System and method to detect anomalous wingtip extension for a folding wing tip aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522376-B2
Application number	US-202318357550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2023
Priority date	Jul 24, 2023
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A method includes implementing, via an electronic controller of an aircraft, an extend command received by the electronic controller from a flight control computer to rotate a wingtip of a wing to a flight position. The method includes, in response to a first determination at the electronic controller that rotation of the wingtip stopped before the flight position during implementation of the extend command, sending a first notification signal to the flight control computer from the electronic controller to cause the aircraft to be grounded and to schedule maintenance of the aircraft. The first notification signal includes one or more first error codes. The first notification signal causes the maintenance to include wingtip-to-latch pin drop maintenance responsive to a determination of the electronic controller indicating that a first particular angle of the wingtip relative to a primary portion of the wing is in a latch pin interference range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An aircraft comprising:
a wing, wherein the wing includes a primary portion and a wingtip; and a folding wingtip system configured to rotate the wingtip relative to the primary portion,
wherein the folding wingtip system includes an electronic controller configured to:
implement an extend command received from a flight control computer to rotate the wingtip from a folded position to a flight position; and
in response to a determination that rotation of the wingtip stopped before the flight position during implementation of the extend command, send a first notification signal to the flight control computer to cause the aircraft to be grounded and to schedule maintenance of the aircraft, wherein the first notification signal includes one or more first error codes, and wherein the first notification signal causes the maintenance to include wingtip-to-latch pin drop maintenance responsive to a determination of the electronic controller indicating that a first particular angle of the wingtip relative to the primary portion of the wing is in a latch pin interference range.

2 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the wingtip-to-latch pin drop maintenance includes instructions to:
identify one or more particular latch pins that were contacted by one or more particular lugs of the wingtip; replace the one or more particular latch pins; identify a first subset of the one or more particular latch pins with visible damage as scrap; and cause a second subset of the one or more particular latch pins without visible damage to be tested for non-visible damage.

3 . The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein the wingtip-to-latch pin drop maintenance further includes instructions to:
replace one or more wingtip lugs; identify a first subset of the one or more wingtip lugs with visible damage as scrap; and cause a second subset of the one or more wingtip lugs without visible damage to be tested for non-visible damage.

4 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first notification signal also causes the flight control computer to schedule the aircraft for wingtip actuation system maintenance.

5 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the first notification signal indicates that the maintenance includes wingtip actuator maintenance when the determination by the electronic controller indicates the first particular angle is not in the latch pin interference range.

6 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is further configured to:
receive a request from the flight control computer for position data associated with an angle of the wingtip relative to the primary portion; and send the position data to the flight control computer based on data received from a hingeline sensor, wherein the flight control computer causes the aircraft to be grounded and schedules maintenance of the aircraft when a position of the wingtip indicated by the position data is not in the folded position.

7 . The aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the maintenance includes brake system maintenance of a brake system configured to maintain the wingtip in the folded position.

8 . The aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the maintenance includes wingtip-to-latch pin drop maintenance when the angle of the wingtip relative to the primary portion is in the latch pin interference range.

9 . The aircraft of claim 6 , wherein the maintenance includes wingtip-to-stop drop maintenance when the wingtip is in, or near to, the flight position.

10 . The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the wingtip-to-stop drop maintenance includes instructions to:
replace wingtip lugs of the wingtip; replace lug stops of the primary portion; identify a first subset of the wingtip lugs with visible damage as scrap; and cause a second subset of the wingtip lugs without visible damage to be tested for non-visible damage.

11 . A method comprising:
implementing, via an electronic controller of a folding wingtip system of an aircraft, an extend command received by the electronic controller from a flight control computer to rotate a wingtip of a wing from a folded position to a flight position; and in response to a first determination at the electronic controller that rotation of the wingtip stopped before the flight position during implementation of the extend command, sending a first notification signal to the flight control computer from the electronic controller to cause the aircraft to be grounded and to schedule maintenance of the aircraft, wherein the first notification signal includes one or more first error codes, and wherein the first notification signal causes the maintenance to include wingtip-to-latch pin drop maintenance responsive to a determination of the electronic controller indicating that a first particular angle of the wingtip relative to a primary portion of the wing is in a latch pin interference range.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein, in response to a second determination that an implementation time of the extend command from a start of implementation of the extend command to completion of implementation of the extend command as indicated when rotation of the wingtip relative to the primary portion stops at the flight position is shorter than a threshold implementation time, the one or more first error codes indicate wingtip-to-stop drop, and wherein the one or more first error codes are configured to cause the maintenance of the aircraft to include wingtip-to-stop drop maintenance.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing wingtip position data to the flight control computer in response to a wingtip position request, wherein the flight control computer is configured to change a setting to indicate that the aircraft is grounded and to schedule particular maintenance for the aircraft based on a first determination that the wingtip is not in a folded position and based on a second determination that a last implemented command by the folding wingtip system was a fold command.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the particular maintenance includes wingtip-to-latch pin drop maintenance when the wingtip position data indicates the wingtip is at a particular angle in the latch pin interference range.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the particular maintenance includes wingtip-to-stop drop maintenance when the wingtip position data indicates the wingtip is at, or substantially at, the flight position.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, at the electronic controller from the flight control computer, a second command to transition the wingtip from a first position to a second position; sending control signals to a drivetrain actuator, a hydraulic control module, or both, to implement the second command; and in response to a determination by the electronic controller based on drivetrain actuator data from a drivetrain actuator sensor and drivetrain position data from a drivetrain position sensor, that lock systems of latch pin actuators did not function correctly, sending a particular notification signal to the flight control computer, wherein the particular notification signal includes one or more particular error codes associated with lock system failure, wherein the particular notification signal causes the aircraft to be grounded and causes particular maintenance of the aircraft to be scheduled, and wherein the particular maintenance includes latch pin system maintenance.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by one or more processors of an electronic controller of an aircraft to:
impl

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mccormick Patrick
• Bujnowski Christopher
• Moy George
• Sheehy Sarah
• Kerci Endri
• Schantz Austin
• Leonard Paul Ryan
• Boxell Caitlin
• Campbell Erin
• Gunderson John W

Classifications

• B64F5/40 Primary

  Maintaining or repairing aircraft · CPC title

• B64C3/56

  Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft · CPC title

• Y02T50/10

  Drag reduction · CPC title

• B64F5/60 Primary

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title