Aircraft control system, aircraft waste water pipeline scale deposition monitoring method and aircraft

Abstract

The invention provides an aircraft control system, an aircraft waste water pipeline scale deposition monitoring method and an aircraft, and relates to the technical field of aircraft waste water monitoring, the aircraft control system comprises a waste water system, the waste water system comprises a waste water pipeline, and a capacitance sensor is installed at a bent pipe part of the waste water pipeline; the capacitance sensor is used for collecting capacitance data reflecting scale depositing dielectric constant distribution; the avionics system is responsible for processing the capacitance data so as to construct a capacitance value matrix, and the capacitance value matrix is used for representing the spatial change of the dielectric constant in the pipeline so as to reflect the distribution condition of scale deposition; and converting the capacitance value matrix into a visual target image, wherein the target image is used for displaying the position, the size and the form of scale deposit in the pipeline. Through accurate data acquisition of the capacitive sensor, efficient data processing and analysis of the avionics system and visual display of the target image, real-time monitoring and effective management of scale deposition of the aircraft wastewater pipeline are realized, and smoothness of the pipeline and safety of aircraft operation are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of aircraft wastewater monitoring, and in particular to an aircraft control system, an aircraft wastewater pipe scale monitoring method, and an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] The aircraft's water and wastewater system includes two subsystems: drinking water and wastewater treatment. It creates a vacuum in the wastewater tank to discharge wastewater from the bathroom and kitchen. Large passenger aircraft usually have multiple bathrooms and kitchens, and the wastewater tank is located at the tail. The wastewater pipe runs through the cabin, and it is easy to form scale at the bend. If it is not discovered and cleaned in time, it may cause pipe blockage, which in turn affects the normal operation of the wastewater system.

[0003] Patent document (CN106180089A) proposes a cleaning method using sewage cleaning agent for circulating flushing, but this method is only applicable to ground cleaning operations. In addition, patent document (CN117284483A) proposes a design scheme for waste pipe system and auxiliary flushing, which includes a residual dirt monitoring device and an auxiliary flushing device. The principle is to use the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of the pipe to monitor the blockage. However, these two patent documents still have limitations in real-time monitoring of fouling problems in flight. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides an aircraft control system, an aircraft wastewater pipe scale monitoring method and an aircraft, aiming to solve the problem of how to monitor scale in an aircraft wastewater pipe.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an aircraft control system, the aircraft control system comprising:

[0006] A wastewater system, comprising a wastewater pipe, wherein a capacitive sensor is installed at a bend in the wastewater pipe, the capacitive sensor being used to collect capacitance data reflecting the distribution of dielectric constant of fouling;

[0007] The avionics system is responsible for processing the capacitance data to construct a capacitance value matrix, which is used to represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline to reflect the distribution of scale; and converting the capacitance value matrix into a visual target image, which is used to display the location, size and shape of scale inside the pipeline.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present application, the capacitive sensor includes array electrodes, which are distributed on the outer wall of the pipeline and are used to perform capacitance measurement to obtain capacitance data.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present application, the avionics system substitutes the capacitance data obtained by measuring the array electrodes into a preset formula, which represents the relationship between the capacitance value and the dielectric constant distribution, and performs linearization, discretization and normalization processing to obtain the capacitance value matrix, which is the product of the sensitive field matrix and the dielectric constant distribution matrix.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present application, the avionics system uses the capacitance value matrix and the sensitive field matrix to perform calculations to solve the dielectric constant distribution matrix and obtain the target image.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, the aircraft control system also includes a cabin system. When the avionics system identifies through monitoring the target image that the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe covered with scale exceeds a predetermined threshold and continues in this state for a preset time, the avionics system further confirms the occupancy status information of the washing equipment provided by the cabin system, and when the washing equipment is not occupied, the avionics system sends a descaling instruction to the wastewater system.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, the wastewater system also includes a cleaning device, which uses an immersive ultrasonic vibrator or a flexible ultrasonic patch; the immersive ultrasonic vibrator is configured to be inserted into the interior of the pipe; the flexible ultrasonic patch is installed on the outside of the pipe and is provided with a buffer pad on the side away from the pipe.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, the capacitive sensor is a three-dimensional capacitive tomography sensor.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, the dielectric constants of the scale are higher than the dielectric constants of air and water, so that the capacitance data measured by the capacitance sensor can be used to reconstruct a scale distribution image inside the pipeline.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application also provides a method for monitoring scale accumulation in an aircraft wastewater pipeline, the method comprising:

[0016] Capacitance data reflecting the dielectric constant distribution of fouling is collected by installing a capacitance sensor at the bend of the aircraft wastewater pipe;

[0017] Processing the capacitance data to construct a capacitance value matrix, wherein the capacitance value matrix is ​​used to represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline to reflect the distribution of scale accumulation;

[0018] The capacitance value matrix is ​​converted into a visual target image, and the target image is used to display the location, size and shape of scale deposits inside the pipeline.

[0019] In a third aspect, the present application also provides an aircraft, comprising an aircraft control system as described in any one of the above items.

[0020] The aircraft control system, aircraft wastewater pipe scale monitoring method and aircraft provided by the present application, the aircraft control system installs a capacitive sensor at the bend of the aircraft wastewater pipe, and the capacitive sensor can collect capacitance data reflecting the distribution of the dielectric constant of the scale. Since the dielectric constant of the scale is higher than the dielectric constant of other substances in the pipeline, the capacitive sensor can detect the presence and distribution of scale by measuring the change in capacitance value. The avionics system is responsible for receiving and processing the data collected by the capacitive sensor. By processing these data, the avionics system constructs a capacitance value matrix, which can represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline. This variation directly reflects the distribution of scale inside the pipeline. The avionics system converts the capacitance value matrix into a visual target image, which can intuitively display the position, size and shape of the scale inside the pipeline.

[0021] Therefore, this application realizes real-time monitoring and effective management of aircraft wastewater pipe fouling through precise data collection of capacitive sensors, efficient data processing and analysis of avionics systems, and intuitive display of target images, thereby ensuring the smooth flow of pipes and the safety of aircraft operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present application or the prior art, a brief introduction will be given below to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft control system provided by the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 This is one of the schematic diagrams of installing a capacitive sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 This is the second schematic diagram of installing a capacitive sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4 This is the third schematic diagram of installing a capacitive sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 This is the fourth schematic diagram of installing a capacitive sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a target image provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 7 is a flow chart of starting a descaling operation provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 8 It is one of the schematic diagrams of the cleaning device provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Fig. 9 This is the second schematic diagram of the cleaning device provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Fig.10 It is a flow chart of the aircraft wastewater pipe scaling monitoring method provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the following will integrate the drawings in this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0035] In order to solve the problem of how to monitor the scale in the aircraft wastewater pipeline, the present application provides an aircraft control system, an aircraft wastewater pipeline scale monitoring method and an aircraft, wherein the aircraft control system installs a capacitive sensor at the bend of the aircraft wastewater pipeline, and the capacitive sensor can collect capacitance data reflecting the distribution of the dielectric constant of the scale. Since the dielectric constant of the scale is higher than the dielectric constant of other substances in the pipeline, the capacitive sensor can detect the presence and distribution of the scale by measuring the change in the capacitance value. The avionics system is responsible for receiving and processing the data collected by the capacitive sensor. By processing these data, the avionics system constructs a capacitance value matrix, which can represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline. This change directly reflects the distribution of the scale inside the pipeline. The avionics system converts the capacitance value matrix into a visual target image, which can intuitively display the position, size and shape of the scale inside the pipeline. Therefore, the present application realizes real-time monitoring and effective management of the scale in the aircraft wastewater pipeline through accurate data collection of the capacitive sensor, efficient data processing and analysis of the avionics system, and intuitive display of the target image, ensuring the smooth flow of the pipeline and the safety of the aircraft operation.

[0036] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 10 An aircraft control system, an aircraft wastewater pipe fouling monitoring method, and an aircraft are described.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an aircraft control system provided by the present application. An aircraft control system 100 includes a wastewater system 110 and an avionics system 120 .

[0038] Exemplarily, the wastewater system 110 includes a wastewater pipe, wherein a capacitive sensor is installed at a bend in the wastewater pipe, and the capacitive sensor is used to collect capacitance data reflecting the dielectric constant distribution of scale.

[0039] Specifically, the wastewater system 110 is a system on the aircraft that is responsible for processing and discharging wastewater on the aircraft. The wastewater system 110 creates a certain vacuum (i.e., a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure) in the wastewater tank, so that a pressure difference is formed between the cabin and the wastewater tank, and the pressure difference is the power source for the wastewater to flow from the cabin to the wastewater tank. Wastewater includes wastewater generated by washing equipment (such as toilets, kitchens, etc.). Wastewater pipes are used to transport wastewater. The bends in the wastewater pipes are places where scale is easily formed and accumulated, because the water flow here will slow down or form eddies, causing solid particles to deposit. The capacitive sensor detects changes in the medium by measuring changes in capacitance. A capacitive sensor is installed at the bend of the wastewater pipe to measure the capacitance value. The capacitive sensor measures the dielectric constant distribution of scale inside the pipe. Scale (such as scale, dirt, etc.) has a higher dielectric constant than water and air. Therefore, when there is scale inside the pipe, the measured value of the capacitive sensor will change. By analyzing these capacitance data, the distribution of scale, that is, the location and thickness of the scale in the pipeline, etc. can be inferred.

[0040] Exemplarily, the avionics system 120 is responsible for processing capacitance data to construct a capacitance value matrix, which is used to represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline to reflect the distribution of scale; and converting the capacitance value matrix into a visual target image, which is used to display the location, size and shape of scale inside the pipeline.

[0041] Specifically, the avionics system 120 is an avionics system on the aircraft, which is responsible for processing and managing various electronic data and information on the aircraft. The avionics system 120 receives capacitance data from capacitance sensors, which reflect the changes in the dielectric constant inside the pipeline. The avionics system 120 processes these capacitance data to construct a capacitance value matrix. The capacitance value matrix is ​​a data structure that contains the capacitance values ​​at different positions inside the pipeline, so that the spatial distribution of the dielectric constant can be represented. Each element in the capacitance value matrix corresponds to the capacitance value at a specific position inside the pipeline. Since the dielectric constant of scale is higher than the dielectric constant of water, the changes in the capacitance values ​​in the matrix can be used to infer the existence and distribution of scale. The avionics system 120 not only processes data, but also converts the capacitance value matrix into a visual form, namely a target image. The target image can intuitively show the location, size and shape of the scale inside the pipeline. By monitoring the target image, the specific situation of the scale inside the pipeline can be clearly seen, including where the scale is, how big it is and what shape it is.

[0042] Therefore, a capacitive sensor is installed at the bend of the wastewater system 110 to monitor the dielectric constant distribution of scale inside the pipe. The avionics system 120 constructs a capacitance value matrix by processing the data of the capacitive sensor and converts the matrix into a visual image to facilitate monitoring and analysis of scale inside the pipe.

[0043] The aircraft control system is described in detail below through embodiments.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 2 to 5 , Figures 2 to 5 The structure of the capacitive sensor is shown. Exemplarily, the capacitive sensor 201 can adopt a three-dimensional electrical capacitance tomography (3D Electrical Capacitance Tomography, 3D-ECT) sensor. The 3D-ECT sensor is a special electrical capacitance tomography sensor that can provide medium distribution information in three-dimensional space. Compared with the traditional two-dimensional electrical capacitance tomography (2D-ECT) sensor, the 3D-ECT sensor can capture the distribution of the medium inside the pipeline more comprehensively, because it not only considers the two-dimensional distribution of the pipeline cross section, but also considers the third-dimensional distribution along the pipeline axis, so it can reduce signal interference, thereby providing more accurate measurement results.

[0045] Exemplarily, the capacitance sensor 201 includes array electrodes 2011 , which are distributed on the outer wall of the pipe 202 and are used to perform capacitance measurement to obtain capacitance data.

[0046] Specifically, the capacitive sensor 201 also includes a protective electrode 2012, a shielding layer 2013 and an electrical connection component (such as a cable and a connector). An array electrode 2011 is pasted on the pipeline 202, and the array electrode 2011 is used to measure capacitance. There are shielding layers 2013 at both ends and the periphery of each electrode, which helps to reduce external electromagnetic interference and improve measurement accuracy. Each electrode is connected to an external device through an electrical connection component to transmit measurement data. The array electrode 2011 can be arranged in different ways, such as staggered rhombus, circular, hexagonal electrodes, or rectangular electrodes arranged in a straight line. Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the pipeline. The sensors are arranged on the outer wall of the pipeline. Figure 5 This is a side view of the pipeline, showing the arrangement of the sensors. This is a 3D arrangement, and the electrode example is a circle. The number of independent measured capacitances of each layer of capacitance sensors is related to the number of electrodes. The number of electrodes can be 8, 12, etc., depending on the specific design and application requirements of the sensor. If a 3-layer capacitance sensor is used, the total number of electrodes can be 24 or 36, depending on the number of electrodes in each layer. There is no limitation here.

[0047] For example, taking a single layer as an example, a set of electrodes, including 8 or 12, is installed on the outer wall of the pipe. These electrodes are used to measure the capacitance between each single electrode combination. The capacitive sensor is responsible for providing the excitation signal and converting these capacitance values ​​into voltage signals. Subsequently, these voltage signals are conditioned and digitized, and then input into the image reconstruction algorithm in the computer to achieve image reconstruction of the dielectric constant distribution. The distribution of the dielectric constant is determined by capacitance measurement, and the results are presented in the form of a visual image. This process is called image reconstruction. In order to visualize the dielectric constant distribution, the sensing area is divided into N pixels, which is generally around 1000. For example, a 32×32 grid will produce 1024 pixels in the image area of ​​a square sensor, and about 800 pixels in the image area of ​​a circular sensor.

[0048] Taking an eight-electrode system as an example, capacitance measurement can be performed by the following steps. First, a voltage signal is applied to electrode 1, and then the charge on electrodes 2 to 8 is measured to obtain the capacitance between electrode 1 and the other seven electrodes. Next, electrodes 2 to 7 are energized in turn, so that the capacitance between all single electrode pairs can be measured, with a total of 28 independent electrode combinations. For a sensor containing n electrodes, there are M = n(n-1) / 2 independent capacitance measurements. Image reconstruction algorithms include two types: non-iterative algorithms and iterative algorithms.

[0049] In some embodiments, the wastewater system includes a data acquisition system (not shown in the figure), which includes a capacitance measurement circuit, a multiplexing circuit and a control processing circuit. The capacitance measurement circuit is a circuit for measuring capacitance values. The multiplexing circuit is used to switch between multiple electrodes so as to measure their capacitance values ​​in sequence or selectively. The control processing unit is responsible for controlling the entire data acquisition process, including signal acquisition, conversion, transmission and communication with other systems. The data acquisition system can capture the signal generated by the capacitance sensor, convert it into digital data, and transmit it to the avionics system. The working mode of each electrode includes an excitation mode, a measurement mode and a grounding mode. The excitation mode refers to the electrode being used to provide an excitation signal, usually an AC signal, which helps to improve the accuracy and stability of the measurement. The measurement mode refers to the electrode being used to measure the capacitance value. The grounding mode refers to the electrode being grounded to ensure the stability of the system and reduce noise. The data acquisition system can measure very small capacitance values, such as ranging from femtofarads (fF) to picofarads (pF). In addition, the electrode is connected to both ends of the voltage source and the capacitance measurement circuit through a multiplexing circuit switch, so that it can be quickly switched between multiple electrodes for measurement. Data acquisition adopts a multi-channel parallel method, which means that the data acquisition system can collect data from multiple channels at the same time to improve efficiency.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 6 . Exemplarily, the aircraft control system 100 also includes a cabin system 130. When the avionics system 120 identifies through monitoring the target image that the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe 202 covered by the scale 601 exceeds a predetermined threshold value and continues in this state for a preset time, the avionics system 120 further confirms the lavatory occupancy status information provided by the cabin system 130, and when the lavatory is not occupied, the avionics system 120 sends a descaling instruction to the wastewater system 110. For example, if the scale inside the pipe occupies more than one-third of the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe and this situation lasts for more than five minutes, then a specific procedure needs to be started to remove the scale.

[0051] Therefore, by real-time monitoring of the target image, the avionics system 120 can detect the scale problem in time. If the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe covered by the scale exceeds a predetermined threshold, and this state lasts for a preset time, the avionics system 120 can send a descaling instruction to the wastewater system 110 and start the cleaning equipment to perform the descaling operation, so as to avoid pipe blockage caused by scale accumulation, when the washing equipment is not occupied.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 1 is a flow chart of starting the cleaning operation provided by an embodiment of the present application. The judgment logic of starting the cleaning operation of the avionics system includes:

[0053] S701, receiving capacitance data from a capacitance sensor.

[0054] S702, performing image reconstruction according to the capacitance data to obtain a target image.

[0055] Specifically, the scale that cannot be flushed in the bends of the wastewater pipe is generally composed of inorganic salts such as calcium phosphate. This scale can be monitored by electrical tomography. Electrical tomography obtains the change in dielectric constant by checking the change in the capacitance value of the object being measured, and identifies the parameters of the scale through image reconstruction. The avionics system can substitute the capacitance data measured by the array electrode into a preset formula, which represents the relationship between the capacitance value and the dielectric constant distribution, and perform linearization, discretization and normalization processing to obtain a capacitance value matrix, which is the product of the sensitive field matrix and the dielectric constant distribution matrix.

[0056] For example, the relationship between the capacitance value C and the dielectric constant ε distribution can be expressed by a preset formula:

[0057]

[0058] Among them, ε(x,y) is the dielectric constant distribution function of the measured field, which represents the size of the dielectric constant at different positions (x,y); is the potential distribution function, which represents the potential difference at different positions (x, y); V is the potential difference between the source electrode and the detection electrode; the negative sign in -1 / V represents the relationship between the direction of the electric field and the direction of the potential difference; Γ is the electrode surface, and dΓ is the infinitesimal area on the electrode surface. The integral ∫∫ is the surface integral of the electrode surface Γ, which represents the integral on the electrode surface.

[0059] The formula calculates the charge Q on the electrode surface by integration and divides it by the potential difference V to obtain the capacitance C. The capacitance C reflects the dielectric constant distribution ε(x,y) and potential distribution of the fouling This formula is used to infer the dielectric constant distribution of scale from the measured capacitance data to monitor the scale accumulation inside the pipeline.

[0060] Substitute the M independent capacitance data measured by N electrodes into the above formula (1) and perform linearization, discretization and normalization. After processing, we get C=SG, where C is the normalized capacitance value matrix, S is the normalized sensitive field matrix, and G is the normalized dielectric constant distribution matrix. By solving the distribution of the dielectric constant matrix G, image reconstruction can be achieved to obtain the target image.

[0061] Therefore, the change in dielectric constant is detected by measuring the change in capacitance value, and then the distribution of objects such as scale is identified through image reconstruction. This process involves capacitance sensors, data acquisition and processing, and image reconstruction, and requires a series of processing of the measured data to finally obtain the target image representation of scale.

[0062] S703, determining whether the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe covered by the scale exceeds a predetermined threshold, and whether the state continues for a preset time.

[0063] If all these conditions are met, execute S704; otherwise return to S701.

[0064] S704, start the descaling program.

[0065] That is, a preset procedure needs to be activated to remove the scale in the pipes in the aircraft wastewater system. This can include automatic flushing, the use of chemical cleaning agents, or mechanical means (such as ultrasonic vibration) to remove the sediment in the pipes.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 8 , Fig. 9 The wastewater system 110 also includes a cleaning device, which uses an immersion ultrasonic vibrator or a flexible ultrasonic patch. The immersion ultrasonic vibrator is configured to be inserted into the pipe. The flexible ultrasonic patch 801 is installed outside the pipe 202 and is provided with a buffer pad 802 on the side away from the pipe 202.

[0067] Specifically, the immersive ultrasonic vibrator is an ultrasonic cleaning device that needs to be placed inside the pipe 202 to remove dirt and sediment inside the pipe through ultrasonic vibrations. The flexible ultrasonic patch is another ultrasonic cleaning device that can be attached to the outside of the pipe and also cleans the inside of the pipe through ultrasonic vibrations. The tiny bubbles generated by the ultrasonic vibrations burst inside the pipe, generating a strong impact force that can effectively remove dirt and sediment. In order to prevent ultrasonic vibrations from damaging the aircraft body structure, a buffer pad 802 can be added to the position where the flexible ultrasonic patch 801 is installed to absorb vibrations and reduce the impact on the body. The bend in the aircraft wastewater pipe 202 can be L-shaped (such as Figure 8 as shown) or T-type (as Fig. 9 The elbow is fixed to the aircraft's bulkhead by means of clamps. The bulkhead is part of the aircraft structure that supports and connects different parts of the aircraft.

[0068] Therefore, this application applies ultrasonic cleaning technology to the cleaning of aircraft wastewater pipes. The ultrasonic cleaning module can be installed by means of an internal vibrator or an external patch, and the pipe is cleaned by ultrasonic vibration. In order to protect the aircraft structure, a buffer pad can be used to reduce the impact of vibration. The elbow of the wastewater pipe can be fixed to the aircraft bulkhead by a clamp.

[0069] Please refer to Fig.10 , Fig.10 The flowchart of the aircraft wastewater pipeline scaling monitoring method provided by the present application is as follows. A method for monitoring aircraft wastewater pipeline scaling, the method comprising:

[0070] S1001, a capacitive sensor installed at the elbow of the aircraft wastewater pipe in the wastewater system, collects capacitance data reflecting the distribution of the dielectric constant of the scale.

[0071] S1002, the avionics system processes the capacitance data to construct a capacitance value matrix, where the capacitance value matrix is ​​used to represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline to reflect the distribution of fouling.

[0072] S1003, the avionics system converts the capacitance value matrix into a visual target image, and the target image is used to display the location, size and shape of the scale inside the pipeline.

[0073] S1004: The avionics system determines whether it is necessary to send a descaling instruction to the wastewater system based on the target image.

[0074] If it is necessary to send a descaling instruction to the wastewater system, execute S1005; otherwise, return to S1001.

[0075] For example, if the avionics system determines that the lavatory equipment needs to be cleaned, it can send a fault message to the cabin system. After sending the fault message, the cabin system can temporarily stop using the lavatory equipment to perform necessary maintenance and cleaning.

[0076] S1005, the avionics system obtains the lavatory equipment information from the cabin system to determine whether it is occupied.

[0077] The avionics system will first detect whether the lavatory is occupied. If the lavatory is occupied, it returns to S1001. Otherwise, it executes S1006. That is, the avionics system will proceed to the next step only when the lavatory is not occupied.

[0078] S1006, determining whether a supplementary flushing operation has been performed.

[0079] When the toilet is not occupied, the wastewater system detects whether a supplementary flush has been performed. If a supplementary flush has been performed, S1008 is executed; otherwise, S1007 is executed. That is, the wastewater system will perform a supplementary toilet flush only when the toilet is not occupied and no supplementary flush has been performed.

[0080] S1007, start the toilet flushing operation.

[0081] Before flushing the toilet, the wastewater system control software monitors the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the aircraft (i.e., the cabin and the external environment). When the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the aircraft drops below a preset value, the wastewater system control software will issue a command. This command will energize the variable frequency motor driver of the vacuum generator and start the vacuum generator. The vacuum generator starts working and maintains the required vacuum level for the wastewater system by replenishing the pressure difference. When the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the aircraft rises above a preset value, the wastewater system control software will issue another command. This command will de-energize the variable frequency motor driver of the vacuum generator and stop the vacuum generator. The wastewater system uses the pressure difference formed by the cabin pressurization and the low pressure in the wastewater tank and pipeline as the power for the transportation of wastewater and gray water.

[0082] The wastewater system will first perform a replenishment toilet flush. After flushing, the wastewater system will wait for a preset time (e.g. 5 seconds) and then continue to monitor for scale accumulation.

[0083] S1008, start the ultrasonic vibration device and perform cleaning at the same time.

[0084] After the additional flushing, if it is detected that descaling is still needed, the wastewater system will start the ultrasonic vibration device. The vibration device will continue to work for a preset time (for example, 5 seconds) and flush while vibrating. By using ultrasonic cleaning equipment, scale can be cleaned.

[0085] Therefore, when the avionics system detects that the toilet needs to be cleaned, it will first notify the cabin system and temporarily stop using the toilet. Then, it will check whether the toilet is occupied and whether a supplementary flush has been performed. If it is not occupied and no supplementary flush has been performed, the wastewater system will perform a supplementary flush and monitor the scale accumulation. If cleaning is still required, the wastewater system will activate the ultrasonic vibration device for further cleaning. This process ensures that the toilet can be maintained and cleaned as necessary without affecting passenger use.

[0086] In summary, the present application provides a solution for aircraft wastewater pipe fouling monitoring and troubleshooting, which can be applied to existing aircraft wastewater systems. By utilizing electrical capacitance tomography technology, sensors are installed at key bends in the wastewater pipe to monitor fouling in a non-invasive, radiation-free, low-cost, and high-response manner. Once fouling is detected, the system will send an alarm through the control software and intelligently determine whether to start the descaling process. The system can quickly identify and clear pipe blockages, ensure the efficient operation of the wastewater system, and improve the economic benefits of aircraft operations and passenger comfort. This system is particularly suitable for complex large aircraft wastewater systems, and provides technical support for the research and development of a new generation of large aircraft.

[0087] In some embodiments, the present application also provides an aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes an aircraft control system as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0088] Specifically, the aircraft integrates the aforementioned aircraft control system. The aircraft control system realizes real-time monitoring of the scale accumulation status in the wastewater pipeline by installing sensors based on electrical capacitance tomography technology at key locations of the wastewater pipeline, such as bends. Electrical capacitance tomography technology ensures the accuracy and reliability of monitoring with its non-invasive, radiation-free, cost-effective and fast response characteristics. When the system detects scale accumulation in the pipeline, the control software will immediately send an alarm message and determine whether it is necessary to start the automatic descaling program based on the preset logic. This process ensures that the scale accumulation problem can be discovered and effectively handled in a timely manner, thereby avoiding system failures or reduced operating efficiency caused by pipeline blockage. In this way, the aircraft can maintain the normal operation of the wastewater system, ensure flight safety and passenger comfort, and also improve the economic efficiency of operations.

[0089] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An aircraft control system, characterized in that: The aircraft control system comprises: A wastewater system, comprising a wastewater pipe, wherein a capacitive sensor is installed at a bend of the wastewater pipe, the capacitive sensor being used to collect capacitance data reflecting the distribution of dielectric constant of fouling; The avionics system is responsible for processing the capacitance data to construct a capacitance value matrix, which is used to represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline to reflect the distribution of scale; and converting the capacitance value matrix into a visual target image, which is used to display the location, size and shape of scale inside the pipeline.

2. The aircraft control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capacitance sensor comprises array electrodes, which are distributed on the outer wall of the pipeline and are used to perform capacitance measurement to obtain capacitance data.

3. The aircraft control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The avionics system substitutes the capacitance data measured by the array electrodes into a preset formula, which represents the relationship between the capacitance value and the dielectric constant distribution, and performs linearization, discretization and normalization processing to obtain the capacitance value matrix, which is the product of the sensitive field matrix and the dielectric constant distribution matrix.

4. The aircraft control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The avionics system uses the capacitance value matrix and the sensitive field matrix to perform calculations to solve the dielectric constant distribution matrix and obtain the target image.

5. The aircraft control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aircraft control system also includes a cabin system. When the avionics system recognizes through monitoring the target image that the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe covered with scale exceeds a predetermined threshold and continues in this state for a preset time, the avionics system further confirms the occupancy status information of the washing equipment provided by the cabin system, and when the washing equipment is not occupied, the avionics system sends a descaling instruction to the wastewater system.

6. The aircraft control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wastewater system also includes a cleaning device, which uses an immersive ultrasonic vibrator or a flexible ultrasonic patch; the immersive ultrasonic vibrator is configured to be inserted into the inside of the pipe; the flexible ultrasonic patch is installed outside the pipe and is provided with a buffer pad on the side away from the pipe.

7. The aircraft control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capacitive sensor is a three-dimensional capacitive tomography sensor.

8. The aircraft control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dielectric constants of the scale deposits are higher than the dielectric constants of air and water, so that the capacitance data measured by the capacitance sensor can be used to reconstruct a distribution image of the scale deposits inside the pipeline.

9. A method for monitoring scale accumulation in aircraft wastewater pipes, characterized in that: The method comprises: Capacitance data reflecting the dielectric constant distribution of fouling is collected by installing a capacitance sensor at the bend of the aircraft wastewater pipe; Processing the capacitance data to construct a capacitance value matrix, wherein the capacitance value matrix is ​​used to represent the spatial variation of the dielectric constant inside the pipeline to reflect the distribution of scale accumulation; The capacitance value matrix is ​​converted into a visual target image, and the target image is used to display the location, size and shape of scale deposits inside the pipeline.

10. An aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft comprises an aircraft control system according to any one of claims 1-8.

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