Health monitoring for proportional actuators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143328-B2
Application number	US-201916293755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2019
Priority date	Mar 6, 2019
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for determining a scheduled maintenance session for a proportional actuator includes transmitting a command signal to a controller of the proportional actuator and generating, using the controller, a drive signal for controlling the proportional actuator using the command signal. The position of a component actuator of the proportional actuator is changed, on the basis of the drive signal, and the position of the component actuator is measured, using a sensor, and a position feedback signal is generated on the basis of the measurement. A condition indicator is estimated, with a processor, using only one of the command signal, the drive signal, or the position feedback signal. A health indicator is estimated, with the processor, using the condition indicator, and a scheduled maintenance session of the proportional actuator is determined, with the processor, using the health indicator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a scheduled maintenance session for a proportional actuator, the method comprising:
transmitting a command signal to a controller of the proportional actuator;
generating, using the controller, a drive signal for controlling the proportional actuator using the command signal;
changing, on the basis of the drive signal, a position of a component actuator of the proportional actuator;
measuring, using a sensor, the position of the component actuator and generating a position feedback signal on the basis of the measurement;
estimating, with a processor, a condition indicator using only one of the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal, the condition indicator being indicative of a progressive degradation of the proportional actuator, wherein the condition indicator is estimated based on an amplitude of detected oscillations in the one of the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal;
estimating, with the processor, a health indicator using the condition indicator, the health indicator being indicative of a probability of failure of the proportional actuator at one or more future times; and
determining, with the processor, a scheduled maintenance session of the proportional actuator on the basis of the estimated health indicator.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the proportional actuator is an aircraft electrohydraulic servo-valve.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the aircraft electrohydraulic servo-valve is included in a compressor variable geometry actuator.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the scheduled maintenance session comprises comparing the probability of failure of the proportional actuator at the one or more future times to a pre-defined threshold and selecting a future time where the probability of failure is less than the pre-defined threshold for the scheduled maintenance session.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a linear variable differential transformer.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the step of estimating the condition indicator further comprises obtaining a current flight phase and estimating the condition indicator using the only one of the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal, and also the current flight phase.

7. A computer-implemented method for determining a scheduled maintenance session for a proportional actuator, the method comprising:
transmitting a command signal to a controller of the proportional actuator;
generating, using the controller, a drive signal for controlling the proportional actuator using the command signal;
changing, on the basis of the drive signal, a position of a component actuator of the proportional actuator;
measuring, using a sensor, the position of the component actuator and generating a position feedback signal on the basis of the measurement;
estimating, with a processor, a condition indicator using at least two of: the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal, the condition indicator being indicative of a progressive degradation of the proportional actuator, wherein the condition indicator is estimated based on an amplitude of detected oscillations in the at least two of the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal;
estimating, with the processor, a health indicator using the condition indicator, the health indicator being indicative of a probability of failure of the proportional actuator at one or more future times; and
determining, with the processor, a scheduled maintenance session of the proportional actuator using the estimated health indicator.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the proportional actuator is an aircraft electrohydraulic servo-valve.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the aircraft electrohydraulic servo-valve is included in a compressor variable geometry actuator.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the step of determining the scheduled maintenance session comprises comparing the probability of failure of the proportional actuator at the one or more future times to a pre-defined threshold and selecting a future time where the probability of failure is less than the pre-defined threshold for the scheduled maintenance session.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the sensor is a linear variable differential transformer.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the step of estimating the condition indicator further comprises obtaining a current flight phase and estimating the condition indicator using the at least two of the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal, and also the current flight phase.

13. A hydromechanical unit, comprising:
a proportional actuator comprising a controller and a component actuator, the controller operable to generate a drive signal for altering a position of the component actuator on the basis of a command signal received at the controller;
a sensor configured to measure a position of the component actuator and to generate a position feedback signal based on the measured position; and
a processor configured to estimate a condition indicator using only one of: the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal, the condition indicator being indicative of a progressive degradation of the proportional actuator, wherein the condition indicator is estimated based on an amplitude of detected oscillations in the one of the command signal, the drive signal or the position feedback signal; and estimate a health indicator using the estimated condition indicator, the health indicator being indicative of a probability of failure of the proportional actuator at one or more future times; and determine a scheduled maintenance session of the proportional actuator using the health indicator.

14. The hydromechanical unit of claim 13 , wherein the proportional actuator is an aircraft electrohydraulic servo-valve.

15. The hydromechanical unit of claim 14 , wherein the hydromechanical unit includes a compressor variable geometry actuator, and wherein the aircraft electrohydraulic servo-valve is included in the compressor variable geometry actuator.

16. The hydromechanical unit of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the scheduled maintenance session by comparing the probability of failure of the proportional actuator at the one or more future times to a pre-defined threshold and selecting a future time where the probability of failure is less than the pre-defined threshold for the scheduled maintenance session.

17. The hydromechanical unit of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate the condition indicator also on the basis of a current flight phase.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Neuzil Jan
• Puller Tomas
• Arnett Eric
• Rudolecky Tomas
• Poliakova Veronika

Classifications

• G05B23/0283 Primary

  Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06) · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

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

• F16K37/0041 Primary

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01D5/14

  influencing the magnitude of a current or voltage · CPC title