TIRE PRESSURE COLD CHECK SYSTEM

• US 20170096037A1
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eldec Aerospace Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Eldec Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Smith, Bradley, Finefrock, Mark, Green, Jeffrey, Lumb, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,449,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 2200/02 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0476 Temperature compensation of measured pressure values
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0488 Movement sensor, e.g. for sensing angular speed, acceleration or centripetal force

Abstract

Cold check gas pressure readings for the landing gear tires of an aircraft are obtained automatically during normal operation of the aircraft. The automated system (S1, e.g.) includes monitoring aircraft data to determine that the aircraft is at rest on the ground (32,345,36), and electronically monitoring the tire pressure (24). When predetermined cold check conditions have been met; the tire pressure values are automatically stored with a timestamp (38) for later access by a user.

Claims

1. A method of determining and capturing cold check gas pressure of an aircraft tire during normal aircraft operation, comprising the steps of:

a) automatically electronically monitoring aircraft data to determine when an aircraft is at rest on the ground;

b) while the aircraft is determined to be at rest on the ground by performing step a), automatically electronically monitoring the gas pressure of a landing gear tire of the aircraft;

c) during step b), automatically electronically determining a value of the gas pressure of the tire when predetermined cold check conditions have been met; and

d) automatically electronically storing the gas pressure value determined in step c) with a timestamp for later access by a user.

2. The method of claim 1, including performing step a) by detecting WOW and wheel speed less than a predetermined speed for the tire.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) is performed by automatically electronically measuring a value of the tire gas pressure when the aircraft has been determined to be continuously at rest on the ground for a predetermined cold check time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) is performed by automatically electronically monitoring the temperature of a wheel rim mounting the tire to determine if the rim temperature is within predefined tolerance to outside air temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) is performed by automatically electronically monitoring the tire gas pressure over elapsed time and calculating an average tire gas pressure, and determining if the tire gas pressure has stabilized within a predetermined tolerance by comparing current tire gas pressure to the calculated average tire gas pressure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) is performed by automatically electronically monitoring the temperature of a wheel rim mounting the tire over elapsed time and calculating an average wheel rim temperature, and determining if the wheel rim temperature has stabilized within a predetermined tolerance by comparing current wheel rim temperature to the calculated average wheel rim temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) is performed by calculating a tire corrected pressure as a function of the temperature of a wheel rim mounting the tire, the outside air temperature, and the ideal gas law to determine an approximation of what the tire gas pressure would be after the tire pressure and/or internal gas temperature has stabilized within a predetermined tolerance.

8. The method of any preceding claim, including continuing to perform steps a), b), and c) and periodically automatically electronically updating the stored gas pressure value and time stamp when the predetermined cold check conditions are met.