Aircraft Controller Prognostic Core for In-Flight Wireless Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complex housing designs and mounting arrangements of Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) in aircraft make it difficult to retrieve recorded operating and fault data without exposing internal components to foreign object damage, requiring physical removal of the LRU for data access, which is often done offsite.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft controller with a multi-core processor that includes a partitioned prognostic core capable of wirelessly exchanging data with a Prognostics and Health Monitoring (PHM) system, allowing data retrieval during flight without interrupting high-priority control operations and without exposing internal components to damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If physical removal of LRU is performed to access data, then data can be retrieved, but internal components are exposed to foreign object damage and operation time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
A wireless communication interface acts as an intermediary between the LRU and external systems, enabling data retrieval without physical access to internal components. The wireless transceiver allows prognostic and diagnostic data to be transmitted through the housing structure, eliminating the need to open the LRU and exposing internal components to damage.
2Loss of information
If physical removal of LRU is performed to access data, then data can be retrieved, but aircraft operation time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The LRU performs self-service by autonomously transmitting its own prognostic and diagnostic data through the wireless communication interface. This eliminates the need for physical removal and manual data extraction, allowing continuous aircraft operation while data is automatically available for retrieval.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication interface is pre-configured and activated before any data retrieval is needed. Data can be transmitted and retrieved at any time during aircraft operation without requiring preliminary physical access or removal of the LRU, enabling on-demand data access.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If complex housing design is used to protect internal components, then components are protected from damage, but data access becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication interface serves multiple functions: it enables data transmission, provides system status monitoring, and facilitates diagnostic capabilities all through the existing protective housing. This multi-functional approach maintains component protection while enabling comprehensive data access without physical access to internal components.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft includes an electrical system and an electronic controller. The electronic controller includes a main processor (104) and a multi-core processor. The multi-core processor includes a control core (116) in signal communication with the electrical system, and one or more prognostics cores (118) configured to process and analyze prognostics and diagnostics data of the electrical system independently from operation of the control core. A wireless device (200) is in signal communication with one or more of the prognostics cores to receive the prognostics and diagnostics data therefrom. The aircraft further includes a prognostics and health monitoring (PHM) system (202) located remotely from the electronic controller. The PHM system is configured to wirelessly receive the prognostics and diagnostics data from the wireless device.