Monitoring system for aircraft drive wheel system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308352-B2
Application number	US-201414568111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A monitoring system is provided to ensure continued efficient reliable operation of an aircraft drive wheel drive system, preferably an aircraft drive wheel drive system driven by actuating drive system-actuated drive means, designed to drive an aircraft autonomously during ground operations. The monitoring system includes an array of sensor elements capable of obtaining desired information relating to selected drive system operating parameters and performance indicators during aircraft ground operations. The sensor elements are designed to be functionally located externally of drive system components to obtain information during aircraft ground movement under a range of operating conditions. The operating parameters and/or performance indicators to be monitored preferably include at least drive wheel speed and direction, drive means speed, drive means temperature, and drive means clutch engagement. It is contemplated that the monitoring system could be expanded to include sensors for additional drive system parameters and/or performance indicators.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A monitoring system for an aircraft drive wheel system capable of operating accurately to obtain critical system parameter information without being adversely affected by a harsh aircraft landing gear wheel environment as the aircraft is driven autonomously during ground travel by the drive system without reliance on aircraft main engines or external vehicles, comprising:
a. an aircraft equipped with one or more landing gear wheel-mounted drive systems mounted and supported for rotation about landing gear axles completely within a drive system housing shaped to fit completely within a space defined by and inwardly of inboard and outboard wheel wall sections of said one or more landing gear wheels and operable to drive the aircraft during ground travel without reliance on aircraft main engines or external vehicles;
b. components of each said drive system comprising at least an actuating roller traction drive system in actuating contact with an electric drive motor assembly operatively supported and enclosed completely within said drive system housing and a clutch assembly operatively positioned within said defined space in engaging and disengaging contact with said actuating roller traction drive system, wherein said electric drive motor assembly comprises a stator element positioned in a portion of said drive system housing adjacent to said axles and a rotor element positioned outwardly of said stator element and extending toward said actuating roller traction drive system; and
c. an array of a plurality of sensors positioned in selected monitoring locations internally of said drive system housing, externally of said drive system housing, and externally of said inboard wheel wall section to obtain in real time critical system parameter information comprising at least actual speed, absolute speed, and a direction of travel of said one or more landing gear wheels, speed of said rotor element, temperature of said electric drive motor assembly, and engagement of said clutch assembly while said aircraft is driven autonomously on the ground by the one or more landing gear wheel-mounted drive systems, wherein said array of said plurality of sensors for each drive system comprises at least two wheel speed sensors mounted in staggered positions externally of said inboard wheel wall section, a rotor element speed sensor mounted on an external surface of said drive system housing within said defined space, and three temperature sensors mounted on internal surfaces within said drive system housing and on said stator element.

2. A method for obtaining and monitoring critical landing gear wheel-mounted drive system operating parameters and performance indicators within an aircraft landing gear wheel environment in real time during ground travel of an aircraft driven autonomously with the landing gear wheel-mounted drive systems, comprising:
a. equipping an aircraft for autonomous ground travel with drive systems operative to drive the aircraft during ground travel without reliance on aircraft main engines or external vehicles mounted on axles completely within spaces defined by inboard wheel wall sections and outboard wheel wall sections of each one of a pair of nose landing gear drive wheels, and providing a multiple part housing shaped to fit completely within the space defined by the inboard wheel wall section and the outboard wheel wall section of each nose landing gear wheel, wherein corresponding inboard and outboard sections of the multiple part housing are spaced inwardly from the inboard and outboard wheel wall sections;
b. operatively supporting and enclosing components of each drive system completely within the multiple part housing, the components of each drive system comprising a roller traction drive system in actuating contact with an electric drive motor assembly having a stator element positioned toward an axle and a rotor element positioned outwardly of the stator element to extend toward the roller traction drive system, and operatively supporting outwardly of the multiple part housing and within the defined space a clutch assembly positioned to engage and disengage the roller traction drive system into and out of actuation with the electric drive motor assembly;
c. providing for each drive system an array of sensors selected and positioned to obtain directly or indirectly and to monitor in real time operating parameters and performance indicators of the components of the drive system, wherein the array of sensors comprises at least two wheel speed sensors capable of determining both wheel speed and direction of each nose landing gear wheel, at least one sensor capable of determining speed of each electric drive motor assembly rotor element, at least three temperature sensors capable of determining temperature of the components of each drive system, and a clutch sensor capable of determining engagement of the roller traction drive system by the clutch assembly, and the array of sensors is functionally located to provide and communicate the most accurate information relating to the operating parameters and performance indicators of the components of each drive system; and
d. in real time as the aircraft is driven during ground travel by the nose landing gear drive wheel-mounted drive systems, determining the operating parameters and performance indicators of the components of each drive system with the array of sensors, communicating the determined operating parameters and performance indicators of the components of the drive system, and continuing to drive the aircraft with the nose landing gear drive wheel-mounted drive systems as indicated by the communicated operating parameters and performance indicators of the components of each drive system.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising when the clutch sensor determines engagement of the roller traction drive system by the clutch assembly, disengaging the clutch assembly from the roller traction drive system so that the aircraft cannot be driven by the nose landing gear wheel-mounted drive systems.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing a nose landing gear drive wheel direction sensor in the array of sensors comprising the at least two wheel speed sensors, locating the nose landing gear drive wheel direction sensor to detect nose landing gear drive wheel direction, and communicating information obtained from the landing gear drive wheel direction sensor in real time as the aircraft is driven with the landing gear wheel-mounted drive systems during ground travel.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining the temperature of the stator element with the at least three temperature sensors, communicating and monitoring the determined temperature of the stator element in real time, and continuing to drive the aircraft with the nose landing gear wheel-mounted drive systems when the determined temperature of the stator element does not increase more than 1° C. per second with the electric drive motor assembly is operating at full power while the aircraft is driven during ground travel with the electric drive motor assembly.

6. A monitoring system for real time determination of critical aircraft nose landing gear wheel-mounted electric drive system operating parameters and performance indicators selected operating parameters during autonomous ground travel of an aircraft driven by nose landing gear wheel-mounted electric drive systems without reliance on aircraft main engines or external vehicles, comprising
a. an aircraft equipped for autonomous ground travel without reliance on aircraft main engines or external vehicles with an electric drive system mounted on axles completely within spaces defined by inboard wheel wall sections and outboard wheel wall sections of each one of a pair of nose landing gear

Assignees

• Borealis Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Cookman Duwayne R
• Perkins Scott
• Cox Isaiah W

Classifications

• G05D1/0083

  to help an aircraft pilot in the rolling phase · CPC title

• Y02T50/823

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C25/405 Primary

  Powered wheels, e.g. for taxing · CPC title

• G08G5/065

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/51

  for control when on the ground, e.g. taxiing or rolling · CPC title