Rotorcraft structural fault-detection and isolation using virtual monitoring of loads

• Main Authors: Cycon, James Peter, Isom, Joshua D, Davis, Mark W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.10.2019
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDEDFOR ELSEWHERE; AVIATION; BLASTING; CHECKING-DEVICES; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; COSMONAUTICS; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING ORREPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLYADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFTCOMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HEATING; HELICOPTERS; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; LIGHTING; MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC ORINFRASONIC WAVES; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; TESTING; TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; TRANSPORTING; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; WEAPONS

A system, method, and computer program for detecting and isolating structural faults is provided. To detect and isolate structural faults, a plurality of sensed features that corresponds to sensor data from the monitoring sub-system and a plurality of estimated features that corresponds to the plurality of sensed features can be generated. Further, the plurality of sensed features and the plurality of estimated features can be compared to produce a plurality of residuals. From the plurality of residuals, at least one structural fault within the vehicle are determined and isolated for further use of maintenance decision support.