Real time aerodamping measurement of turbomachine

1. A method of health monitoring of a gas turbine engine comprising:

mounting a detection system configured to detect an aeromechanical damping characteristic of a row of airfoils of a gas turbine;

injecting a stream of air or gas at the row of airfoils to excite the row of airfoils;

measuring an actual aeromechanical damping characteristic of the row of airfoils with the detection system;

generating an output signal indicative of the actual aeromechanical damping characteristic of the row of airfoils;

determining a current flutter characteristic based on the output signal indicative of the actual aeromechanical damping characteristic of the row of airfoils; and

determining a set of engine parameters that define a flutter boundary and defining a flutter margin for the set of engine operating parameters at a value of the set engine operating parameters such that the set of engine operating parameters does not approach the flutter boundary.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , including comparing the determined flutter characteristic to a predefined flutter boundary and determining if at least one of a maintenance activity and modification to engine operating constraints is warranted based on the comparison of the determined flutter characteristic to the predefined flutter boundary.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , including determining the flutter boundary by measuring aeromechanical damping at non-flutter operating conditions and predicting the flutter boundary based on changes to aeromechanical damping at the non-flutter operating conditions.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the aeromechanical damping characteristic comprises a zero aeromechanical damping value.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 , including determining an aeromechanical damping characteristic of the engine operating parameter and defining the flutter margin based on the determined aeromechanical damping characteristic.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , including constraining engine operation based on the aeromechanical damping characteristic corresponding with the engine operating parameter.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , including recording measured actual aeromechanical damping characteristics of the row of airfoils at predefined intervals during operation of the gas turbine engine.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , including determining if an airfoil leading edge requires maintenance based on the measured actual aeromechanical damping characteristic of the airfoil.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , including determining an acceptable set of engine operating parameters based on the measured actual aeromechanical damping characteristic and constraining operation of the gas turbine engine to maintain the set of engine operating parameters within the acceptable set of operating parameters.

10. An airfoil health monitoring system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

an actuator mounted proximate a row of airfoils for exciting the row of airfoils;

a sensor mounted proximate the row of airfoils for measuring a characteristic of the airfoil responsive to excitation by the actuator, the actuator configured to inject a stream of air or gas against the row of airfoils to excite the airfoils; and

a controller configured to determine an aeromechanical damping characteristic of the row of airfoils based on the measured characteristic in view of excitation by the actuator, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a current flutter characteristic based on the determined actual aeromechanical damping characteristic of the of the row of airfoils and to determine a first value of a set of engine operating parameters that initiates airfoil flutter and to determine a flutter boundary and a flutter margin for the set of engine operating parameters.

11. The airfoil health monitoring system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine if a maintenance activity is warranted based on the comparison of the current flutter characteristic to a predefined flutter boundary and generate an output communicating the required maintenance activity.

12. The airfoil health monitoring system as recited in claim 10 , including recording measured actual aeromechanical damping characteristics of the airfoil at predefined intervals during operation of the gas turbine engine.

13. The airfoil health monitoring system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the controller, actuator and sensor are mounted within the gas turbine engine.

14. The airfoil health monitoring system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the actuator and sensor are configured to be mountable within the gas turbine engine and to communicate with the controller.

15. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a rotating row of airfoils;

an actuator mounted proximate the rotating row of airfoils for exciting the row of airfoil, the actuator configured for injecting a stream of air or gas against the row of airfoils to excite the airfoils;

a sensor mounted proximate the row of airfoils for measuring a characteristic of the row of airfoils responsive to excitation by the actuator; and

a controller mounted proximate the engine and in communication with the actuator and the sensor, the controller configured to determine an aeromechanical damping characteristic of the row of airfoils based on the measured characteristic in view of excitation by the actuator, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a current flutter characteristic based on the determined actual aeromechanical damping characteristic of the row of airfoils and to determine a first value of a set of engine operating parameters that initiates airfoil flutter and to determine a flutter boundary and a flutter margin for the set of engine operating parameters.

16. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine if a maintenance activity is warranted based on the comparison of the current flutter characteristic to a predefined flutter boundary and generate an output communicating the required maintenance activity.