Revolutionary Method for Diagnosing Turbojet Engines in Assembled Condition Invented in Russia

The technology builds a digital twin of the engine and allows for reliable detection of defects

Specialists from Smart Engines have proposed a new method for performing tomography of a jet engine in its entirety — without disassembling it into parts and in a single tomographic measurement on a serial industrial installation. Five million dollars were invested in the development of AI technology.

The specificity of jet engine research is associated with fundamentally different requirements for the materials used to create parts of the "cold" and "hot" parts of the engine.

For the "hot" part of the engine, it is important that the parts withstand overloads and high temperatures. The "cold" part, the body itself and the compressor, are created from lightweight materials to minimize the overall weight of the engine. Dense heat-resistant materials are able to absorb all radiation, and light materials are almost transparent. As a result, some real defects are not visible on the engine tomography.

Engine photo, 2D slice, and 3D image of the engine with significant distortions
Engine photo, 2D slice, and 3D image of the engine with significant distortions

Researchers have proposed a new method of non-destructive testing, combining AI technologies and computed tomography to obtain an objective tomographic reconstruction of all-metal units "as assembled." The technology builds a digital twin of the engine and allows for reliable detection of defects – cracks, voids, delaminations, as well as metal shavings – in a single measurement.

Engine failure is a disaster. To prevent it, it is not enough to check each part. If there is no control of the finished product, the consequences will be sad, although, as Raikin said, there are no complaints about the buttons. With our technology, you can put quality control of assembled engines on the assembly line, bringing their reliability to a new level.
Vladimir Arlazarov, CEO of Smart Engines

Read more materials:

The first Tu-214 series aircraft in three years received a unique livery in Minsk: the beginning of a great journey

An-26 turboprop aircraft dropped bombs on targets in the Pacific Ocean

The Superjet 100 airliner is no longer required to be fully Russian: the Ministry of Industry and Trade no longer insists on replacing all imported components

Now on home