Utilization of aircraft bondline embedded current sensors in the determination of a lightning damage index

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9567104-B2
Application number	US-201514948152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 12, 2011
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for using aircraft bondline embedded current sensors to determine a lightning damage index are disclosed. A method of predicting lightning strike damage to at least one type of aircraft involves sensing, with at least one current sensor node embedded in at least one type of aircraft, induced current. The method further involves generating, with at least one current sensor node, at least one current signal representative of the induced current. Also, the method involves determining, electromagnetic density data associated with at least one region of at least one type of aircraft by using at least one current signal. Further, the method involves creating an index that provides a numeric representation for predicted lightning strike damage to at least one type of aircraft based on the electromagnetic density data, dimensions of at least one type of aircraft, and design features of at least one type of aircraft.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of predicting lightning strike damage to at least one type of aircraft, the method comprising:
passing electrical current, having a magnetic field, through an adhesive layer of a cured bondline embedded in the at least one type of aircraft,
wherein a current sensor network is embedded in the adhesive layer, and wherein the current sensor network comprises at least one current sensor node;
inducing induced current in the current sensor network in response to the magnetic field;
sensing, with the at least one current sensor node embedded in the at least one type of aircraft, the induced current;
generating, with the at least one current sensor node, at least one current signal representative of the induced current;
determining electromagnetic density data associated with at least one region of the at least one type of aircraft by using the at least one current signal; and
creating an index that provides a numeric representation for predicted lightning strike damage to the at least one type of aircraft based on the electromagnetic density data, dimensions of the at least one type of aircraft, and design features of the at least one type of aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining the dimensions of the at least one type of aircraft by measuring the dimensions of the at least one type of aircraft; and
determining the design features of the at least one type of aircraft by assessing the design features of the at least one type of aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the index further comprises a numeric representation for predicted lightning strike damage to a specific location on the at least one type of aircraft based on the electromagnetic density data, the dimensions of the at least one type of aircraft, and the design features of the at least one type of aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises modifying the numeric representation with at least one factor relating to the respective at least one type of aircraft.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises assigning a numeric value to the at least one factor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises determining an algorithmic association between the numeric representation with the numeric value of the at least one factor.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one factor comprises a departure frequency of each of the at least one type of aircraft.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one factor comprises a geographic region in which each of the at least one type of aircraft operates.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one factor comprises an altitude at which each of the at least one type of aircraft operates.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one factor further comprises a frequency of a specific altitude within a constant time at which each of the at least one type of aircraft operates.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one factor comprises a time period during which each of the at least one type of aircraft operates.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the time period is a specified calendar time period.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the time period is a seasonal time period.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the time period is adjustable.

15. The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining an impact level associated with at least one of: the at least one type of aircraft, the electromagnetic density data, the dimensions of the at least one type of aircraft, the design features of the at least one type of aircraft, and the at least one factor; and
modifying at least one of the numeric representation and the at least one factor with the associated impact level.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein each impact level is obtained from a table that displays each impact level associated with the respective at least one type of aircraft, the electromagnetic density data, the dimensions of the at least one type of aircraft, the design features of the at least one type of aircraft, and the at least one factor.

17. A system for predicting lightning strike damage to at least one type of aircraft, the system comprising:
an adhesive layer of a cured bondline, embedded in the at least one type of aircraft, to pass electrical current through,
wherein the electrical current has a magnetic field;
a current sensor network embedded in the adhesive layer, wherein the current sensor network comprises at least one current sensor node, and wherein induced current is induced in the current sensor network in response to the magnetic field;
the at least one current sensor node, embedded in the at least one type of aircraft, to sense the induced current, and to generate at least one current signal representative of the induced current; and
at least one computer processor to determine electromagnetic density data associated with at least one region of the at least one type of aircraft by using the at least one current signal, and to create an index that provides a numeric representation for predicted lightning strike damage to the at least one type of aircraft based on the electromagnetic density data, dimensions of the at least one type of aircraft, and design features of the at least one type of aircraft.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the current sensor network further comprises at least one inductive coil.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Sweers Gregory J
• Anway Carol E
• Robb Andrew M
• Ihn Jeong-Beom

Classifications

• B29C66/72143

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