CONTROLLING AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS AND AIRCRAFT ENGINE COMPONENTS ASSIGNMENT

• US 20170323274A1
• Filed: 11/08/2016
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Digital Holdings LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Johnson, Christopher Donald, Nielsen, Matthew Christian, Dulgeroglu, Ilkin Onur, Toledano, David S., Perez Zarate, Victor Manuel, Chen, Chien-Hung
• Granted Patent: US 10,417,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/041 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0251 Abstraction hierarchy, e.g. "complex systems", i.e. system is divided in subsystems, subsystems are monitored and results are combined to decide on status of whole system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0294 Optimizing process, e.g. process efficiency, product quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A method of providing a recommendation for optimizing operations of a set of industrial assets is disclosed. Digital twins of the set of industrial assets are generated. The digital twins include data structures representing states of each of a plurality of subsystems of the set of industrial assets over a time period. The states are estimated based on an application of simulations using cumulative damage models. The cumulative damage models model the effects of exogenous factors on the operation of the set of industrial assets over the time period. The digital twins are analyzed with respect to simulated operating performances to determine an optimized control of operations of the industrial assets. The optimized control of operations is calculated to jointly and severally to increase the specified operating performance criteria in time present and future of the industrial assets or decrease an economic risk associated with the operation of the industrial assets, within a specified probability. The recommendation is presented In a user interface for use in optimizing the operation of the industrial assets or automatically changing operating setpoints pertaining to the industrial assets.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more modules incorporated into a memory, the one or more modules configuring the one or more processors to, at least;

generate digital twins of a set of industrial assets, the digital twins including data structures representing states of each of a plurality of subsystems of the set of industrial assets over a time period based on an application of simulations using cumulative damage models, the cumulative damage models modeling the effects of exogenous factors on the operation of the set of industrial assets over the time period;

analyze the digital twins with respect to simulated operating performances to determine an optimized control of operations of the industrial assets, the optimized control of operations calculated to jointly and severally increase the specified operating performance criteria in time present and future of the industrial assets or decrease an economic risk associated with the operation of the industrial assets, within a specified probability, and

present a recommendation in a user Interface for use in optimizing the operation of the industrial assets or automatically changing operating setpoints pertaining to the industrial assets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the industrial assets is an aircraft or an aircraft subsystem.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the aircraft subsystem includes an aircraft engine

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the recommendation pertains to at least one of fuel utilization or asset utilization.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the recommendation pertains to a flight schedule, a flight operating policy, or an inspection policy that specifies a particular inspection on a designated engine so as to quantify the physical states of apparatus and update state estimations for other assets.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the flight operating policy pertains to at least one of a throttle setting, a climb rate, or a flight path control setting.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the recommendation is based on optimizing on-wing or maintenance shop scheduling, inventory type, repaired state, or quantities to reduce costs for a service provider with respect to satisfying obligations under a service agreement.

8. A method comprising:

generating digital twins of a set of industrial assets, the digital twins including data structures representing states of each of a plurality of subsystems of the set of industrial assets over a time period based on an application of simulations using cumulative damage models, the cumulative damage models modeling the effects of exogenous factors on the operation of the set of industrial assets over the time period,

analyzing the digital twins with respect to simulated operating performances to determine an optimized control of operations of the industrial assets, the optimized control of operations calculated to jointly and severally increase the specified operating performance criteria in time present and future of the industrial assets or decrease an economic risk associated with the operation of the industrial assets, within a specified probability; and

presenting a recommendation in a user interface lb;

use in optimizing the operation of the industrial assets or automatically changing operating setpoints pertaining to the industrial assets.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the industrial assets is an aircraft or an aircraft subsystem.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the aircraft subsystem includes an aircraft engine.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the recommendation pertains to at least one of fuel utilization or asset utilization.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the recommendation pertains to a flight schedule, a flight operating policy, or an inspection policy that specifies a particular inspection on a designated engine so as to quantify the physical states of apparatus and update state estimations for other assets.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the flight operating policy pertains to at least one of a throttle setting, a climb rate, or a flight path control setting.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the recommendation is based on optimizing on-wing or maintenance shop scheduling, inventory type, repaired state, or quantities to reduce costs for a service provider with respect to satisfying obligations under a service agreement.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

generating digital twins of a set of industrial assets, the digital twins including data structures representing states of each of a plurality of subsystems of the set of industrial assets over a time period based on an application of simulations using cumulative damage models, the cumulative damage models modeling the effects of exogenous factors on the operation of the set of industrial assets over tire time period;

analyzing the digital twins with respect to simulated operating performances to determine an optimized control of operations of the industrial assets, the optimized control of operations calculated to jointly and severally increase the specified operating performance criteria in time present and future of the industrial assets or decrease an economic risk associated with the operation of the industrial assets, within a specified probability; and

presenting a recommendation in a user interface for use in optimizing the operation of the industrial assets or automatically changing operating setpoints pertaining to the industrial assets.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the industrial assets is an aircraft or an aircraft subsystem.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the aircraft subsystem includes an aircraft engine.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the recommendation pertains to at least one of fuel utilization or asset utilization.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the recommendation pertains to a flight schedule, a flight operating policy, or an inspection policy that specifies a particular inspection on a designated engine so as to quantify the physical states of apparatus and update state estimations for other assets.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the flight operating policy pertains to at least one of a throttle setting, a climb rate, or a flight path control setting.