Wireless health and usage management of an environmental control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088385-B2
Application number	US-201414323490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by a first wireless device integrated into a management facility from a second wireless device integrated into a detection device, environmental conditions produced by a structure and detected by the detection device attached to the structure; and processing, by the management facility, the environmental conditions to detect a deviation from an expected operation of the structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting at least one surge vibration within an air cycle machine of an aircraft, comprising:
detecting, by a detection device attached to the air cycle machine and operating in a sleep mode, a wake up event,
wherein the wake up event comprises a vibration of the air cycle machine over a threshold amplitude;
operating, by the detection device, in a full power mode in response to the detecting of the wake up event;
acquiring, by the detection device, environmental conditions produced by the air cycle machine during the full power mode;
storing, by the detection device, the environmental conditions as stored data during the full power mode;
detecting, by a management facility comprising a processor and a memory, a request event, the request event comprising a landing of the aircraft;
initiating, by the management facility to the detection device, a request for the stored data;
receiving, by the management facility from the detection device, the environmental conditions produced by the air cycle machine as the stored data;
processing, by the management facility, the environmental conditions within the stored data to detect a deviation from an expected operation of the structure,
wherein the deviation indicates the at least one surge vibration by the air cycle machine,
providing, by the management facility, an instruction to the detection device to operate in the sleep mode in response to receiving the stored data and processing the environmental conditions, wherein the instruction comprises a command placing the air cycle machine in a safe mode in response to the detecting of the deviation from the expected operation;
operating, by the detection device, in the sleep mode based on the instructions by the management facility,
wherein the management facility comprises an air cycle machine controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection device is an accelerometer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
triggering a servicing of the air cycle machine in response to detecting the deviation from the expected operation by sending the deviation to a health and usage management system, the servicing corresponding to a type of the fatigue failure associated with the deviation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deviation is one of a plurality of deviation from the expected operation of the air cycle machine.

5. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions for detecting at least one surge vibration within an air cycle machine of an aircraft embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor of a management facility to cause:
detecting, by a detection device attached to the air cycle machine and operating in a sleep mode, a wake up event,
wherein the wake up event comprises a vibration of the air cycle machine over a threshold amplitude;
operating, by the detection device, in a full power mode in response to the detecting of the wake up event;
acquiring, by the detection device, environmental conditions produced by the air cycle machine during the full power mode;
storing, by the detection device, the environmental conditions as stored data during the full power mode;
detecting, by a management facility comprising a processor and a memory, a request event, the request event comprising a landing of the aircraft;
initiating, by the management facility to the detection device, a request for the stored data;
receiving, by the management facility from the detection device, the environmental conditions produced by the air cycle machine as the stored data;
processing, by the management facility, the environmental conditions within the stored data to detect a deviation from an expected operation of the structure,
wherein the deviation indicates the at least one surge vibration by the air cycle machine,
providing, by the management facility, an instruction to the detection device to operate in the sleep mode in response to receiving the stored data and processing the environmental conditions, wherein the instruction comprises a command placing the air cycle machine in a safe mode in response to the detecting of the deviation from the expected operation;
operating, by the detection device, in the sleep mode based on the instructions by the management facility,
wherein the management facility comprises an air cycle machine controller.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the detection device is an accelerometer.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 , the program instructions further executable by the processor to cause:
triggering a servicing of the air cycle machine in response to detecting the deviation from the expected operation by sending the deviation to a health and usage management system, the servicing corresponding to a type of the fatigue failure associated with the deviation.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the deviation is one of a plurality of deviation from the expected operation of the air cycle machine.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• D'Orlando Paul
• Glynn Rosanna C
• Fiske William R
• Zakrzewski Radoslaw
• Sun Fanping
• Mantese Joseph V
• Zywiak Thomas M
• Dion Bernard
• Mcauliffe Christopher
• Ferrigan Meade G

Classifications

• G01M13/00 Primary

  Testing of machine parts · CPC title

• B64D13/06

  the air being conditioned (pressurising B64D13/02) · CPC title

• G01H1/006

  of the rotor of turbo machines · CPC title

• G01H1/00

  Measuring {characteristics of} vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector (G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title