Method for testing a component in a high lift system of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630725-B2
Application number	US-201514978612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method for testing a component in a high lift system of an aircraft comprises the steps of activating a brake coupled with at least one hydraulic motor, commanding a rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor for a predetermined period of time, wherein the brake remains activated, acquiring a sensor output of a motion sensor coupled with a central power control unit for moving a high lift surface during the commanded rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor, determining a motion of the power control unit from the acquired sensor output, comparing the determined motion with a predetermined threshold value, and generating a brake indication signal if the determined motion exceeds the predetermined motion threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for testing a component in a high lift system of an aircraft, the high lift system comprising a central power control unit for moving high lift surfaces arranged at a wing through providing rotational power by means of a transmission shaft to a plurality of drive stations coupled with the high lift surfaces; which power control unit comprises at least one hydraulic motor coupled with a selectively activatable brake; the method comprising:
activating the brake,
commanding a rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor for a predetermined period of time, wherein the brake remains activated,
acquiring a sensor output of a motion sensor coupled with the central power control unit during the commanded rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor,
determining a motion of the power control unit from the acquired sensor output,
comparing the determined motion with a predetermined threshold value, and
generating a brake indication signal of the determined motion exceeds the predetermined motion threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a previous step of moving the high lift surfaces to a neutral position by rotating the power control unit before activating the at least one brake.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein moving the high lift surfaces to the neutral position comprises rotating the at least one hydraulic motor in a first direction of rotation and wherein commanding the rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor comprises rotating the at least one hydraulic motor in a second direction of rotation.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein between moving the high lift surfaces to the neutral position and commanding the rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor a solenoid valve between a hydraulic network and the at least one hydraulic motor remains activated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein commanding a rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor comprises sending a speed command to a speed control unit coupled with the at least one hydraulic motor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the brake is a pressure off brake and wherein activating the brake comprises decoupling the brake from a hydraulic network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein commanding the rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor for a predetermined period of time is conducted with a first time delay after the brake is activated.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising previous or subsequent steps of detecting a hydraulic pressure between a solenoid valve and the at least one hydraulic motor and generating a valve indication signal in case the detected pressure is above a predetermined pressure threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is conducted after landing of the aircraft while or after the high lift surfaces are moved into a neutral position.

10. A high lift system of an aircraft, comprising:
a plurality of high lift surfaces movably arrangeable at a wing,
a plurality of drive stations coupled with the high lift surfaces,
a transmission shaft coupled with the plurality of drive stations,
a central power control unit coupled with the transmission shaft for moving the high lift surfaces through driving the drive stations, the power control unit comprising at least one hydraulic motor coupled and with a brake, and
a control unit,
wherein the control unit is adapted for conducting a test sequence comprising of activating the brake, commanding a rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor for a predetermined period of time, wherein the brake remains activated, acquiring a sensor output of a motion sensor coupled with the central power control unit during the commanded rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor, determining a motion of the power control unit from the acquired sensor output, comparing the determined motion with a predetermined threshold value, and generating a brake indication signal in case the determined motion exceeds the predetermined motion threshold value.

11. The high lift system of claim 10 , wherein the brake is a pressure off brake and activating the brake comprises decoupling the brake from a hydraulic network.

12. The high lift system of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is further adapted for detecting a hydraulic pressure between a solenoid valve and the at least one hydraulic motor and generating a valve indication signal in case the detected pressure is above a predetermined pressure threshold value.

13. The high lift system of claim 10 , wherein the high lift surfaces are trailing edge flaps or leading edge slats.

14. The high lift system of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is integrated into a control computer for controlling the high lift surfaces.

15. A method for testing a component in a high lift system of an aircraft, the high lift system comprising a central power control unit for moving high lift surfaces arranged at a wing through providing rotational power by means of a transmission shaft to a plurality of drive stations coupled with the high lift surfaces; which power control unit comprises at least one hydraulic motor coupled with a selectively activatable brake; the method comprising:
activating the brake,
commanding a rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor for a predetermined period of time, wherein the brake remains activated,
acquiring a sensor output of a motion sensor coupled with the central power control unit during the commanded rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor,
determining a motion of the power control unit from the acquired sensor output,
comparing the determined motion with a predetermined threshold value, and
generating a brake indication signal of the determined motion exceeds the predetermined motion threshold value,
moving the high lift surfaces to a neutral position by rotating the power control unit before activating the at least one brake,
wherein moving the high lift surfaces to the neutral position comprises rotating the at least one hydraulic motor in a first direction of rotation and wherein commanding the rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor comprises rotating the at least one hydraulic motor in a second direction of rotation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein between moving the high lift surfaces to the neutral position and commanding the rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor a solenoid valve between a hydraulic network and the at least one hydraulic motor remains activated, and
wherein commanding a rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor comprises sending a speed command to a speed control unit coupled with the at least one hydraulic motor.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the brake is a pressure off brake and wherein activating the brake comprises decoupling the brake from a hydraulic network, and
wherein commanding the rotation of the at least one hydraulic motor for a predetermined period of time is conducted with a first time delay after the brake is activated.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Fleddermann Andreas
• Maire Vincent
• Van Bruggen Jan-Arend

Classifications

• B64C9/323

  associated with wings · CPC title

• B64F5/60 Primary

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• B64C13/28

  mechanical · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C13/40 Primary

  using fluid pressure · CPC title