Condition-based maintenance systems and methods

• US 8,212,673 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Whittaker, Glen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/773,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/945, 340/5.92, 340/961, 340/963, 340/971
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for condition-based maintenance of mechanical systems. In one embodiment, a method for performing condition-based maintenance on a mechanical system includes providing a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag on a component of the mechanical system, sensing one or more operating conditions during operation of the mechanical system, calculating a service life increment of the component based on the one or more operating conditions, and adjusting a service life value stored on the RFID tag. After operation of the mechanical system has ceased, the method includes scanning the service life value stored on the RFID tag, and determining whether at least one of an inspection, a maintenance, and a repair of the component is needed based on the service life value. The mechanical system may be an aircraft, and the operating conditions may include aerodynamic conditions, loads, accelerations, and movements of the aircraft during flight.

Claims

1. A method for performing condition-based maintenance on a mechanical system, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag on a component of the mechanical system;

sensing one or more operating conditions during operation of the mechanical system;

calculating a service life increment of the component based on the one or more operating conditions;

adjusting a service life value stored on the RFID tag of the components corresponding to the calculated service life increment;

after operation of the mechanical system has ceased, scanning the service life value stored on the RFID tag; and

determining whether at least one of an inspection, a maintenance, and a repair of the component is needed based on the service life value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a service life increment stored on the RFID tag occurs at least one of after operation of the mechanical system has ceased and during operation of the mechanical system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a service life increment of the component includes calculating a service life increment of the component using an onboard system located on the mechanical system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanical system comprises a vehicle, and wherein sensing one or more operating conditions includes sensing one or more operating conditions during movement of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanical system comprises an aircraft, and wherein sensing one or more operating conditions includes sensing one or more conditions during flight of the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensing one or more operating conditions includes sensing at least one of aerodynamic conditions, loads, accelerations, and movements of the aircraft during flight.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sensing one or more operating conditions includes sensing one or more operating conditions using an onboard system located on the aircraft, and wherein calculating a service life increment of the component includes calculating a service life increment of the component using a global data transmission system located off-board the aircraft, the global data transmission system operatively communicating with the onboard system to receive the one or more operating conditions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein using a global data transmission system includes using at least one satellite, and wherein the global data transmission system operatively communicates with the onboard system via at least one Iridium communication component.

9. A method for performing condition-based maintenance, comprising:

providing a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag on one or more components of a mechanical system;

operating the mechanical system;

receiving one or more operating conditions of the mechanical system;

adjusting a service life value of the one or more components based on the one or more operating conditions;

storing the adjusted service life value on the RFID tag of the one or more components;

analyzing the adjusted service life value stored on the RFID tag of the one or more components; and

performing at least one of an inspection, a maintenance task, and a repair of at least some of the one or more components based on the adjusted service life value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein storing the adjusted service life value on the RFID tag occurs at least one of after the mechanical system has ceased operating and while the mechanical system is still operating.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting a service life value includes calculating a service life increment of the component using an onboard system located on the mechanical system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the mechanical system comprises an aircraft, and wherein

sensing one or more operating conditions includes sensing at least one of aerodynamic conditions, loads, accelerations, and movements of the aircraft during flight of the aircraft;

and

adjusting a service life value of the one or more components includes calculating a service life increment for each of the one or more components using a global data transmission system located off-board the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein using a global data transmission system includes using at least one satellite.

14. A mechanical system, comprising:

a plurality of components operatively coupled to perform a desired operation;

a plurality of radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags, each RFID tag being affixed to a corresponding one of the plurality of components;

a measurement system configured to sense one or more operating conditions of the mechanical system;

an onboard system in operative communication with the plurality of measurement devices, the onboard system including;

an RFID interface component configured to communicate radio frequency (RF) signals with the plurality of RFID tags;

a processor configured to receive a Life cycle value for each of the plurality of components from the RFID interface, and to receive the one or more operating conditions sensed by the measurement system, the processor being further configured to execute instructions to;

calculate a Life cycle increment for each of the plurality of components based on the one or more operating conditions;

adjust the Life cycle value of each of the plurality of components; and

store the adjusted Life cycle value on the corresponding RFID tag for each of the plurality of components via the RFID interface component.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the onboard system further includes a communication component configured to operatively communicate with an off-board monitoring system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the mechanical system comprises an aircraft and the one or more operating conditions include one or more flight conditions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the communication component includes an Data Transmission System configured to operatively communicate with a satellite of the off-board monitoring system.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the off-board monitoring system includes a server configured as an Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (AGARS) server.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the measurement system includes at least one of a guidance and navigation system, a global positioning system, a six-degree of freedom motion detection system, a three axis accelerometer, a strain measurement system and a gyroscopic device.