OXIDATION CATALYST DETECTOR FOR AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS

• US 20160054249A1
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rateick, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,678,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/18 Safety devices; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/06 of a liquid involving electrolysis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/12 of a solid body in dependence upon absorption of a fluid; of a solid body in dependence upon reaction with a fluid , for detecting components in the fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/20 Investigating the presence of flaws

Abstract

The exposure of an aircraft component to an oxidation catalyst, such as a deicing solution, may be detected with the aid of an electrical conductivity sensor. In some examples, a system includes an aircraft component, an electrical conductivity sensor mechanically connected to the aircraft component and configured to generate an output, and a processor configured to detect an oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output generated by the electrical conductivity sensor. The electrical conductivity sensor may be configured and positioned to generate a signal indicative of electrical conductivity of a substance to which the aircraft component is exposed. The processor may be configured to detect an oxidation catalyst exposure event by at least determining whether the electrical conductivity indicated by the signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined conductivity threshold value.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an aircraft component;

an electrical conductivity sensor mechanically connected to the aircraft component and configured to generate an output; and

a processor configured to detect an oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output generated by the electrical conductivity sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the processor is configured to store an indication of the oxidation catalyst exposure event in the memory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to detect the oxidation catalyst exposure event by at least determining an electrical conductivity value based on the output of the sensor, comparing the electrical conductivity value to a predetermined conductivity threshold value, and detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event in response to determining the electrical conductivity value is greater than or equal to the predetermined conductivity threshold value.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the threshold conductivity value is 30 millisiemens/centimeter (mS/cm).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductivity sensor comprises a conductivity meter and two electrodes, the conductivity meter being configured to generate the output, the output being a function of an impedance of a substance positioned between the two electrodes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductivity sensor comprises an array of electrical conductivity sensors mechanically connected to the aircraft component, and wherein the processor is configured to detect the oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output of at least one electrical conductivity sensor of the array.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductivity sensor comprises a plurality of electrical conductivity sensors and the aircraft component comprises a plurality of aircraft components, wherein each aircraft component of the plurality is mechanically connected to at least one electrical conductivity sensor of the plurality of electrical conductivity sensors, and wherein the processor is configured to detect the oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output generated by at least one of the electrical conductivity sensors.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft component is a brake assembly.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft component is a carbon aircraft component.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft component is a wheel well, a landing gear component, or an aircraft fuselage.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, an output of an electrical conductivity sensor mechanically connected to an aircraft component;

detecting, by the processor, an oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output;

generating, by the processor, an indication of the oxidation exposure event; and

storing the indication of the oxidation exposure event in a memory of a device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output comprises:

determining an electrical conductivity value based on the output of the sensor;

comparing the electrical conductivity value to a predetermined conductivity threshold value; and

detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event in response to determining the electrical conductivity value is greater than or equal to the predetermined conductivity threshold value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined conductivity threshold value is 30 millisiemens/centimeter.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrical conductivity sensor comprises a conductivity meter and two electrodes, the conductivity meter being configured to generate the output, the output being a function of an impedance of a substance positioned between the two electrodes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the output of the electrical conductivity sensor comprises receiving outputs from an array of electrical conductivity sensors mechanically connected to the aircraft component, and wherein detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output comprises detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output of at least one sensor of the array.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the output of the electrical conductivity sensor comprises receiving outputs from a plurality of electrical conductivity sensors, wherein at least two electrical conductivity sensors of the plurality are mechanically connected to different aircraft components, and wherein detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event comprises detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event based on the output generated by at least one electrical conductivity sensor of the plurality.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the aircraft component is at least one of:

brake assembly, a carbon aircraft component, a wheel well, a landing gear component, or an aircraft fuselage.

18. A system comprising:

means for sensing electrical conductivity of a substance to which an aircraft component is exposed; and

means for detecting an oxidation catalyst exposure event based on an output of the means for sensing electrical conductivity.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for generating an indication of the oxidation catalyst exposure event, based on an output of the means for sensing electrical conductivity; and

means for storing the indication.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for detecting the oxidation catalyst exposure event comprises:

means for determining an electrical conductivity value based on the output of the sensor; and

means for comparing the electrical conductivity value to a predetermined conductivity threshold value, wherein the means for detecting detects the oxidation catalyst exposure event in response to determining the electrical conductivity value is greater than or equal to the predetermined conductivity threshold value.