Aircraft Prognostics Health System

• US 20150274314A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Conrad, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/577,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20150274314A1
• 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: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

According to one example embodiment, a method of reassessing use of an aircraft component installed on an aircraft includes receiving, from one or more sensors installed on the aircraft, one or more measurements representative of at least one load applied against the aircraft component; determining, based on the received one or more measurements and based on at least one other received input, an amount of change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the aircraft component; receiving a change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input; and redetermining the change in probability of failure based on the received change.

Claims

1. A method of reassessing use of an aircraft component installed on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, from one or more sensors installed on the aircraft, one or more measurements representative of at least one load applied against the aircraft component;

determining, based on the received one or more measurements and based on at least one other received input, an amount of change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the aircraft component;

receiving a change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input; and

redetermining the change in probability of failure based on the received change.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one usage model from a plurality of usage models, each usage model of the plurality of usage models relating aircraft loads with received sensor data;

determining at least one load value based on the selected at least one usage model and the received one or more measurements, wherein the at least one other received input comprises the determined at least one load value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input comprises receiving a change to which at least one usage model is selected from the plurality of usage models.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more measurements comprises time data or cycles data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise direct measurements of at least one aircraft load.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise environmental measurements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or measurements comprises at least one aircraft load measurement and an amount of time during which the at least one load measurement was applied.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, prior to receiving the change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input, a change in remaining useful life based on the calculated change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the aircraft component; and

redetermining the change in remaining useful life based on the redetermined change in probability of failure and the received change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input.

9. A system for reassessing use of an aircraft component installed on an aircraft, configured to:

receive, from one or more sensors installed on the aircraft, one or more measurements representative of at least one load applied against the aircraft component;

determine, based on the received one or more measurements and based on at least one other received input, an amount of change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the aircraft component;

receive a change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input; and

redetermine the change in probability of failure based on the received change.

10. The system of claim 9, further configured to:

select at least one usage model from a plurality of usage models, each usage model of the plurality of usage models relating aircraft loads with received sensor data;

determine at least one load value based on the selected at least one usage model and the received one or more measurements, wherein the at least one other received input comprises the determined at least one load value.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein receiving a change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input comprises receiving a change to which at least one usage model is selected from the plurality of usage models.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or more measurements comprises time data or cycles data.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise direct measurements of at least one aircraft load.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise environmental measurements.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or measurements comprises at least one aircraft load measurement and an amount of time during which the at least one load measurement was applied.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

calculating, prior to receiving the change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input, a change in remaining useful life based on the calculated change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the aircraft component; and

redetermining the change in remaining useful life based on the redetermined change in probability of failure and the received change to one of the received one or more measurements or the at least one other received input.