Systems and methods for wind tunnel operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10460588-B2
Application number	US-201615257332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	Sep 6, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A system for monitoring a model in a wind tunnel is provided. The system includes a plurality of sensors attached to a model in a wind tunnel. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure an attribute of the model. The system also includes a computing device in communication with the plurality of sensors. The computing device is programmed to receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of sensors, store a first threshold and a second threshold based on normalized alarm limits associated with at least one of the plurality of sensors, analyze the plurality of signals based, at least in part, on the first threshold and the second threshold, determine that a potentially negative condition is occurring based on the analysis, and alert a user to the potentially negative condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring a model in a wind tunnel, said system comprising:
a plurality of sensors attached to a model in a wind tunnel, wherein each sensor of said plurality of sensors is configured to measure an attribute of the model including at least one of strain, stress, lift, weight, drag, and thrust; and
a computing device in communication with said plurality of sensors, wherein said computing device includes a processor in communication with a memory, wherein said computing device is programmed to:
receive a plurality of signals from said plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of signals represent measurements of the attributes of the model;
store a first threshold and a second threshold based on normalized alarm limits associated with at least one of said plurality of sensors;
analyze the plurality of signals based, at least in part, on the first threshold and the second threshold;
determine that the second threshold has been exceeded; and
transmit one or more messages to instruct the wind tunnel to shut down without user interaction.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said computing device is further programmed to:
determine that the first threshold has been exceeded; and
initiate a short alarm, wherein the short alarm is at least one of an audible alarm and a visual alarm.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said computing device is further programmed to:
determine that the first threshold has been exceeded a predetermined number of times in a first predetermined period of time;
initiate at least one of an audible alarm and a visible alarm; and
store the plurality of signals received for a second predetermined period of time before and after the alarm was initiated, wherein the stored plurality of signals is associated with a warning tag.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is a distance from the second threshold, and wherein said computing device is further programmed to:
determine that the first threshold has been exceeded by a predetermined portion of the distance between the first threshold and the second threshold;
initiate at least one of an audible alarm and a visible alarm; and
store the plurality of signals received for a second predetermined period of time before and after the alarm was initiated, wherein the stored plurality of signals is associated with a warning tag.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said computing device is further programmed to:
initiate at least one of an audible alarm and a visible alarm;
store the plurality of signals received for a second predetermined period of time before and after the alarm was initiated, wherein the stored plurality of signals are associated with an alert tag;
determine one or more changes to conditions in the wind tunnel so that at least the second threshold is no longer exceeded; and
transmit one or more messages to the wind tunnel to implement the one or more changes to the conditions in the wind tunnel without user interaction, so that at least the second threshold is no longer exceeded.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said computing device is further programmed to store the plurality of signals received for a second predetermined period of time before and after the alarm was initiated, wherein the stored plurality of signals are associated with an alert tag.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said computing device is further programmed to store the first threshold and the second threshold based on one or more user inputs.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said computing device is further programmed to:
receive the plurality of signals in a plurality of channels, wherein each channel of the plurality of channels includes signals from one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors; and
store a first threshold and a second threshold associated with each channel of the plurality of channels.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further programmed to:
calculate a steady state for one sensor of the plurality of sensors;
calculate a dynamic stat for the one sensor;
continually compare the steady state to the dynamic state; and
determine that an operating condition where damage may occur to at least one of the model and the wind tunnel is occurring based on the comparison.

10. A wind tunnel structural health monitor (WTSHM) computer device for monitoring a model in a wind tunnel, said WTSHM computer device comprising a processor in communication with a memory, said processor programmed to:
receive a plurality of signals from a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to measure an attribute of a model in the wind tunnel, wherein the plurality of signals represent measurements of the attributes of the model including at least one of strain, stress, lift, weight, drag, and thrust;
store a first threshold and a second threshold based on normalized alarm limits associated with at least one of the plurality of sensors;
analyze the plurality of signals based, at least in part, on the first threshold and the second threshold;
determine that the second threshold has been exceeded;
determine one or more changes to operating conditions in the wind tunnel without making changes to the model so that at least the second threshold is no longer exceeded; and
transmit one or more messages to the wind tunnel to implement the one or more changes to the operating conditions in the wind tunnel without user interaction, so that at least the second threshold is no longer exceeded.

11. A WTSHM computer device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:
determine that the first threshold has been exceeded; and
initiate a short alarm, wherein the short alarm is at least one of an audible alarm and a visual alarm.

12. A WTSHM computer device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:
determine that the first threshold has been exceeded a predetermined number of times in a first predetermined period of time;
initiate at least one of an audible alarm and a visible alarm; and
store the plurality of signals received for a second predetermined period of time before and after the alarm was initiated, wherein the stored plurality of signals is associated with a warning tag.

13. A WTSHM computer device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first threshold is a distance from the second threshold, and wherein the processor is further programmed to:
determine that the first threshold has been exceeded by a predetermined portion of the distance between the first threshold and the second threshold;
initiate at least one of an audible alarm and a visible alarm; and
store the plurality of signals received for a second predetermined period of time before and after the alarm was initiated, wherein the stored plurality of signals is associated with a warning tag.

14. A WTSHM computer device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:
initiate at least one of an audible alarm and a visible alarm; and
store the plurality of signals received for a second predetermined period of time before and after the alarm was initiated, wherein the stored plurality of signals are associated with an alert tag.

15. A WTSHM computer device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:
initiate at least one of an audible alarm and a visible alarm;
store the plurality of signals received fo

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Chi Raymond Sungtah
• Waymire Russell William

Classifications

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• G01M5/0041

  by determining deflection or stress · CPC title

• G01M5/0066

  by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration (vibration testing of structures G01M7/00) · CPC title

• G01M5/0016 Primary

  of aircraft wings or blades · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title