sensors that are connected to that module, for example. Thus, the communication base  62  does not need to undergo significant changes to receive data gathered by different groups of the sensors  54 . 
         [0024]    The third module  90  is operatively connected to a third sensor group  114 , which, in this example, is added to the aircraft  12  when the third module  90  is added to the monitoring system  50  along path  1 . In another example, the sensors  54  in the third sensor group  114  are already mounted to the aircraft  12 , and are operatively linked to the third module  90  once the third module  90  is in an engaged position with the monitoring system  50 . 
         [0025]    In this example, the sensors  54  in the third sensor group  114  are configured to monitor temperatures. Adding the third module  90  to the monitoring system  50  thus provides more temperature data to the communication base  62 , which the technician  66  can selectively access. In another example, the third module  90  is a specialized diagnostic module that facilitates troubleshooting the monitoring system  50 . In yet another example, the third module  90  comprises a wireless communication card for communications between the monitoring system  50  and the technician  66 . As can be appreciated, the third module  90  can engage the communication base  62  without requiring significant redesign of the monitoring system  50 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 3  with continuing reference to  FIG. 2 , the first module  74  comprises the connector  98 , a signal conditioner  124 , a local processor  128 , and a local power supply  132 . The signal conditioner  124  and the local processer  128  facilitate adapting data from the sensors  54  through the connector  98  into a format appropriate for transferring through the bus connector portion  82   a  to the communication base  62 . 
         [0027]    The second module  78  includes elements in this example similar to the first module  74 . Although the elements are similar, however, some of the construction of the first module  74  and the second module  78  varies depending on the data sources that are monitored. For example, the first module  74  is a temperature monitoring module and thus includes circuitry appropriate for lower speed communications. The second module  78  is a vibration monitoring module and thus includes circuitry appropriate for higher speed communications. Even though the circuitry of the first module  74  and the second module  78  differ, however, the connection interface with the bus subsystem  86  remains consistent. 
         [0028]    The example communication base  62  comprises a motherboard that includes a main power supply  136  that provides power to the first module  74  and the second module  78  through a power distribution element  140 . A main converter  144  and an input filter  148  facilitate adjusting the power for use. 
         [0029]    The motherboard further includes a main processor  152  having a central processing unit (CPU)  156 , a supply of internal RAM  160 , a real time clock (RTC)  164 , and a supply of internal flash memory  168 . The main processor  152  also includes the bus subsystem  86  that is configured to selectively communicate with the central bus interface  82  of the first module  74  and the central bus interface  82  of the second module  78 . In this example, the main processor  152  includes a commercial standard bus  172 , which facilitates selective communication between the technician  66  and the monitoring system  50 . 
         [0030]    Notably, including the local processor  128  on the each of the first module  74 , the second module  78 , and the third module  90 , rather than relying entirely on the main processor  152  decreases the processing burden on the main processor  152 . 
         [0031]    The example monitoring system  50  also includes a bulk memory portion  176  having a flash disk memory portion  180  and central bus interface  82   d,  which is configured to receive a fourth module (not shown) having a portion outside the housing  58  when in an engaged position with the communication base  62 . Internal rails  184  provide power from the main power supply  136  to the main processor  152  and the bulk memory  176  in this example. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a handle  180  extends from the housing  58  to assist with carrying the monitoring system  50 . The commercial standard bus  172  extends through the housing  58  to facilitate communicating with the main processer  152  within the housing  58 . 
         [0033]    Features of the disclosed embodiments include a reconfigurable monitoring system that can be adjusted to change or add monitored data sources without replacing the monitoring system or requiring substantial redesign of the mounting assembly. The mounting assembly is used for prognostic and health monitoring of a gas turbine engine for example. Another feature of the disclosed embodiment is that the motherboard is not required to process signals from the sensors, because that processing takes place within the modules; i.e., the modules are dedicated to the specialized processing associated with specific data sources. Another feature is that the modules can be swapped without significantly changing the motherboard or other portions of the monitoring system. 
         [0034]    Although a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.