ACTUATOR MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20130335242A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kakino, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 10,401,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• 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: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• 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

Abstract

An actuator monitoring system is provided with an electric actuator having a motor and a control unit which outputs a control command (CMD) to the motor to control the operation of the motor. The control unit calculates a use time of the electric actuator based on the control command (CMD) outputted to the motor. Moreover, the control unit estimates the lifetime of the electric actuator based on the calculated use time.

Claims

1. An actuator monitoring system comprising:

an electric actuator comprising a motor; and

a control unit configured to output a control command to said motor to control an operation of said motor,

wherein said control unit calculates a use time of said electric actuator based on the control command outputted to said motor, and estimates a lifetime of said electric actuator based on the calculated use time.

2. The actuator monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said motor feeds back a feedback signal to said control unit to show a value of electric current which flows through said motor, and

wherein said control unit calculates a torque of said motor based on the feedback signal and estimates the lifetime of said electric actuator based on the calculated use time and the calculated torque.

3. The actuator monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein when said electric actuator reaches the lifetime earlier than a previously set repair timing, said control unit drives a warning unit to output a warning.

5. The actuator monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein when said electric actuator reaches the lifetime earlier than a previously set repair timing, said control unit drives a warning unit to output a warning.

4. (canceled)

6. An aircraft comprising an actuator monitoring system which comprises:

an electric actuator comprising a motor; and

a control unit configured to output a control command to said motor to control an operation of said motor,

wherein said control unit calculates a use time of said electric actuator based on the control command outputted to said motor, and estimates a lifetime of said electric actuator based on the calculated use time.

7. The aircraft according to claim 6, wherein said motor feeds back a feedback signal to said control unit to show a value of electric current which flows through said motor, and

wherein said control unit calculates a torque of said motor based on the feedback signal and estimates the lifetime of said electric actuator based on the calculated use time and the calculated torque.

8. The aircraft according to claim 6, wherein when said electric actuator reaches the lifetime earlier than a previously set repair timing, said control unit drives a warning unit to output a warning.

9. The aircraft according to claim 7, wherein when said electric actuator reaches the lifetime earlier than a previously set repair timing, said control unit drives a warning unit to output a warning.