Monitoring system and method for wiring systems

• US 6,930,610 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Reed, Clive W., Herd, Kenneth G., Korman, Charles S., Gao, Guanzhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/063,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20030206111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/657, 324/536, 324/522, 324/547
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/008 on air- or spacecraft, railway rolling stock or sea-going vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1272 of cable, line or wire insulation, e.g. using partial discharge measurements locating faults in cables G01R31/083

Abstract

A monitoring system includes at least one partial discharge (PD) sensor. The PD sensor is configured to monitor a component of an aircraft wiring system and to acquire a monitoring signal. A method embodiment for monitoring an aircraft wiring system includes acquiring a number of monitoring signals for a number of components of the aircraft wiring system using a number of partial discharge PD sensors. The method further includes conveying the monitoring signals from at least one of the PD sensors to a data acquisition system.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising at least one partial discharge (PD) sensor, which is configured to monitor a component of an aircraft wiring system and to acquire a monitoring signal, wherein said PD sensor comprises a high frequency current transformer (HFCT) sensor encompassing the component, and wherein said HFCT sensor comprises a plurality of conductive leads formed on a substrate and a cap covering said leads and said substrate.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a conductive core surrounded by an insulating layer, and wherein said HFCT sensor extends around the insulating layer.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a plurality of wires, each wire comprising a conductive core surrounded by an insulating layer, wherein said HFCT sensor extends around the wires.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring unit which includes said PD sensor, wherein said monitoring unit comprises a self-monitoring unit, wherein the component comprises a wire set, which includes at least one wire and is connected to said self-monitoring unit, and wherein said PD sensor is configured to monitor the wire.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring unit which includes said PD sensor;

a data acquisition system, which is configured to receive the monitoring signal; and

at least one hard-wired connector configured to connect said monitoring unit to said data acquisition system for conveying the monitoring signal.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising a monitoring unit which includes said PD sensor, wherein said monitoring unit further comprises a transmitter, which is configured to transmit the monitoring signal.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising a data acquisition system, which comprises:

a receiver, which is configured to receive the monitoring signal; and

a memory, which is configured to store the monitoring signal.

8. A monitoring system comprising a monitoring unit that comprises:

at least one partial discharge (PD) sensor, which is configured to monitor a component of an aircraft wiring system and to acquire a monitoring signal,

a transmitter, which is configured to transmit the monitoring signal, and

a partial discharge (PD) signal discriminator, which is configured to convert the monitoring signal to a multi-level monitoring signal, wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit the multi-level monitoring signal.

9. The monitoring system of claim 8, further comprising a data acquisition system, which comprises:

a receiver, which is configured to receive the multi-level monitoring signal;

a memory, which is configured to store the multi-level monitoring signal; and

a monitor, which is configured to transmit an alert based on the multi-level monitoring signal.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising a display, which is configured to display a wire health status based on the multi-level monitoring signal.

11. An on-board monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of monitoring units, each monitoring unit being configured to monitor a component of an aircraft wiring system and comprising at least one partial discharge (PD) sensor; and

a data acquisition system, which is configured to receive a plurality of monitoring signals from said monitoring units,

wherein at least one of said monitoring units further comprises;

a partial discharge (PD) signal discriminator, which is configured to convert the monitoring signal to a multi-level monitoring signal, and

a transmitter, which is configured to transmit the multi-level monitoring signal, and

wherein said data acquisition system comprises;

a receiver, which is configured to receive the multi-level monitoring signal,

a memory, which is configured to store the multi-level monitoring signal, and

a monitor, which is configured to transmit an alert based on the multi-level monitoring signal.

12. The on-board monitoring system of claim 11, wherein the respective component comprises a plurality of wires,

wherein said monitoring unit comprises a plurality of PD sensors and a plurality of PD signal discriminators, one PD signal discriminator being provided for a respective PD sensor,

wherein each of said PD sensors is configured to monitor a respective one of the wires,

wherein each of said PD signal discriminators is configured to convert each of the monitoring signals from a respective PD sensor to a respective multi-level monitoring signal, and

wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit each of the multi-level monitoring signals over a respective wireless channel.

13. The on-board monitoring system of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one hard-wired connector configured to connect at least one of said monitoring units to said data acquisition system for conveying the monitoring signal.

14. A method for monitoring an aircraft wiring system, said method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of monitoring signals for a plurality of components of the aircraft wiring system using a plurality of partial discharge (PD) sensors;

conveying the monitoring signals from at least one of the PD sensors to a data acquisition system;

converting each of the monitoring signals to a multi-level monitoring signal,

wherein said conveying step comprises transmitting each of the respective multi-level monitoring signals over a respective wireless channel and receiving the multi-level monitoring signals,

wherein said method further includes;

storing the multi-level monitoring signals in a memory of the data acquisition system; and

transmitting an alert, if one of the multi-level monitoring signals indicates possible damage to the respective component.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying a wiring health status for the components based on the multi-level monitoring signals.

16. A method for on-board monitoring of an aircraft wiring system, said method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of monitoring signals for a respective plurality of components of the aircraft wiring system using a plurality of partial discharge (PD) sensors;

conveying the monitoring signals from at least one of the PD sensors to a data acquisition system;

converting each of the monitoring signals to multi-level monitoring signals,

conveying the multi-level monitoring signals to a data acquisition system;

storing the multi-level monitoring signals in a memory of the data acquisition system;

transmitting an alert, if one of the multi-level monitoring signals;

indicates possible damage to the respective component; and

displaying a wiring health status for the components based on the multi-level monitoring signals.

17. A monitoring system comprising:

a test interface, which is configured to matingly connect to a component of an aircraft wiring system, the component comprising a wire set, which includes a plurality of wires, and a connector connected to the wire set, said test interface comprising at least one partial discharge (PD) sensor, which is configured to monitor the component and acquire a monitoring signal, wherein said test interface further comprises an automated multiplexing test interface, which is configured to automatically monitor each of the wires using said PD sensor; and

a data acquisition system, which is configured to receive the monitoring signal.

18. The monitoring system of claim 17, further comprising a display, which is configured to display the monitoring signal.

19. The monitoring system of claim 17, wherein said test interface is configured to matingly connect to the connector.