Method and system for health monitoring of aircraft landing gear

Abstract

The invention relates to a new method and system for health monitoring of aircraft landing gear. The system includes sensors that are attached to the landing gear structure and equipment (e.g., one or more of brakes, tires, hydraulics, electrical systems and switches) and analyzed to report and alert personnel such as pilots, maintenance personnel, airline operators, ground crew and regulatory authorities of the health of the landing gear and the potential need for service, maintenance or replacement. The system monitors and reports critical health issues as real-time information which can be analyzed in conjunction with an extensive database of information and used to alert pilots or other relevant personnel to the condition of the landing gear and actions that may be required as a result.

1 . An aircraft landing gear health monitoring system comprising: 
 at least one sensor coupled to at least one component of the aircraft landing gear system for measuring and recording real-time data associated with the status of at least one component;    at least one processor connected to the at least one sensor for receiving and processing the real-time data to calculate the condition of the at least one component of the landing gear system; and    reporting means operable to receive information from the at least one processor for reporting at least one of the condition of the landing gear system and the real-time data.    
     
     
         2 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one processor is operable to compare the real-time data to pre-determined health data associated with each component to calculate the condition of the at least one component.  
     
     
         3 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one component of the aircraft landing gear system is selected from the group consisting of tires, brakes, hydraulics, electronics, landing gear doors, oil pressure, oil temperature, oil level, shock strut position, loads, strain gauges, structural integrity, magnetic permeability, brake pressure, aircraft bus data including airplane velocity, position, attitude and altitude.  
     
     
         4 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1  wherein the reporting means is selected from the group consisting of a display screen located in the aircraft cockpit, a ground-based system, and a display screen located within the aircraft and accessible by at least one crew member.  
     
     
         5 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one self powered measurement and analysis unit connected to and in communication with the at least one sensor and connected to the aircraft avionics for receiving power therefrom when the aircraft avionics are on, the measurement and analysis unit further operable to supply power to the at least one sensor and to receive and store real-time data from the at least one sensor when the aircraft power is off and further operable to transmit stored data received from the at least one sensor to the at least one processor when the aircraft avionics are on.  
     
     
         6 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1  further comprises at least one electronic memory device connected to the at least one component of the landing gear system for storing pre-determined health data related to the structural integrity of the at least one component, the at least one electronic memory device being operable to communicate the stored data to the at least one processor for comparison with the real-time data.  
     
     
         7 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor and the reporting means are independently connected to the aircraft power supply.  
     
     
         8 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor and the reporting means each independently further include a power supply.  
     
     
         9 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is connected to at least one memory device for storing the recorded data thereon.  
     
     
         10 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory device is integral with the at least one sensor.  
     
     
         11 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one signal conditioning device operable to receive and process the real-time data from the at least one sensor into a processor readable form and operable to transmit the processed real-time data to the at least one processor.  
     
     
         12 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 11 , wherein the system comprises a plurality of sensors and one signal conditioning device operable to receive real-time data independently from each sensor and operable to transmit the real-time data to the at least one processor.  
     
     
         13 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 11 , wherein the system comprises a plurality of sensors and a plurality of signal conditioning devices, each signal conditioning device operable to receive real-time data from one of the sensors.  
     
     
         14 . A method for monitoring the health of an aircraft landing gear system comprising the steps of: 
 (i) collecting real-time data associated with the condition of at least one component of the aircraft landing gear system;    (ii) analysing the real-time data to assess the condition of the at least one component; and    (iii) reporting the condition of the at least one component.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  comprising the additional step of comparing the real-time data with pre-determined data associated with the at least one component to calculate the current landing gear condition and to assess any action required prior to step (iii).  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , comprising the additional step (iv) of reporting the current landing gear condition and any required action associated therewith.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , comprising performing steps (i) through (iv) while the aircraft is in flight.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14 , comprising performing steps (i) through (iv) while the aircraft is on the ground.  
     
     
         19 . An aircraft landing gear health monitoring system comprising: 
 a plurality of sub-systems each comprising: 
 a plurality of sensors each independently connected to separate components of a pre-determined sub-system of the aircraft landing gear and operable to measure and record real-time data associated with the status of each component; and  
 a processor connected to the plurality of sensors for receiving the real-time data therefrom and operable to analyse the real-time data to calculate the condition of the sub-system; and  
   a reporting device connected to each of the sub-systems for receiving data therefrom and operable to report at least one of the real-time data and the condition of each of the sub-systems.    
     
     
         20 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein the processor of one sub-system is operable to receive real-time data from at least one of a processor of another sub-system and a sensor of another sub-system for use in the calculation of the condition of the sub-system to which the processor relates.  
     
     
         21 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , further comprising at least one communication device connected to the plurality of sub-systems and to the reporting device to relay information therebetween.  
     
     
         22 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein the processor is operable to compare the real-time data to pre-determined health data to determine the condition of the component associated with the real-time data.  
     
     
         23 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein the reporting device is operable to report the condition of each component within each sub-system.  
     
     
         24 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein the reporting device is at least one of a display device located in the aircraft cockpit, a ground-based system, and a display device located within the aircraft and accessible by at least one crew member.  
     
     
         25 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of sub-systems are connected to the aircraft power for recharging and are operable to transmit the recorded data to the aircraft avionics system when the aircraft avionics system is on.  
     
     
         26 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein each component of the landing gear structure includes an electronic memory device attached thereto for storing data related to the structural integrity of the component.  
     
     
         27 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 26 , wherein each electronic memory device is operable to transmit the stored data to at least one of the sensor associated with the component and the processor.  
     
     
         28 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of sub-systems further comprise at least one memory device for storing at least one of the real-time data and the analysed data.  
     
     
         29 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 19 , wherein the at least one component of the aircraft landing gear system is selected from the group consisting of tires, brakes, hydraulics, electronics, landing gear doors, oil pressure, oil temperature, oil level, shock strut position, loads, strain gauges, structural integrity, magnetic permeability, brake pressure, aircraft bus data including airplane velocity, position, attitude and altitude.  
     
     
         30 . An aircraft landing gear health monitoring system comprising: 
 at least one sensor coupled to at least one component of the aircraft landing gear system for recording real-time data associated with the at least one component; and    reporting means connected to the at least one sensor for reporting the recorded data.    
     
     
         31 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 30 , further comprising a processor operable to communicate with the at least one sensor for receiving and analysing the real-time data to calculate the condition of the at least one component.  
     
     
         32 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 31 , wherein the processor is operable to communicate with the reporting means and the reporting means is operable to report the calculated condition of the at least one component.  
     
     
         33 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 30 , wherein the reporting means is selected from the group consisting of a display screen located in the aircraft cockpit, a ground-based system, and a display screen located within the aircraft and accessible by at least one crew member.  
     
     
         34 . An aircraft landing gear health monitoring system comprising: 
 at least one sensor coupled to at least one component of the aircraft landing gear system for recording real-time data associated with the at least one component;    a processor operable to receive and compare the recorded real-time data with pre-determined health data associated with the at least one component and to calculate the condition of the at least one component;    a communication device operable to communicate with the at least one sensor and the processor, and to receive information relating to the real-time data, the analysed data and the calculated condition of the at least one component; and    reporting means connected to the communication device and operable to receive and report information received therefrom relating to at least one of the real-time data, the analysed data and the condition of the at least one component.    
     
     
         35 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 34 , further comprising at least one signal conditioning device operable to receive and process the real-time data from the at least one sensor into a processor readable form and operable to transmit the processed real-time data to the processor.  
     
     
         36 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 34 , wherein the reporting means is selected from the group consisting of a display screen located in the aircraft cockpit, a ground-based system, and a display screen located within the aircraft and accessible by at least one crew member.  
     
     
         37 . The health monitoring system according to  claim 34 , wherein the system is located inside an aircraft.  
     
     
         38 . A method for monitoring and diagnosing the health of an aircraft landing gear system comprising the steps of: 
 (i) recording real-time data associated with the status of at least one component of the aircraft landing gear system;    (ii) transmitting the real-time data to a processor for processing;    (iii) processing the real-time data to calculate the current condition of the at least one component and to determine if any maintenance is required; and    (iv) reporting at least one of the real-time data, the calculated condition and any required maintenance.    
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , comprising the additional step of recording the calculated condition of the at least one component.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 38 , further comprising the additional step of transmitting at least one of the real-time data, the calculated condition and any required maintenance to a ground-based master landing gear database.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the reporting step (iv) includes reporting the information to at least one of the aircraft personnel and the ground-based personnel.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 38 , comprising performing steps (i) through (iv) while the aircraft is in flight.  
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 38 , comprising performing steps (i) through (iv) while the aircraft is on the ground.  
     
     
         44 . A method for monitoring and diagnosing the health of an aircraft landing gear system comprising the steps of: 
 (i) recording real-time data associated with the status of a plurality of components contained within a pre-determined sub-system of the aircraft landing gear system;    (ii) transmitting the real-time data to a processor for processing;    (iii) processing the real-time data to calculate the current condition of the sub-system and to determine if any maintenance is required; and    (iv) reporting at least one of the real-time data, the calculated condition and the required maintenance.    
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , comprising the additional step of repeating steps (i) and (ii) for additional sub-systems.  
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein the processing step (iii) comprises calculating the condition of each sub-system.  
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 44 , comprising performing steps (i) through (iv) while the aircraft is in flight.  
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 44 , comprising performing steps (i) through (iv) while the aircraft is on the ground.  
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 44 , further comprising the additional step of transmitting at least one of the real-time data, the calculated condition and any required maintenance to a ground-based master landing gear database.  
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the reporting step (iv) includes reporting the information to at least one of the aircraft personnel and the ground-based personnel.