Aircraft rotary wing motion control and instrumented motion control fluid device

• US 8,752,784 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Jolly, Mark R., Fuhrer, Zachary, Fogle, Robert E., Catanzarite, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US13/439,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.13, 244/17.11, 416/106, 416/140, 738/62, 340/447, 340/451
• US Class Current: 244/17.13
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/51 Damping of blade movements
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration

Abstract

An aircraft rotary wing motion control fluid device providing motion control and with wireless sensing of at least one fluid property inside the fluid device is provided. The wireless sensing system is integrated with at least one of the first and second aircraft rotary wing motion control fluid device bodies. The wireless sensing system includes at least one fluid property sensor in sensing proximity to the at least one fluid chamber and a communications device for wirelessly conveying a measurement made by the at least one fluid property sensor to a remote location.

Claims

1. A fluid device providing aircraft rotary wing motion control and controlling the relative motion between a first aircraft rotary wing member and a second aircraft is provided, the fluid device comprises:

a first fluid device body;

a second fluid device body movably coupled to the first fluid device body, wherein the first fluid device body and the second fluid device body each have an opposing surface therebetween;

at least one fluid chamber inside one of the first and second fluid device bodies;

at least one elastomer bonded between the opposing surfaces of the first and second fluid device bodies; and

a wireless sensing system integrated with at least one of the first and second fluid device bodies, the wireless sensing system including at least one fluid property sensor in sensing proximity to the fluid chamber and a communications device for wirelessly conveying a measurement made by the fluid property sensor to a remote location.

2. The fluid device of claim 1, wherein the fluid property sensor is a pressure sensor.

3. The fluid device of claim 2, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises a battery for powering the wireless sensing system.

4. The fluid device of claim 2, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises an energy harvester for powering the wireless sensing system.

5. The fluid device of claim 4, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises a power storage device for storing energy harvested by the energy harvester.

6. The fluid device of claim 2, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises a microcontroller for controlling operation of the wireless sensing system.

7. The fluid device of claim 1, further comprising a valve or plug mounted in a port in the second motion control fluid device body, and wherein the fluid property sensor is integrated with the valve or plug.

8. The fluid device of claim 1, wherein the communications device is an antenna.

9. The fluid device of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a transceiver.

10. The fluid device of claim 1, wherein the communications device uses a low-power wireless communications protocol.

11. The fluid device of claim 1, wherein the communications devices uses a wireless communications protocol based on an IEEE standard selected from the group consisting of IEEE 802.15.1, IEEE 802.15.4, and IEEE 1902.1.

12. An instrumented motion control fluid device for providing a controlled relative motion between two structures, the instrumented motion control fluid device comprising:

a first fluid device body;

a second fluid device body movably coupled to the first fluid device body;

at least one fluid chamber defined inside one of the first fluid device body and the second fluid device body; and

a wireless sensing system integrated with at least one of the first fluid device body and the second fluid device body, the wireless sensing system including at least one fluid property sensor in sensing proximity to the fluid chamber and a communications device for wirelessly conveying a measurement made by the fluid property sensor to a remote location.

13. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 12, wherein the fluid property sensor is a pressure sensor.

14. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 13, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises a battery for powering the wireless sensing system.

15. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 13, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises an energy harvester for powering the wireless sensing system.

16. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 15, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises a power storage device for storing energy harvested by the energy harvester.

17. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 13, wherein the wireless sensing system further comprises a microcontroller for controlling operation of the wireless sensing system.

18. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 12, further comprising a valve or plug mounted in a port in the second fluid device body, and wherein the fluid property sensor is integrated with the valve or plug.

19. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 12, further comprising at least one elastomer mounted between and attached to an opposing surface of the first fluid device and an opposing surface of the second fluid device.

20. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 12, wherein the communications device is selected from an antenna and a transceiver.

21. The instrumented motion control fluid device of claim 12, wherein the communications device uses a low-power wireless communication protocol.