MULTIFUNCTIONAL LOAD AND DAMAGE SENSOR

• US 20150253209A1
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Zaffir A., Sun, Fanping, Sarlashkar, Avinash
• Granted Patent: US 9,638,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G01L 1/16 using properties of piezoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0025 of elongated objects, e.g. pipes, masts, towers or railways G01M5/0058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0258 Structural degradation, e.g. fatigue of composites, ageing of oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 Elastic parameters, strength or force
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2694 Wings or other aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/11 by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/245 Ceramic probes, e.g. lead zirconate titanate [PZT] probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2475 Embedded probes, i.e. probes incorporated in objects to be inspected
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4472 Mathematical theories or simulation

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to obtaining at least one sample of load or load path data from at least one piezoelectric sensor associated with a structure, comparing the at least one sample of data to at least one prior sample of data obtained from the at least one sensor, and providing a status of a health of the structure based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining at least one sample of load or load path data from at least one piezoelectric sensor associated with a structure;

comparing the at least one sample of data to at least one prior sample of data obtained from the at least one sensor; and

providing a status of a health of the structure based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the at least one sample of data to provide an indication of absolute load.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure is associated with an aircraft, and wherein the at least one sample of data is tagged with a tag based on a state of operation of the aircraft when the at least one sample of data is taken by the at least one sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the tag indicates at least one of:

that the aircraft is on the ground, that the aircraft is flying in a steady-state condition, and that the aircraft is engaged in a flight maneuver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling at least one of a maintenance activity and an inspection activity based on the health of the structure.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a safe lifetime associated with the structure based on the at least one sample of data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the at least one sample of data based on power obtained from the at least one piezoelectric sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sample of data is filtered prior to the comparison with the at least one prior sample of data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one piezoelectric sensor comprises a plurality of piezoelectric sensors, and wherein the at least one sample of data comprises a plurality of samples of data, and wherein each of the plurality of samples of data is associated with a respective one of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

comparing a first of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a first of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to a second of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a second of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to determine that a portion of the structure that bridges the first and second piezoelectric sensors is damaged.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

injecting a voltage at the at least one sensor;

measuring, at a second sensor associated with the structure and located at a distance from the at least one sensor, an induced voltage; and

determining that a portion of the structure is healthy based on determining that the measured voltage at the second sensor deviates from the injected voltage in an amount less than a threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor is associated with a first member, and wherein the second sensor is associated with a second member, and wherein the portion of the structure comprises a joint that couples the first member and the second member.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

obtain at least one sample of load or load path data from at least one piezoelectric sensor associated with a structure;

compare the at least one sample of data to at least one prior sample of data obtained from the at least one sensor; and

provide a status of a health of the structure based on the comparison.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

use the at least one sample of data to provide an indication of absolute load.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the structure is associated with an aircraft, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

tag the at least one sample of data with an identification of the at least one sensor and with an identification of a state of operation of the aircraft or other critical structures when the at least one sample of data is taken by the at least one sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

wirelessly receive the at least one sample of data based on power obtained from the at least one piezoelectric sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one piezoelectric sensor comprises a plurality of piezoelectric sensors, and wherein the at least one sample of data comprises a plurality of samples of data, and wherein each of the plurality of samples of data is associated with a respective one of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

compare a first of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a first of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to a second of the plurality of samples of data obtained from a second of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors to determine that a joint associated with the structure that bridges the first and second piezoelectric sensors is damaged.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of piezoelectric sensors configured to generate data pertaining to loads imposed on a structure of an aircraft;

a computing device configured to;

obtain a first sample of load or load path data from a first of the sensors and at least a second sample of load or load path data from at least a second of the sensors;

compare the first sample of data and the at least a second sample of data to one another and to at least one prior sample of data; and

provide a status of a health of the structure based on the comparison.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first sensor is associated with a first member of the structure, and wherein the at least a second of the sensors is associated with a second member of the structure, and wherein the computing device is configured to provide a status of health of a portion of the structure coupling the first and second members to one another based on an application of a notch filter to at least one of the first sample of data and the at least a second sample of data.