AIRCRAFT POWER FAILURE SIMULATION APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20110205089A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Knoop, Sven
• Granted Patent: US 8,441,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/963
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/008 on air- or spacecraft, railway rolling stock or sea-going vessels

Abstract

Disclosed is a flight management means verification apparatus (1) adapted to verify at least one flight management means (36,38), wherein the flight management means in use outputs a warning, disables an aircraft means and/or inhibits the activation thereof in response to a power fail condition. The flight management means verification apparatus comprises a first connection means (2,4) adapted to be disposed in a first power indicator line (74) to a first flight management means, wherein the first power indicator line provides a signal representative of a Condition of a first power supply (30), and further comprises a first switch means (14a) connected in use such that the signal of the power indicator line for the first flight management means (36) is switched. Actuating the switch means causes the signal on the power indicator line to change indicating a distortion or failure of the power supply of the aircraft and/or a part thereof. The response of the flight management means can be verified by the signal output by the flight management means, e.g. on a display, or in that the aircraft means is deactivated and/or cannot be activated.

Claims

1. A method for verifying at least one flight management means (36, 38) and the wiring connected thereto, wherein the flight management means (36, 38) is adapted to output a warning, disable an aircraft means (42, 44) and/or inhibit the activation thereof, in response to a power condition of at least one power supply (30, 32, 34) in an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

disposing a switch means (14a, 16a, 18a, 20a, 22a, 24a) in a power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) connected to a first flight management means (36, 38), wherein the power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) provides a signal indicative of a condition of a power supply (30, 32, 34);

modifying the signal on the power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) by actuating the switch means (14a, 16a, 18a, 20a, 22a, 24a); and

verifying the response of the flight management means (36, 38).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal on the power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) is indicative of a redundant power supply from a plurality from power supplies.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the signal on the power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) is transmitted to a plurality of flight management means (36, 38).

4. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of modifying the signal on the power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) includes the step of simulating an interruption or an overload condition of a power supply (30, 32, 34).

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the step of disposing a switch means (14a, 16a, 18a, 20a, 22a, 24a) in a power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) includes disposing a switch means in a plurality of power indicator lines and/or a plurality of switch means (14a, 16a, 18a, 20a, 22a, 24a) in a plurality of power indicator lines (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) connected to a plurality of flight management means (36, 38), and the step of modifying the signal on the power indicator line (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54) includes the step of modifying a plurality of signals on a plurality of power indicator lines (74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84;

52, 54).

6. A flight management means operation verificator (1) adapted to verify at least one flight management means (36, 38) and the wiring connected thereto, wherein the flight management means (36, 38) in use outputs a warning, disables an aircraft means (42, 44) and/or inhibits the activation thereof, in response to a power fail condition, wherein the flight management means operation verificator (1) comprises:

a first connection means (2, 4) adapted to be disposed in a first power indicator line (74) connected to a first flight management means (36), wherein the first power indicator line (74) provides a signal indicative of a condition of a first power supply (30); and

a first switch means (14a) connected in use such that the signal of the first power indicator line (74) coupled with the first flight management means (36) is switched.

7. The flight management means operation verificator (1) according to claim 6, further comprising

a second switch means (20a) connected in use such that the signal of a second power indicator line (76) coupled with a second flight management means (38) is to switched.

8. The flight management means operation verificator (1) according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising

a second connection means (10, 12) adapted to be disposed in a third and fourth power indicator line (82, 84) to a first and second flight management means (36, 38), respectively, wherein the third and fourth power indicator line (82, 84) provide a signal indicative of a condition of a second power supply (34);

a third switch means (18a) connected in use such that the signal of the third power indicator line (82) coupled with the first flight management means (36) is switched; and

a fourth switch means (24a) connected in use such that the signal of the fourth power indicator line (84) coupled with the second flight management means (38) is switched.

9. The flight management means operation verificator (1) according to claim 8, further comprising

a third connection means (6, 8) adapted to be disposed between a fifth and sixth power indicator line (78, 80) to the first and second flight management means (36, 38), respectively, wherein the fifth and sixth power indicator line (78, 80) provides a signal indicative of a condition of a third power supply (32);

a fifth switch means (16a) connected in use such that the signal of the fifth power indicator line (78) coupled with the first flight management means (36) is switched; and

a sixth switch means (22a) connected in use such that the signal of the sixth power indicator line (80) coupled with the second flight management means (38) is switched.

10. The flight management means operation verificator (1) according to any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the first power supply is a first generator (30) driven by a first aircraft engine.

11. The flight management means operation verificator according to any of claims 8 to 9, wherein the second power supply is a second generator (34) driven by a second aircraft engine.

12. The flight management means operation verificator (1) according to claim 9, wherein the third power supply (32) is an emergency power supply for an aircraft.