Method for starting a fan operation test

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10289133-B2
Application number	US-201515313065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method for starting a test testing the operation of at least one fan designed to cool at least one computer of an aircraft turbojet engine, said method comprising steps of:—comparing (E 1 ) the number of flights carried out by said aircraft since the last operation of the fan (N) with a first threshold (y),—comparing (E 3 ) the number of flights carried out by said aircraft since the last operation of the fan (N) with a second threshold (x), said second threshold being greater than or equal to the first threshold,—acquiring an environmental parameter (T) and checking if the parameter satisfies a limit environmental condition of operation of the fan (E 6 ),—controlling (E 8 ) the starting of said fan operation test when the number of flights carried out by said aircraft since the last operation of the fan (N) is greater than or equal to said first threshold (y), less than said second threshold (x) and when the acquired parameter (T) satisfies said limit environmental condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for starting an operating test of at least one fan adapted to cool at least one computer of a turbojet of an aircraft,
said method comprising the following steps performed by a data-processing module:
comparison of the number of flights made by said aircraft since the most recent operation of the fan to a first threshold,
comparison of the number of flights made by said aircraft since the most recent operation of the fan to a second threshold, said second threshold being greater than or equal to the first threshold,
acquisition of an environmental parameter and verification that the environmental parameter is within a predetermined range of a boundary environmental condition of operation of the fan,
starting of said fan when the number of flights made by said aircraft since the most recent operation of the fan is greater than or equal to said first threshold, less than said second threshold and when the acquired environmental parameter is within said predetermined range.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fan is started when the number of flights made by said aircraft since the most recent operation of the fan is greater than or equal to the second threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a temperature, a humidity rate or an air contamination rate.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is representative of the maximum number of flights authorized without performing a test to satisfy requisites of tolerated malfunction rates.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second threshold is a function of the reliability and number of tolerable malfunctions attributed to the fan.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is equal to 0.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is equal to the second threshold.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is determined so as to minimize the number of tests conducted while limiting operation of the fan outside a boundary condition.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to perform the steps of starting an operating test of at least one fan, according to claim 1 .

10. A data-processing-module intended for a cooling system of at least one computer of a turbojet of an aircraft and configured to:
compare the number of flights made by said aircraft since the most recent operation of at least one fan of said cooling system to a first threshold,
compare the number of flights made by said aircraft since the most recent operation of the fan to a second threshold, said second threshold being greater than or equal to the first threshold,
acquire an environmental parameter and verify that the environmental parameter is within a predetermined range of a boundary environmental condition of operation of the fan,
start the fan
when the number of flights made by said aircraft since the most recent operation of the fan is greater than or equal to said first threshold, less than said second threshold and when the acquired environmental parameter within said predetermined range.

11. A cooling system of at least two computers of a turbojet of an aircraft comprising at least two fans, an aircraft computer and said at least two computers of the turbojet, each of the computers of the turbojet comprising a data-processing module, according to claim 10 and being configured, when its data-processing module controls the starting of the operation test of the fans, to control the aircraft computer by activation of all said fans by means of the avionics network.

12. A cooling system of at least two computers of a turbojet comprising at least two fans and said at least two computers of the turbojet, each of the computers of the turbojet comprising a data-processing module according to claim 10 and being configured to actuate a fan when its data-processing module controls the starting of the fan operation test.

Assignees

• Safran Aircraft Engines

Inventors

• Schini Yannick
• Rodhain Arnaud

Classifications

• G05B19/048 Primary

  Monitoring; Safety · CPC title

• G05B2219/2614

  HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control · CPC title

• G05B2219/31455

  Monitor process status · CPC title

• G07C5/08

  Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time · CPC title

• G05D23/1917 Primary

  using digital means · CPC title