OPTIMIZATION OF AERO ENGINE UTILIZATION THROUGH IMPROVED ESTIMATION OF REMAINING USEFUL LIFE (RUL) OF ON CONDITION (OC) PARTS

Gas Turbine Operators and Maintainers face the challenge of increasing the operational life, availability, and reliability of Aero Engine during the operations amid the advancements in the technology for the speed, Power, SFC, and Comfort which led to closing in the safety margins and increasing in the failure rate of Aero Engines, and low serviceability of aero engines due to the rapid increase in demand and expansion of the aircraft fleet by the various airlines for various reasons which led to increase in downtime and lead time of serviceability of Aero Engines. This study focuses on the inherent Aero Engine deterioration caused due to various Gas Turbine Faults or Physical Problems and how Performance, Trend, and Systems Monitoring contain this deterioration and contribute to the optimization of aero engine utilization. The purpose of this paper is to present the importance of accurate estimation of Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of On Condition (OC) Parts and how it optimizes aero engine life. The benefits associated with the introduction of a novel estimation of RUL of OC Parts are also presented. A Standardized Replacement Model (SRM), which improves the estimation of RUL of OC Parts, is proposed for optimization of Aero Engine Utilization.