US 12,385,412 B2
Propulsor blade imaging assembly for an aircraft propulsion system
Scott Goyette, Moosup, CT (US); Janet Shaw, Tolland, CT (US); Gregory S. Hagen, Glastonbury, CT (US); David L Lincoln, Cromwell, CT (US); Zaffir A. Chaudhry, South Glastonbury, CT (US); Jeremiah C. Lee, Coventry, CT (US); and Danbing Seto, Avon, CT (US)
Assigned to RTX Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Farmington, CT (US)
Filed on Apr. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/137,748.
Prior Publication US 2024/0352868 A1, Oct. 24, 2024
Int. Cl. F01D 21/00 (2006.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01)
CPC F01D 21/003 (2013.01) [H04N 7/188 (2013.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); F05D 2260/83 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An assembly for an aircraft propulsion system, the assembly comprising:
a propulsor section for the aircraft propulsion system, the propulsor section including a propulsor and a propulsor case, the propulsor including a plurality of propulsor blades configured for rotation about a rotational axis of the aircraft propulsion system, and the propulsor further including a nose cone disposed axially adjacent the plurality of propulsor blades, the nose cone and the propulsor case rotationally fixed relative to the rotational axis;
an imaging device disposed in the propulsor section, the imaging device including a camera;
a plurality of light sources disposed in the propulsor section including a light source disposed on the propulsor case and a light source disposed on the nose cone; and
a controller connected in signal communication with the imaging device and the plurality of light sources, the controller including a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
control each of the plurality of light sources to direct light to the plurality of propulsor blades;
control the camera to capture image data of each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades as the plurality of propulsor blades rotate about the rotational axis; and
identify a presence or an absence of damage for each propulsor blade of the plurality of propulsor blades using the image data.