INTEGRATED WIRELESS DATA SYSTEM FOR AVIONICS PERFORMANCE INDICATION

• US 20190333299A1
• Filed: 07/10/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TECAT Performance Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: TECAT Performance Systems LLC
• Inventors: Baker, Douglas M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,748,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/00 Propellers, e.g. of ducted type; Features common to propellers and rotors for rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/30 Blade pitch-changing mechanisms
• 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: G01L 1/26 Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with the measurement of force, e.g. for preventing influence of transverse components of force, for preventing overload
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/133 for measuring thrust of propulsive devices, e.g. of propellers aeroplanes B64C; marine propulsion B63H; jet-engines F02K
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

An integrated wireless data system and method for avionic performance indication for measuring, monitoring and displaying in-use, real-world engine-out characteristics on a propeller driven aircraft for the purposes of health monitoring, performance optimization, and regulatory compliance is provided. Engine-out characteristics may be measured either at the propeller extension hub mounted between the engine and propeller, on the crankshaft flange, or on the propeller itself, and include, but are not limited to, the engine output torque, thrust, vibration, bending loads and temperature. Data may be transmitted wirelessly to a base unit located inside the cockpit and user selected parameters are updated on a display in real-time. The system may also store all collected data, for later download and analysis. The system may also have a software interface that can be used to download, view and analyze all recorded data, as well as to configure the system settings and alerts.

Claims

1. An integrated wireless data system for avionics performance indication used to measure various strain components of a shaft of a propeller driven aircraft under real-world operating conditions comprising:

a remote unit mounted on a propeller system of the propeller driven aircraft and having at least one strain gauge for measuring the various strain components of the shaft of the propeller driven aircraft and a remote transceiver and an A/D converter and a microprocessor and an energy harvesting device;

said remote unit including a power storage device connected to and for providing power to said remote unit;

said remote unit including gauge circuitry including digitally controlled switches for reconfiguring said gauge circuitry to measure different components of said at least one strain gauge and enable the measurement of bending and axial strain and torque from said at least one strain gauge;

a base unit located inside a cockpit of the propeller driven aircraft and having a base transceiver and a microprocessor and an onboard data storage and a real-time display and connected to other aircraft systems and an aircraft electrical system of the propeller driven aircraft;

a wireless communications interface between said remote unit and said base unit, wherein real-time and bi-directional data is transmitted therebetween.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said digitally controlled switches are configured to change said gauge circuitry to measure different components of said at least one strain gauge in response to receiving an instruction from said base unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one strain gauge includes individual legs connected to said remote unit and wherein said remote unit is configured to measure various strain components of the shaft of the propeller driven aircraft including bending and axial strain and torque.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote unit further includes a temperature sensor used to provide both raw temperature data and temperature compensation of data from said at least one strain gauge.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote unit further includes an accelerometer used to detect excessive vibrations in said remote unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said base unit is configured to send a signal to said remote unit so as to alter at least one of parameters of the data being measured and a data rate of the operational characteristics being measured.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said transceiver of said base unit and said transceiver of said remote unit are each configured to operate with a predetermined transmission power to ensure minimal data drops between said base unit and said remote unit when operating in real-world conditions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said base unit is adapted to be configured by an end user to alter parameters displayed on said real-time display.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said base unit includes onboard storage to store data for later analysis.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal from said base unit alters the data rate of the operational characteristics being measured separately from one another.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said base unit is configured to import and use data from the other aircraft systems.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said power storage device and said at least one sensor are attached to the propeller extension using at least one clamp extending circumferentially about the propeller extension.

13. A method for measuring operational characteristics of a propeller driven aircraft under real-world operating conditions comprising the steps of:

installing a remote unit including at least one strain gauge on at least one of a propeller extension and a crankshaft flange and a propeller of the propeller driven aircraft for measuring a strain of the at least one of the propeller extension and the crankshaft flange and the propeller;

reconfiguring gauge circuitry coupled to the at least one strain gauge to measure different components of the strain using digitally controlled switches of the remote unit;

measuring operational characteristics of the propeller driven aircraft including the strain using the remote unit; and

wirelessly transmitting the operational characteristics to a base unit located within a cockpit of the propeller driven aircraft.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote unit and the base unit collect the operational characteristics at a rate of at least 4 kHz and wherein the method further includes the step of resolving high frequency torsional oscillations caused by inertial and thermodynamic cycles to enable cylinder-by-cylinder diagnostics of an engine of the propeller driven aircraft.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the remote unit and the base unit are configured to operate with power consumption of less than 4 microamps per data point and wherein the remote unit is configured to collect data at a high data rate of at least 4 kHz and at a predetermined transmission power for at least 2 years without charging or replacing a power storage device connected to and for providing power to the remote unit and wherein the remote unit is further configured to operate in at least one of a sleep mode and a method for switching between high and low data rates and using an energy harvesting device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the propeller of the propeller driven aircraft is a variable pitch propeller and the operational characteristics include torque and thrust and the method further includes the steps of:

importing aircraft data from the other aircraft systems in communication with the base unit including engine RPM and relative air speed;

calculating a direct measure of propeller efficiency based on the operational characteristics and the aircraft data; and

displaying the direct measure of propeller efficiency in real-time using a real-time display of the base unit to adjust the variable pitch propeller.

17. The method of claim 13, further including the step of configuring the base unit to specify at least one of a plurality of selected parameters to measure and the data rates for each selected parameter and limits for a warning system.

18. The method of claim 13, further including the step of altering a data rate of the operational characteristics being measured by the remote unit in response to the remote unit receiving a signal from the base unit for altering the data rate.

19. The method of claim 13, further including the steps of:

receiving an instruction to change the gauge circuitry from the base unit using the remote unit; and

changing the gauge circuitry to measure different components of at least one strain gauge using the digitally controlled switches of the remote unit in response to receiving the instruction from the base unit.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the remote unit includes a temperature sensor and the operational characteristics include a temperature and the method further includes the steps of:

converting the strain to at least one of an orthogonal bending and an axial strain and a torque on the shaft of the propeller driven aircraft;

compensating the operational characteristics for temperature effects; and

displaying the compensated operational characteristics in real-time using a real-time display of the base unit.