ACOUSTIC LOCALISATION OF HIGH-PRESSURE BURST IN A CONFINED SPACE

Current turbofan systems are designed to be robust to high-pressure pipe rupture, inside their structure. Such failure event is typically detected through slow-response thermocouples Nevertheless, this approach has several limitations and typically requires sensing equipment to be placed close to harsh environmental areas. An alternative route is represented by the introduction of an acoustic sensor, capable to detect the associated blast generated by the sudden breach of air through the fissure. The aim of the study is to explore the feasibility of the concept of locating a sudden pressure rise (representing pressurised pipe rupture) in a closed environment, representative of the typical volume between the engine core and nacelle. A new system to locate the position of a burst, based on the analysis of an acoustic footprint, is presented and its performance is analysed.