Integrated smart bearings for next generation aero-engines.: Part II: energy harvesting and wireless communication development

The robust and reliable operation of aircraft engines is paramount. Rolling element bearings play a major role in aircraft engines and bearing failure impacts engine health and reliability. Condition monitoring of the bearing system is necessary to provide early warning of problems by sensing parameters such as vibration and temperature. However, conventional wired sensing systems are not always desirable due to size and weight constraints, and their reduced performance in high temperature and pressure environments. For the development of innovative smart bearings for an Ultra High Propulsion Efficiency (UHPE) ground test demonstrator, an integrated, self-powered and wireless system is proposed. In this paper, the feasibility of using a self-powered sensor for this application is investigated. The design of the self-powered condition monitoring system addresses the issues of both achieving reliable sources of energy and transmitting data. Laboratory experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of the system under various operating conditions. The effects of temperature variation on efficiency of the energy harvester are demonstrated