METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR HEALTH MONITORING FOR AIRCRAFT

• US 20140114527A1
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Grabill, Paul, Brotherton, Tom, Luppold, Robert H., Goodrich, Jeffery A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,446,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0883 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A method for health monitoring for an aircraft includes the steps of obtaining vibration data for the aircraft, obtaining navigation data for the aircraft, and determining a measure of health of the aircraft using the vibration data and the navigation data.

Claims

1. A method for initiating health monitoring for an aircraft by a ground station, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving user input at a computer system of the ground station, the user input including aircraft-specific geometric information regarding a plurality of details as to a make-up of the aircraft;

downloading the aircraft-specific geometric information to a database in a memory of the computer system on the ground station; and

configuring the ground station using the aircraft specific geometric information via a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of blades on the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of gear boxes for the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft includes a plurality of gearboxes, and the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of gears comprised in each gearbox of the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft includes a plurality of gears, and the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises information as to a meshing of different gears of the plurality of gears on the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft includes a plurality of gears, and the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of teeth for each of the plurality of gears on the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the ground station comprises utilizing the aircraft-specific geometric information to select a plurality of algorithms for a program of the ground station that are tailored specifically for the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of configuring the ground station further comprises utilizing the aircraft-specific geometric information to select a plurality of parameters for the selected plurality of algorithms, the selected plurality of parameters also tailored specifically for the aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a load module for an onboard health monitoring program for the aircraft using the aircraft-specific geometric information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

configuring a plurality of inputs and outputs for an onboard health monitoring computer system that is tailored specifically for the aircraft using the aircraft-specific geometric information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a customized database for the aircraft on the ground station using the aircraft-specific geometric information.

11. The method of claim 11, wherein the inputs and outputs include aircraft navigation data, aircraft vibration data, and fused data that is generating from fusing the aircraft navigation data and the aircraft vibration data.

13. A system for initiating health monitoring for an aircraft by a ground station, the system comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input including aircraft-specific geometric information regarding a plurality of details as to a make-up of the aircraft;

a memory configured to store the aircraft-specific geometric information to a database in a memory of the computer system on the ground station; and

a processor configured to configure the ground station using the aircraft specific geometric information via a processor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of blades on the aircraft.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of gear boxes for the aircraft.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft includes a plurality of gearboxes, and the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of gears comprised in each gearbox of the aircraft.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft includes a plurality of gears, and the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises information as to a meshing of different gears of the plurality of gears on the aircraft.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft includes a plurality of gears, and the aircraft-specific geometric information comprises a number of teeth for each of the plurality of gears on the aircraft.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to configure the ground station by utilizing the aircraft-specific geometric information to:

select a plurality of algorithms for a program of the ground station that are tailored specifically for the aircraft; and

select a plurality of parameters for the selected plurality of algorithms, the selected plurality of parameters also tailored specifically for the aircraft.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to create a load module for an onboard health monitoring program for the aircraft using the aircraft-specific geometric information.