Process and device for aiding the maintenance of a complex system, especially an aircraft

• US 6,219,597 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Longere, Jean-Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TO, TUAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/407,957
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 364/424.03, 244/1.R
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and a process for aiding the maintenance of a complex system, especially an aircraft.

According to the invention, said device comprises units for determining and recording, iteratively, during the operation of the complex system, monitoring data representative of the actual operation of at least one element of the complex system, a unit for determining, on the basis of the recorded monitoring data and with the aid of degradation models, at least one damage level of said element, and a unit for determining, on the basis of this damage level, at least maintenance deadlines for said element, and a unit for signaling these maintenance deadlines to an operator of said complex system.

Claims

1. A process for automatically aiding the maintenance of a complex system, said process comprising:

(a) determining and recording monitoring data representative of an actual operation of at least one element of said complex system during operation;

(b) determining at least one damage level representative of actual damage to said at least one element from said monitoring data recorded in step (a), with the aid of degradation models;

(c) updating maintenance deadlines for at least said at least one element based on;

(i) the at least one damage level recorded in step (b);

(ii) a damage threshold for said at least one element; and

(iii) a damage rate for said at least one element; and

(d) signaling an operator with the updated maintenance deadline determined in step (c) for said at least one element.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein damage threshold which is modifiable is used.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein step c) includes automatically generating a projected timetable of maintenance actions to be carried out on said complex system.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

step c) includes automatically determining auxiliary maintenance information; and

step d) includes automatically signaling said auxiliary maintenance information to said operator.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein step a) includes determining said monitoring data arbitrarily so as to carry out simulations.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising automatically recording at least conditions of use of said complex system and monitoring data occurring during said process.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein complementary information is used to automatically refine:

in step b), said damage level; and

in step c), the information determined on the basis of said damage level.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least data occurring during the implementation of steps a) and b) of said process are recorded automatically and are retrievable.

9. The process a claimed in claim 1, wherein maintenance actions which are required to be carried out are prepared automatically as a function of said maintenance deadlines.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the data occurring during the implementation of the process are exploited statistically, automatically, for identifying the most damaging conditions of use of said complex system.

11. A device for implementing the process specified under claim 1, comprising:

means for determining monitoring data;

means for recording said monitoring data;

means for determining damage levels on the basis of these monitoring data;

means for determining maintenance deadlines on the basis of these damage levels; and

means for signaling said maintenance deadlines.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one of:

means for modifying a damage threshold;

means for arbitrarily determining the monitoring data;

means for recording data; and

means for updating the information used by at least one of said means for modifying, said means for arbitrarily determining, said means for recording, and said means for updating of said device.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring data determined and recorded in step (a) includes at least one of:

(i) information regarding usage levels of said complex system;

(ii) information regarding load levels from at least one of;

usage constraints of at least one of a type of load, a stowed weight, and speed; and

external operating conditions of at least one of temperature, humidity, and magnetic fields;

(iii) information regarding health of said complex system including at least one of;

pollution of fluids, built-in tests, and vibration signatures;

(iv) information regarding a behavioral model comprising reference values of at least one of said at least one element and said complex system; and

(v) information regarding at least one of alarms and instructions generated by said complex system.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the degradation models recited in step (b) comprise at least one of:

(i) a model for determining limits of operation of said at least one element of said complex system determined by usage constraints including at least one of a lifetime usage limit of said at least one element and an overhauling limit of said at least one element; and

(ii) a behavioral model providing an aid for determining a failed element, said failed element being determined by comparing said monitoring data with recorded reference values.

15. The process according to claim 14, wherein the usage constraints are determined by an amount of operating hours.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein the recording and monitoring recited in step (a) is continuous during operation of said complex system.