SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING FATIGUE FOR MECHANICAL COMPONENTS OF AN AIRCRAFT AND AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE METHOD

• US 20120226409A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engine Company
• Original Assignee: Snecma (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Seize, Guilhem
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0073 Fatigue
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0286 Miniature specimen; Testing on microregions of a specimen
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/32 by applying repeated or pulsating forces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A system for measuring fatigue of a component of an aircraft subject to mechanical stresses includes: a plurality of stress sensors mounted on the component, each sensor being configured to detect a predetermined mechanical stress threshold and to deliver a data signal representative of exceeding of the threshold; and a mechanism for recording the data and the sensors configured to detect different stress thresholds so as to make it possible to calculate, on the basis of the data recorded by the system, an estimation of fatigue of the component due to the mechanical stresses. It is thus possible to optimize overhaul of the components.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A system for measuring fatigue of an aircraft component subjected to mechanical stresses, the system comprising:

a plurality of stress sensors mounted on the component, each sensor being configured to detect a predetermined mechanical stress threshold and to deliver a data signal representative of violation of this threshold; and

means for recording the data signal,

wherein the sensors are configured to detect different thresholds of one and a same stress, which thresholds are staged so as to make it possible to compute, based on a number of threshold violation occurrences of each sensor, an estimate of fatigue of the component due to the predetermined mechanical stress.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a processing unit comprising the data-recording means, the sensors comprising means for transmitting the data to the processing unit.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein each sensor comprises data-recording means.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising means for transmitting the data to remote means for analyzing the data, configured to compute an estimate of the fatigue of the component.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensors are sensors of MEMS type.

19. An aircraft maintenance method comprising at least one component subjected to mechanical stresses and a system for measuring fatigue conforming to the system of claim 11, wherein:

a request to transmit the data recorded by the system is transmitted to the system;

the data are received; and

based on the data, an estimate of the fatigue of the component due to each of the mechanical stresses in question is computed.

20. The maintenance method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the request is transmitted and the data are received wirelessly by a portable transmission/receiving device.

16. A method for measuring fatigue of an aircraft component subjected to a predetermined mechanical stress, comprising:

placing sensors capable of detecting predetermined thresholds of the predetermined mechanical stress on the component, the sensors being staged relative to one another and each being capable of delivering a data signal representative of violation of its threshold by the stress;

recording a number of occurrences of measurements of violation of each of the thresholds; and

computing, based on the number of occurrences, an estimate of fatigue of the component caused by the predetermined mechanical stress.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

for each threshold, based on the total number of occurrences, the number of occurrences of measurements of violation of the threshold and that are below the higher threshold are computed; and

for each interval between two consecutive thresholds, an equivalent fatigue of the component corresponding to application of a number of stresses corresponding to the number of computed occurrences and of a stress value equal to that of the higher threshold is computed,

the equivalent fatigues computed for each interval of thresholds are added together to obtain total fatigue of the component.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 applied with aid of a system comprising:

a plurality of stress sensors mounted on the component, each sensor being configured to detect a predetermined mechanical stress threshold and to deliver a data signal representative of violation of this threshold; and

means for recording the data signal,

wherein the sensors are configured to detect different thresholds of one and a same stress, which thresholds are staged so as to make it possible to compute, based on a number of threshold violation occurrences of each sensor, an estimate of fatigue of the component due to the predetermined mechanical stress.