Shock strut service monitoring using gas pressure and temperature sensors, combined with physical strut measurement and taking into account gas absorption/desorption in a fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10641685-B2
Application number	US-201715672075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2017
Priority date	Aug 30, 2016
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A method for monitoring a shock strut may comprise measuring a first shock strut pressure, measuring a first shock strut temperature, measuring a second shock strut pressure, measuring a second shock strut temperature, measuring a shock strut stroke, and determining a servicing condition of the shock strut based upon the first shock strut pressure, the first shock strut temperature, the second shock strut pressure, the second shock strut temperature, and the shock strut stroke and taking into account at least one of an absorption of a gas with a fluid and desorption of the gas with the fluid.
In various embodiments, the method may further comprises measuring a third shock strut pressure, measuring a third shock strut temperature, wherein the servicing condition is further based upon the third shock strut pressure and the third shock strut temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring a shock strut, comprising:
measuring a first shock strut pressure and a first shock strut temperature at a first time during a flight and prior to a landing, with the shock strut in a fully extended, static position;
measuring a second shock strut pressure and a second shock strut temperature at a second time after the landing, with the shock strut in a compressed, static position;
measuring a shock strut stroke, a third shock strut pressure, and a third shock strut temperature at a third time after the second time and before a subsequent flight, with the shock strut in the compressed, static position; and
determining a servicing condition of the shock strut based upon the first shock strut pressure, the first shock strut temperature, the second shock strut pressure, the second shock strut temperature, the shock strut stroke, the third shock strut pressure, the third shock strut temperature, and at least one of an absorption of a gas with a fluid and a desorption of the gas with the fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the third shock strut pressure and the third shock strut temperature are measured at substantially the same time the shock strut stroke is measured.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the absorption of the gas with the fluid and the desorption of the gas with the fluid is determined based upon the first temperature and the first pressure, and the second temperature and the second pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first shock strut pressure is measured under static conditions;
the first shock strut temperature is measured under static conditions;
the second shock strut pressure is measured under static conditions;
the second shock strut temperature is measured under static conditions; and
the shock strut stroke is measured under static conditions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second shock strut pressure is measured under a weight on wheels (WONW) condition;
the second shock strut temperature is measured under the WONW condition; and
the shock strut stroke is measured under the WONW condition.

6. A method for monitoring a shock strut, comprising:
calculating a servicing condition of the shock strut based upon:
a first shock strut pressure and a first shock strut temperature measured at a first time during a flight and prior to a landing, with the shock strut in a fully extended, static position;
a second shock strut pressure and a second shock strut temperature measured at a second time after the landing, with the shock strut in a compressed, static position; and
a third shock strut pressure, a third shock strut temperature, and a shock strut stroke at a third time after the second time and before a subsequent flight, with the shock strut in the compressed, static position;

wherein the calculating comprises:
calculating a first number of moles of gas dissolved in a fluid; and
calculating a second number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first number of moles of gas is the number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid corresponding to the first time.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second number of moles of gas is the number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid corresponding to the second time.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the servicing condition is calculated based upon the first shock strut pressure, the first shock strut temperature, the second shock strut pressure, the second shock strut temperature, the third shock strut pressure, the third shock strut temperature, and the shock strut stroke.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the calculating takes into account at least one of an absorption of a gas with the fluid and a desorption of the gas with the fluid.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the calculating the first number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid is calculated as n v a =C({circumflex over (T)} a )×{circumflex over (P)} a , where n v a is the first number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid corresponding to the first time, C({circumflex over (T)} a ) is a Henry's factor as a function of the first shock strut temperature, and {circumflex over (P)} a is the first shock strut pressure.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the calculating the second number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid is calculated as n v b =C({circumflex over (T)} b )×{circumflex over (P)} b , where n v b is the second number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid corresponding to the second time, C({circumflex over (T)} b ) is a Henry's factor as a function of the second shock strut temperature, and {circumflex over (P)} b is the second shock strut pressure.

13. A shock strut monitoring system, comprising:
a controller; and
a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the controller, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the controller, a first shock strut pressure and a first shock strut temperature measured at a first time during a flight and prior to a landing with the shock strut in a fully extended, static position;
receiving, by the controller, a second shock strut pressure and a second shock strut temperature measured at a second time after the landing, with the shock strut in a compressed, static position; and
receiving, by the controller, a shock strut stroke measured with the shock strut in a static condition; and
calculating, by the controller, a shock strut servicing condition, wherein the calculating the shock strut servicing condition comprises:
calculating, by the controller, a first number of moles of gas dissolved in a fluid based upon the first shock strut temperature; and
calculating, by the controller, a second number of moles of gas dissolved in the fluid based upon the second shock strut temperature.

14. The shock strut monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving, by the controller, a third shock strut pressure and a third shock strut temperature, wherein the third shock strut pressure, the third shock strut temperature, and the shock strut stroke are measured at a third time after the second time and before a subsequent flight, with the shock strut in the compressed, static position.

15. The shock strut monitoring system of claim 13 , further comprising sending, by the controller, the shock strut servicing condition to a display.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the servicing condition of the shock strut is determined by solving a set of equations:

V
tot

=

V
gas
a

+

V
oil
a

Eq
.

⁢

(
1
)

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Luce William E
• Fazeli Amir

Classifications

• G01M17/04 Primary

  Suspension or damping · CPC title

• B64C25/60

  Oleo legs · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

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