Integrated smart bearings for next generation aero-engines Part 1: Development of a sensor suite for automatic bearing health monitoring

The development of smart bearing solutions will contribute to increased aircraft engine reliability, allowing the early detection of bearing failure through robust health monitoring. This project aims to develop intelligent bearing systems for an Ultra High Propulsion Efficiency (UHPE) ground test demonstrator, where a fully integrated self-powered wireless sensing system will be developed for future aircraft. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art smart bearing technologies and presents the structure of the integrated sensing system focusing on the parameters to be monitored and the sensor technology selection methods for the aircraft engine. Currently, most of the existing smart bearings have been developed for automobile and railway industries with very limited availability for the harsh environment a jet engine experiences, such as high temperatures and vibration levels. Initially monitoring will involve vibration, temperature, load, shaft movement, rotating speed and wear debris. Suitable sensing techniques will be selected using a rating method based on their survivability under the extreme environment inside the engine, as well as their size, weight, sensitivity, operating bandwidth, mounting methods, data processing demand and power consumption for energy harvesting and wireless transmission.