Aircraft prognostics health system

• US 9,617,010 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Conrad, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/577,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20150274313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1- 20, 701 319, 701 24, 701 25, 701 26, 701 27, 701 38, 244 23 A, 244 23 B, 244 36, 244211, 244214, 244215, 244 56, 244179, 244180, 244181, 244 80, 244 90 R, 244 90 A, 340963, 340967-970, 340973, 340974, 340975, 340977, 340978, 342 38, 342 63, 342176, 3423572, 34235733, 34235736, 342462, 703 9, 703 11, 703 12
• 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: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

According to one example embodiment, a method of assessing use of an aircraft component installed on an aircraft includes receiving, from one or more sensors installed on the aircraft, one or more measurements representative of at least one load applied against the aircraft component; selecting at least one usage model from a plurality of usage models, each usage model of the plurality of usage models relating aircraft loads with received sensor data; determining at least one load value based on the selected at least one usage model and the received one or more measurements; and calculating, based on the determined at least one load value, an amount of change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the aircraft component.

Claims

1. A method of assessing use of an aircraft component installed on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, from one or more sensors installed on the aircraft, one or more measurements representative of at least one load applied against the aircraft component;

selecting, by the processor, at least one usage model from a plurality of usage models, each usage model of the plurality of usage models relating aircraft loads with received sensor data;

determining, by the processor, at least one load value based on the selected at least one usage model and the received one or more measurements;

calculating, by the processor, based on the determined at least one load value, an amount of change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the aircraft component;

determining, by the processor, an equivalent life by assessing a cumulative damage of a change of a probability of failure and then converting the change of the probability of failure back into a time domain;

subtracting, by the processor, a calculated used-life damage index from a baseline model to identify a variance and then credit the variance towards a remaining useful life of the rotorcraft component so as to extend the remaining useful life of the rotorcraft component; and

adjusting, by the processor, at least one of an operation and a maintenance of the rotorcraft based on the remaining useful life.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more measurements comprises time data or cycles data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise direct measurements of at least one aircraft load.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise environmental measurements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected at least one usage model comprises a regime recognition model, the regime recognition model indirectly identifying aircraft loads by identifying one or more regimes representative of an activity of the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the activity of the aircraft comprises an activity occurring while the aircraft is on the ground or while the aircraft is in the air.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one usage model from a plurality of usage models comprises selecting the at least one usage model based on the type or content of the one or more measurements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or measurements comprises at least one aircraft load measurement and an amount of time during which the at least one load measurement was applied.

9. A system for assessing use of a rotorcraft component installed on a rotorcraft, comprising:

a rotorcraft comprising a rotorcraft component, a body, a power train coupled to the body and comprising a power source and a drive shaft coupled to the power source, a hub, a rotor blade coupled to the hub, and one or more sensors operable to provide a plurality of measurements; and

a prognostics health system, including at least one processor, installed onboard the rotorcraft and operable to;

receive, from one or more sensors installed on the rotorcraft, one or more measurements representative of at least one load applied against the rotorcraft component;

select at least one usage model from a plurality of usage models, each usage model of the plurality of usage models relating rotorcraft loads with received sensor data;

determine at least one load value based on the selected at least one usage model and the received one or more measurements; and

calculate, based on the determined at least one load value, an amount of change in probability of failure caused by application of the at least one load against the rotorcraft component

determine an equivalent life by assessing a cumulative damage of a change of a probability of failure and then converting the change of the probability of failure back into a time domain;

subtract a calculated used-life damage index from a baseline model to identify a variance and then credit the variance towards a remaining useful life of the aircraft component so as to extend the remaining useful life of the aircraft component; and

adjust at least one of an operation and a maintenance of the aircraft based on the remaining useful life.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the rotorcraft component is a component of one of the body, the power train, the hub, or the rotor blade.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or more measurements comprises time data or cycles data.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise direct measurements of at least one rotorcraft load.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or more measurements comprise environmental measurements.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the selected at least one usage model comprises a regime recognition model, the regime recognition model indirectly identifying rotorcraft loads by identifying one or more regimes representative of an activity of the rotorcraft.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the activity of the rotorcraft comprises an activity occurring while the rotorcraft is on the ground or while the rotorcraft is in the air.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein selecting at least one usage model from a plurality of usage models comprises selecting the at least one usage model based on the type or content of the one or more measurements.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the received one or measurements comprises at least one rotorcraft load measurement and an amount of time during which the at least one load measurement was applied.