Air Data Probe Port Sealing for Thermal Leak Checks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current leak check tests for air data systems on aircraft are time-consuming and require costly, bulky specialized equipment, as they involve introducing pressurized air and comparing pressures to detect leaks.
Innovation Solution
A device with a proximity sensor, such as an RFID tag, seals the ports of the air data system's probe and uses a heater to increase air temperature, measuring pressure changes to determine if the system is sealed, eliminating the need for pressurized air and specialized equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pressurized air is introduced and pressure comparison is used to detect leaks, then leak detection accuracy is improved, but equipment complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pressure comparison system with a thermal-based measurement system. Instead of using bulky pressure sources and comparison equipment, the invention uses temperature changes to induce pressure changes that are measured by sensors, thereby detecting leaks through thermal-mechanical coupling rather than direct mechanical pressure application.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the measurement parameter from direct pressure comparison to temperature-induced pressure change measurement. By heating the air inside the sealed system and measuring the resulting pressure change, the system achieves leak detection through a different physical parameter relationship, simplifying the required equipment while maintaining detection accuracy.
2Reliability
If pressurized air and specialized equipment are used for leak checks, then sealing integrity is accurately determined, but time consumption and operational efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-heating the air inside the system before leak detection. The heating element is activated to raise the air temperature, which automatically creates the pressure differential needed for leak detection without requiring external pressurization equipment, thereby reducing setup time and operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own internal heating element and air volume to generate the test conditions needed for leak detection. Instead of relying on external specialized equipment to provide pressurized air, the system self-generates the necessary pressure changes through controlled heating of its internal air volume, making the process faster and more self-contained.
3Measurement precision
If bulky specialized equipment is used for leak checks, then accurate leak detection is achieved, but portability and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential leak detection function from bulky specialized equipment and implements it using minimal components: a heating element, temperature sensor, and pressure sensor. By removing the need for external pressurized air sources and complex comparison equipment, the system becomes portable while retaining accurate leak detection capability through thermal-mechanical measurement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces the complexity and cost of leak checks by using temperature-induced pressure changes to assess sealing integrity, allowing for efficient and portable testing without the need for pressurized air, thus reducing aircraft downtime and increasing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
heating air within a gas path in the air data system using a heater in the probe. The increase in temperature causes the pressure of the air within the air data system to increase
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A device (10) for use in a leak check test of an air data system (12) includes a device body (14), an opening (18) extending into the device body (14) with the opening (18) being configured to allow a probe (22) to be at least partially inserted into the opening (18), and walls (16) surrounding the opening (18) with the walls (16) being situated to seal a port (24) in the probe (22) such that air is prevented from flowing into or out of the port (24) while the probe (22) is inserted into the opening (18). A method of performing a leak check test includes covering the port (24) with the device (10) to seal the port (24), heating air within a gas path in the air data system (12), measuring the change in pressure of the air resulting from an increase in temperature of the air, and determining whether the air data system (12) is sealed depending on the change in pressure of the air.