Method for diagnosing a trailing edge flap fault

• US 9,302,763 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems Limited (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems Limited (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Catt, Christopher Joseph, Howard, Julia Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/065,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20140336865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/16 at the rear of the wing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/001 for indicating symmetry of flaps deflection
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0005 Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems

Abstract

A method of diagnosing a trailing edge flap fault in an aircraft having a trailing edge flap system including multiple trailing edge flaps, a flap handle for setting the position of the trailing edge flaps, and a flap position sensor, the method includes receiving a position signal, determining a variation in the position signal relative to a reference position, diagnosing a fault, and providing an indication of the diagnosed fault.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a trailing edge flap fault in an aircraft having a trailing edge flap system including multiple trailing edge flaps, a flap handle for setting the position of the trailing edge flaps, and a flap position sensor, the method comprising:

receiving a position signal from the flap position sensor;

determining, by a controller, a variation in the position signal relative to a reference position;

diagnosing, by a controller, a fault in the trailing edge flap system based on the variation; and

providing, by a controller, an indication of the diagnosed fault.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the diagnosing the fault is based on data from a single flight.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined variation indicates an out of range reading.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the receiving the position signal comprises receiving multiple position signals from multiple flap position sensors, with each position signal corresponding to a different trailing edge flap.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the fault is diagnosed when a number of out of range readings for each of the multiple flap position sensors satisfies a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the fault is diagnosed as a fault with a Flap Slat Electronics Unit or a Proximity Switch Electronic Unit.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the fault is diagnosed when a number of out of range readings for the flap position sensor satisfies a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fault is diagnosed as a fault with the flap position sensor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the position signal comprises receiving a position signal from position sensors for each wing.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the position signals each indicate a collective position of all of the trailing edge flaps on each of the wings, respectively.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing the position signals to define a position comparison.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the fault is diagnosed when the position comparison satisfies a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the fault is diagnosed when the position comparison satisfies the predetermined threshold a predetermined number of times over a predetermined number of flights.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the fault is diagnosed as a fault with the position sensor that indicates the collective position of all of the trailing edge flaps on the wing.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the position signal may be stored in a storage device on the aircraft and accessed by the controller.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the indication comprises providing the indication on a PFD in a cockpit of the aircraft.