On-board inert gas generating system prognostic health monitoring

• US 10,179,308 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobham Mission Systems Davenport Lss Inc.
• Original Assignee: Carleton Life Support Systems, Inc. (Cobham PLC)
• Inventors: Schaeffer, Jeremy, Peterson, Jesse, Vestal, William, Al-Yafawi, Abdullah
• Primary Examiner(s): Shumate, Anthony R
• Application Number:
  US15/486,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20170296965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2053/224 with hollow fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/10 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/104 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/106 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/06 Polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4575 in aeroplanes or space ships
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 37/04 Controlling the filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/30 Controlling by gas-analysis apparatus regulating non electrical variables in general G05D
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/8675 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 37/32 Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions extinguishing or preventing fires in aircraft A62C
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/406 characterised by monitoring or safety G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/135 by sensing at least one property of the mixture G05D11/139 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A system for calculating maintenance predictions and making improvements to performance deficiencies to one or more components in an on-board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS) is described. The OBIGGS components include an ozone converter, heat exchanger, inlet filter, and Air Separation Module (ASM). The system comprises a prognostic health monitoring (PHM) sensor network comprising at least one respective sensor coupled to each of the components of the OBIGGS. Each at least one respective sensor is configured to output a respective data signal corresponding to a performance condition of a respective component. A control unit is operatively coupled to each component and signally coupled to each respective sensor of the PHM sensor network. The control unit includes at least one test condition algorithm configured to analyze the respective data signal to calculate the maintenance prediction for the respective component.

Claims

1. A system for calculating a maintenance prediction for one or more components in an on-board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS), the OBIGGS components including an ozone converter, heat exchanger, inlet filter, and Air Separation Module (ASM) each fluidly coupled via a flow path, the ozone converter configured to remove ozone gas from an inlet gas received via an inlet valve, the heat exchanger configured to adjust the temperature of the inlet gas, the inlet filter configured to filter at least a portion of contaminants from the inlet gas, and the ASM comprising a hollow-fiber membrane configured to separate constituents within the inlet gas and produce a volume of inert gas for delivery to a downstream fuel tank;

the system comprising;

a. a prognostic health monitoring (PHM) sensor network comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein a respective sensor is coupled to a respective component of the OBIGGS, wherein each respective sensor is configured to output a respective data signal corresponding to a performance condition of the respective component associated with the respective sensor; and

b. a control unit operatively coupled to each of the components of the OBIGGS and signally coupled to the plurality of sensors of the PHM sensor network, wherein the control unit includes i) a memory configured to store a test condition algorithm associated with the respective component, wherein the test condition algorithm includes an empirical curve fit corresponding to a predicted performance lifetime of the respective component, and ii) a processor configured to analyze the respective data signal to calculate the maintenance prediction for the respective component, wherein the maintenance prediction is calculated by comparing the respective data signal relative to the empirical curve fit to estimate remaining component operating hours before component failure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to generate a notification if the estimated remaining component operating hours is less than a predetermined period of time.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to initiate a regeneration sequence if data signals from the respective sensor coupled to the ASM indicate an air separation efficiency below a threshold value.

4. A method for calculating a maintenance prediction for one or more components in an on-board inert gas generating system (OBIGGS), the method comprising:

a. providing an OBIGGS comprising an ozone converter, heat exchanger, inlet filter, and Air Separation Module (ASM) each fluidly coupled via a flow path, and a prognostic health monitoring (PHM) sensor network comprising a plurality of sensors and a control unit including a memory and a processor, wherein a respective sensor is coupled to a respective component of the OBIGGS, and wherein the control unit is operatively coupled to each of the components of the OBIGGS and signally coupled to the plurality of sensors of the PHM sensor network;

b. populating the memory with a test condition algorithm, wherein the test condition algorithm includes a respective component performance equation and associated performance empirical curve fit corresponding to component performance lifetime;

c. through the control unit, receiving a respective data signal corresponding to a performance condition of the respective component associated with the respective sensor;

d. through the one test condition algorithm, comparing the performance condition to the empirical curve fit to calculate an estimated number of remaining component operating hours for the respective component.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

e. through the control unit, generating a notification if the estimated number of remaining component operating hours is less than a predetermined period of time.