Predictive models for diagnosing the unbalance state in an aircraft engine such as a jet engine based on engine vibrations and other known and/or determinable parameters are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for developing the predictive model and using the model to identify aircraft engine unbalance.

A rotor assembly comprises a rotor having annular flange including a plurality of protrusions axisymmetrically disposed about the annular flange, each protrusion having a mounting aperture for selectively receiving a balancing feature, and a plurality of slots axisymmetrically disposed about the circumference of the annular flange between adjacent protrusions. Each slot has a pair of converging flat portions extending axially inwardly from an adjacent protrusion end, an inner flat portion at an inner end of each slot, and a pair of curved portions respectively joining each converging flat portion to the inner flat portion in each slot. Each slot has a depth at least as great as an adjacent mounting aperture depth extending normally from the adjacent protrusion end to a far end of the corresponding mounting aperture.

A method and a device for determining loads on vehicle's wheels, each with a tire, is disclosed. A deformation measured value and a pressure measured value for each tire, and at least one acceleration measured value for the vehicle are detected. For the respective wheels, dynamic wheel loads are calculated according to a first model and static wheel loads are calculated according to a second model. The second model comprises at least one model parameter calculated by statistical analysis of the calculated dynamic wheel loads, the calculated static wheel loads, and the detected at least one acceleration measured value. The at least one acceleration measured value is redetected and the dynamic wheel loads are recalculated from the previously calculated static wheel loads and the at least one detected acceleration measured value according to the second model using the previously calculated at least one model parameter of the second model.

The invention relates to a method for determining a wheel load (WL) acting on a tire (1) of a vehicle, comprising: a) determining a footprint (L) of the tire (1), b) receiving a tire information (ti) that identifies a type of the tire (1) and/or characterizes physical properties of the tire (1) as such, c) receiving tire operation conditions (toe) based on a measurement, d) selecting one of a plurality of predetermined calculation models (mod(ti)) based on the received tire information (ti), wherein each of the predetermined calculation models (mod(ti)) defines the wheel load (WL) as a function of the footprint (L) and the tire operation conditions (toe) for a respective tire type and/or respective physical properties of the tire (1) as such, e) calculating the wheel load (WL) based on the determined footprint (L) and the received tire operation conditions (toe), using the selected calculation model (mod(ti)). Further, a corresponding system (10) for determining a wheel load (WL) is proposed. Advantageously, the invention can be employed very universally and can deal with the problem of varying tire characteristics.

Methods for performing in situ balancing of an internal rotating component of a gas turbine engine are provided. The method can include inserting a repair tool through an access port of the gas turbine engine with the repair tool including a tip end positioned within the gas turbine engine and a material supply end positioned outside the gas turbine engine. The tip end of the repair tool is positioned adjacent to a surface of the internal rotating component of the gas turbine engine. A new material is supplied from the material supply end of the repair tool to the tip end of the repair tool; and is expelling from the tip end of the repair tool in a direction of the surface of the rotating component such that the new material is added onto a portion of the rotating part.

Methods for performing in situ balancing of an internal rotating component of a gas turbine engine are provided. The method can include inserting a repair tool through an access port of the gas turbine engine with the repair tool including a tip end positioned within the gas turbine engine and a material supply end positioned outside the gas turbine engine. The tip end of the repair tool is positioned adjacent to a surface of the internal rotating component of the gas turbine engine. A new material is supplied from the material supply end of the repair tool to the tip end of the repair tool; and is expelling from the tip end of the repair tool in a direction of the surface of the rotating component such that the new material is added onto a portion of the rotating part.

An apparatus for balancing a wheel includes a tool that is mechanically coupled to an arm. The tool includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a face surface that forms an arc between the leading and trailing edges. The apparatus includes an arm control module that actuates the arm to position the leading edge of the tool a predetermined distance from an edge of a deck to receive a wheel weight. The apparatus includes a cutting apparatus for separating the wheel weight from a supply feed of wheel weight material. The apparatus includes a sensor that detects presence or absence of the wheel weight on the tool.

A wheel-balancing weight application apparatus comprising a supplying module including a first strip of wheel-balancing weights and a second strip of wheel-balancing weights, the first and the second strips of wheel-balancing weights including a different characteristic, and an application module for securing a portion of one of the first strip of wheel-balancing weights and the second strip of wheel-balancing weights to a wheel, wherein a selection of wheel-balancing weights from the first strip of wheel-balancing weights and the second strip of wheel-balancing weights is selected on a basis of a characteristic of the wheel to match the wheel-balancing weights characteristic with an identified characteristic of the wheel. A method of using the balancing weight application apparatus is also provided.

A method for balancing a vehicle wheel includes mounting a wheel to be balanced on a rotating shaft of a machine computerized for measuring imbalances, and selecting an optimum commercial balancing weight which, when positioned on a correction plane, minimizes residual imbalance on reference planes of the wheel where the balancing tolerance is considered. One compares the residual imbalance value at the reference planes with the prescribed balancing tolerance after subtracting a vector of the static imbalance generated by the optimum balancing weight. An indicator device is activated to indicate on the wheel the optimum axial position of a correction plane for a balancing weight where the residual imbalance at the reference planes is within tolerance.

A method for balancing a shaft assembly having a shaft member. The method can include providing a balance weight having a body portion that is formed of a material that permits transmission of ultra-violet (UV) light therethrough, the body portion having a perimeter; applying an UV light-curable adhesive to at least one of the balance weight and the shaft member; positioning the balance weight to the shaft member such that the UV light-curable adhesive is abutted to the balance weight and the shaft member; and transmitting UV light through the balance weight to cure at least a portion of the UV light-curable adhesive that is disposed inwardly of the perimeter of the body portion.