MODAL ACOUSTIC AIRCRAFT WEIGHT SYSTEM

• US 20150034395A1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Smith, Paul R., Steele, Adam C., Lee, Tristan E., Hoffman, Ryan W., Fanelli, Kyle M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,551,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/02 for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/07 for weighing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/16 measuring variations of frequency of oscillations of the body

Abstract

A method includes receiving characteristic information from a sensor. The characteristic information may be representative of a characteristic of a weight bearing structure of an aircraft when a force is applied to the weight bearing structure. The method includes determining a weight of the aircraft based on the characteristic information.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a weight bearing structure;

an actuator coupled to the weight bearing structure and configured to apply a force to the weight bearing structure;

a sensor coupled to the weight bearing structure and configured to generate sensor data associated with the force applied to the weight bearing structure by the actuator;

a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine a weight of at least a portion of the aircraft based on the sensor data.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a landing gear system, wherein the weight bearing structure is a component of the landing gear system.

3. The aircraft claim 2, wherein the weight bearing structure is a truck, an axle, a strut, or a combination thereof.

4. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising an environmental sensor, wherein the environmental sensor is coupled to the weight bearing structure and is configured to generate environmental data descriptive of an environmental condition, wherein the environmental condition includes a humidity level, a temperature, a wind speed, a wind direction, or a combination thereof, wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to the environmental sensor, and wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine the weight of at least the portion of the aircraft based at least in part on the environmental data received from the environmental sensor.

5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the actuator applies the force to the weight bearing structure in response to an actuator command received from the processor.

6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the actuator applies the force for a period of time, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a characteristic of the weight bearing structure during the period of time, and wherein the sensor data is generated based on the characteristic.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the characteristic is associated with a frequency of resonance of the weight bearing structure when the force is applied to the weight bearing structure by the actuator.

8. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a database stored at the memory, the database including information associated with an amount force applied to the weight bearing structure, a duration of time that the force was applied to the weight bearing structure, the sensor data, and the weight of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a display device coupled to the processor and configured to display the weight of at least the portion of the aircraft.

10. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more additional weight bearing structures;

one or more additional actuators, wherein each of the one or more additional actuators is coupled to a particular weight bearing structures of the one or more additional weight bearing structures and is configured to apply a force to the particular weight bearing structure; and

one or more additional sensors, wherein each of the one or more additional sensors is coupled to a particular weight bearing structure of the one or more additional weight bearing structures and is configured to generate additional sensor data associated with the force applied to the particular weight bearing structure by a respective actuator,

wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to the one or more additional sensors, and wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine the weight of at least one additional portion of the aircraft based on the additional sensor data.

11. A method comprising:

receiving characteristic information from a sensor, wherein the characteristic information is representative of a characteristic of a weight bearing structure of an aircraft when a force is applied to the weight bearing structure; and

determining a weight of at least a portion the aircraft based on the characteristic information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the characteristic of the weight bearing structure is associated with a frequency of resonance of the weight bearing structure when the force is applied to the weight bearing structure.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving additional characteristic information from one or more additional sensors, wherein the additional characteristic information is representative of a characteristic of one or more additional weight bearing structures of the aircraft when a force is applied to the one or more additional weight bearing structures;

determining average characteristic information, wherein for each weight bearing structure, the average characteristic information determined based on particular characteristic information associated with a particular weight bearing structure over a period of time; and

determining the weight of the aircraft based on the average characteristic information.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving attitude information from an attitude sensor, wherein the attitude information indicates whether the aircraft is situated on a level surface;

determine a balance condition based on the attitude information and the weight of the aircraft, wherein the balance condition indicates whether the weight of the aircraft is distributed evenly; and

generating an alert when the balance condition indicates that the weight of the aircraft is not distributed evenly.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the weight bearing structure is a component of a landing gear system of the aircraft, wherein the force is applied to the weight bearing structure by an actuator for a period of time, and wherein the characteristic information is representative of the characteristic of the weight bearing structure during the period of time.

16. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive characteristic information from a sensor, wherein the characteristic information is representative of a characteristic of a weight bearing structure of an aircraft when a force is applied to the weight bearing structure; and

determine a weight of at least a portion of the aircraft based on the characteristic information.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the weight bearing structure is a component of a landing gear system of the aircraft, wherein the weight bearing structure is coupled to an actuator and to the sensor, and wherein the force is applied to the weight bearing structure by the actuator.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine whether the weight of at least the portion of the aircraft exceeds a threshold weight; and

generate an alert signal when the weight of at least the portion of the aircraft exceeds the threshold weight.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to initiate display of the weight of at least the portion of the aircraft at a display device coupled to the processor.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the characteristic of the weight bearing structure is associated with a frequency of resonance of the weight bearing structure when the force is applied to the weight bearing structure.