In-situ measurement logging by wireless communication unit for communicating engine data

• US 10,444,748 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Feenstra, Keith Richard, Scholten, Michael Clay, Sybesma, Hilbrand Harlan-Jacob, Dusseau, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US15/632,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20180004197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording and communicating engine data are provided. One example aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method for monitoring performance. The method includes receiving, by one or more computing devices, a measurement from a sensor. The method includes assigning, by the one or more computing devices, a time to the measurement. The method includes storing, by the one or more computing devices, the received measurement and the assigned time to a file. The method includes transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the file to a remove computing device associated with a ground system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a line-replaceable unit of an aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a file associated with a wireless communication unit (WCU) located on an aerial vehicle, the file comprising at least one measurement from a sensor associated with the WCU and at least one time assigned to the at least one measurement, the at least one measurement having a value above a high threshold or a value below a low threshold;

predicting one or more operational conditions experienced by the line-replaceable unit (LRU) at least in part by comparing a predictive model to the at least one measurement, the one or more operational conditions comprising at least one condition affecting the operational life of the LRU, and the predictive model configured to output a predicted operational life of the LRU of the aerial vehicle; and

changing the predictive model based at least in part on the one or more operational conditions having been predicted, the predictive model upon having been changed being configured to output an updated predicted operational life of the LRU.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the file associated with the WCU at the WCU, the WCU comprising a processor configured to perform the receiving, the comparing, the predicting, and/or the changing.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the file associated with the WCU at a computing device associated with a ground system, the file associated with the WCU having been transmitted from the WCU to the computing device, and the computing device comprising a processor configured to perform the receiving, the comparing, the predicting, and/or the changing.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating the predictive model at least in part using a model trainer, the model trainer training or retraining the predictive model.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating the predictive model at least in part using a Mixture of Hidden Markov Models.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predictive model comprises a probabilistic Mixture of Hidden Markov Models having been created using a data set collected from an electronic engine controller associated with the WCU.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

transmitting the predictive model from a computing device associated with a ground system to the WCU.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the predictive model to the at least one measurement comprises monitoring a temporal sequence of events, the temporal sequence of events comprising taxiing, take-off, and/or ascent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting one or more operational conditions experienced by the LRU comprises detecting an anomaly based at least in part on a fitness score output by the predictive model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement comprises a temperature, an indication of vibration, a humidity, a failure data, a current, a voltage, and/or a frequency.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the LRU comprises the WCU.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

performing the method in real-time or near-real time during a first flight.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

transmitting a second file associated with the WCU from the WCU to a computing device associated with a ground system, the file comprising at least one measurement from a sensor associated with the WCU and at least one time assigned to the at least one measurement, the at least one measurement having a value above a high threshold or a value below a low threshold; and

receiving an updated predictive model, the updated predictive model having been changed based at least in part on information in the second file;

the updated predictive model configured to output an updated predicted operational life of the LRU.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving a third file associated with the WCU, the third file comprising at least one measurement from a sensor associated with the WCU and at least one time assigned to the at least one measurement, the at least one measurement having a value above a high threshold or a value below a low threshold; and

predicting one or more operational conditions experienced by the LRU at least in part by comparing the updated predictive model to the at least one measurement in the third file, the one or more operational conditions comprising at least one condition affecting the operational life of the LRU.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing comprises an emphasis on measurements below the low threshold.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing comprises an emphasis on measurements above the high threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting one or more operational conditions experienced by the LRU comprises:

outputting a plurality of class predictions, respective ones of the plurality of class predictions indicating an event or an operation of the aerial vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

identifying a temporal sequence of events based at least in part on the plurality of class predictions.

19. A wireless communication unit, comprising:

one or more memory devices and one or more processors, the one or more memory devices comprising computer-executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

predict one or more operational conditions experienced by a line-replicable unit (LRU) of an aerial vehicle at least in part by comparing a predictive model to at least one measurement having been received from a sensor associated with a wireless communication unit (WCU) located on the aerial vehicle and having a time assigned thereto, the at least one measurement comprising a value above a high threshold or a value below a low threshold, the one or more operational conditions comprising at least one condition affecting the operational life of the LRU, and the predictive model configured to output a predicted operational life of the LRU; and

change the predictive model based at least in part on the one or more operational conditions having been predicted, the predictive model upon having been changed being configured to output an updated predicted operational life of the LRU.

20. A ground system, comprising:

one or more memory devices and one or more processors, the one or more memory devices comprising computer-executable instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

predict one or more operational conditions experienced by a line-replicable unit (LRU) of an aerial vehicle at least in part by comparing a predictive model to at least one measurement having been received from a sensor associated with a wireless communication unit (WCU) located on the aerial vehicle and having a time assigned thereto, the at least one measurement comprising a value above a high threshold or a value below a low threshold, the one or more operational conditions comprising at least one condition affecting the operational life of the LRU, and the predictive model configured to output a predicted operational life of the LRU; and

change the predictive model based at least in part on the one or more operational conditions having been predicted, the predictive model upon having been changed being configured to output an updated predicted operational life of the LRU.