SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING FAULTS IN AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20160144983A1
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taleris Global LLP (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Taleris Global LLP (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Thuong, Olivier Paul Jacques Thanh Minh, Deshotel, Guy Edward, Horabin, Robert William, Robbins, Mark John
• Granted Patent: US 9,567,106 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: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction

Abstract

System and method of identifying a fault in an aircraft having at least one monitored system, including receiving operational data for the at least one monitored system during at least a portion of a flight, receiving user input data from a user input corresponding to the operation of the at least one monitored system, and identifying an actual fault condition, by a controller, when the user input data is determined to be symptomatic of the identified possible fault condition.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a fault in an aircraft having at least one monitored system, the method comprising:

receiving operational data from a plurality of sensors for the at least one monitored system during at least a portion of a flight;

receiving user input data from a user input corresponding to the operation of the at least one monitored system;

identifying a possible fault condition based on comparing the received operational data to at least one corresponding threshold;

analyzing the user input data corresponding to the identified possible fault condition to determine when the user input data is symptomatic of the identified possible fault condition;

identifying an actual fault condition, by a controller, when the user input data is determined to be symptomatic of the identified possible fault condition; and

providing an indication of the identified actual fault condition.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the operational data corresponding to the identified possible fault condition for multiple uses of the at least one monitored system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the operational data comprises receiving operational data for a plurality of flights.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein identifying the possible fault comprises identifying the possible fault when the comparing indicates thresholds are satisfied over multiple flights.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input data during multiple uses of the system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising averaging the received user input data to define an average user input data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising normalizing the received user input data prior to the averaging.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising normalizing the received user input data prior to identifying the fault.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitored system is a nose wheel system of the aircraft and the operational data comprises at least one of a position of a nose wheel, a position of a rudder, a body yaw rate of the aircraft, a ground speed of the aircraft, a state of nose landing gear, or a position of nose landing gear.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving the user input data comprises sensing rudder pedal usage at multiple speeds.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitored system is an air conditioning system of the aircraft and the operational data comprises at least one of cabin temperatures in different areas of the aircraft, a temperature in a duct of the air conditioning system, a position of trim air valves, a temperature in a water extractor, or pack outlet of the air conditioning system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the user input data comprises sensing temperature settings selected by the aircrew.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiving the user input data comprises sensing the aircrew setting the temperature to a minimum value.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is acquired during multiple phases of flight.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the controller utilizes an algorithm to identify the fault.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication is an alert regarding the identified fault provided on a display within the aircraft.

17. A system for identifying a fault in an aircraft comprising:

at least one aircraft component or system having at least one sensor outputting operational data for the at least one aircraft component or system;

at least one user input device located on the aircraft and providing user input data corresponding to the operation of the at least one aircraft component or system;

a controller receiving the user input data and the operational data, wherein the controller executes a computer program implementing an algorithm that;

identifies a possible fault condition of the at least one aircraft component or system based on the operational data;

monitors the operational data corresponding to the identified possible fault condition for multiple uses of the at least one aircraft component or system;

analyzes the user input data corresponding to the identified possible fault condition to determine when the user input data is symptomatic of the identified possible fault condition;

identifies an actual fault condition when the user input data is determined to be symptomatic of the identified possible fault condition; and

providing an indication of the identified fault condition.