Motor wear metric generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11091279-B1
Application number	US-202016902005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2020
Priority date	Jun 15, 2020
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system for generating a motor wear metric includes a process configured to obtain a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft, determine a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal, and output information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric. The system includes a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions and store the determined motor wear metric.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
obtain a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;
determine a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:
incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and
incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate; and

output information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric; and
a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions and store the determined motor wear metric.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the information about motor wear including by:
determining that the motor wear metric is over a threshold; and
determining a recommendation in response to determining that the motor wear metric is over a threshold.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the threshold is based at least in part on a user preference.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the threshold is based at least in part on a regulation or specification.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor configured to measure the signal associated with a motor of an aircraft, wherein the signal is for a motor part associated with the motor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal associated with the motor is obtained in real time from at least one of: a sensor provided in the aircraft or a calculated value.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the motor wear metric associated with a motor including by:
obtaining at least one of a flight path or aircraft characteristics;
determining a flight-time variable based at least in part on the obtained at least one of a flight path or aircraft characteristics; and
determining the motor wear metric associated with a motor based at least in part on the flight-time variable.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor wear metric monotonically changes.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information about motor wear includes at least one of a probability of motor failure, predicted life remaining, or resources consumed.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the information about motor wear including at least one of a probability of motor failure, predicted life remaining, or resources consumed.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the information about motor wear including by:
determining a time to failure based at least in part on the motor wear metric; and
determining a recommendation based on the determined time to failure.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to
limit at least one function of the aircraft in response to the determination that the motor wear metric is over the threshold.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to
prevent the aircraft from taking off in response to the determination that the motor wear metric is over the threshold.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to reset the motor wear metric in response to a determination that the motor has been replaced.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal includes updating a value of the motor wear metric in response to a determination that the obtained signal is unexpected for a given flight condition.

16. A method comprising:
obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;
determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:
incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and
incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate
obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft a flight path and aircraft characteristics;
determining the motor wear metric based at least in part on the flight path and aircraft characteristics; and

outputting information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the motor wear metric monotonically changes.

18. A method comprising:
obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;
determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:
incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and
incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate; and

outputting information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining the information about motor wear including at least one of a probability of motor failure, predicted life remaining, or resources consumed.

20. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;
determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:
incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and
incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate; and

outputting information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric.

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Kwon Dennis Young
• Selwa Alexander David

Classifications

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• B64F5/60 Primary

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• G07C5/0808 Primary

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

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