Sectional distress isolating electrostatic engine diagnostics

Claim 1

Electrostatic diagnostic apparatus for sensing likely engine wear events occurring in an operating gas turbine engine, comprising: a plurality of electrostatic signal means, each including a probe to be disposed in the gas stream of an engine, for providing, when said probe is disposed in the gas stream of an operating engine, a probe signal having amplitude variations indicative of the magnitude of electrostatic charge flowing in the gas stream in the vicinity of said probe, said probes being disposed along the gas stream of said engine spaced apart from one another, whereby the gas stream of the engine flows past said probes sequentially; signal processing means connected for response to each of said electrostatic signal means, for selectively providing a particular engine section identifying signal corresponding to the upstream most one of said probes which provides a probe signal indicative of an occurrence of electrostatic charge flowing thereby in excess of a threshold magnitude.