Aircraft Structural Damage Decision Support With Knowledge Graphs

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Solution Overview

Problem

The process of determining whether aircraft structural damage is within allowable damage limits (ADL) is cumbersome and time-consuming due to the extensive nature of the Structural Repair Manual (SRM), requiring engineers to navigate through thousands of pages.

Innovation Solution

A digital Structural Repair Manual (DSRM) utilizing a Knowledge Graph (KG) that plots damage on a 3D model, traverses relationships to identify ADLs, and provides prompt displays using a maintenance user interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the SRM is used as a comprehensive reference for aircraft structural damage assessment, then complete and accurate damage limit information is available, but the time required to locate and retrieve relevant information increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamage limit information completenessVSAvoidinformation retrieval time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the relevant allowable damage limit information from the extensive SRM database based on the specific damage location and type, presenting only the necessary data to the engineer rather than requiring search through thousands of pages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A digital intermediary system with knowledge graph and 3D model integration is introduced between the engineer and the SRM database, automatically querying and retrieving the specific damage limit information based on plotted damage parameters, thereby eliminating manual navigation through the manual

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the SRM is structured with detailed sections and tables for comprehensive coverage, then all possible damage scenarios are addressed, but the complexity of navigating the document increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamage scenario coverageVSAvoiddocument navigation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The manual mechanical navigation process through document sections and tables is replaced with an automated digital system that uses 3D model coordinates and knowledge graph queries to directly retrieve applicable damage limits, eliminating the need for engineers to manually navigate complex document structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If the damage assessment process requires checking multiple conditions and consolidating data from various sections, then accurate damage evaluation is achieved, but the effort and time required increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamage evaluation accuracyVSAvoidassessment speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary automated queries to the knowledge graph using the plotted damage parameters, pre-retrieving all relevant damage limit information and conditions before the engineer needs to analyze them, thereby reducing the time required for data consolidation while maintaining evaluation accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250333189A1Digital structural damage decision support

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

Aspects herein use a Digital SRM (DSRM) with a maintenance user interface. In one embodiment, the DSRM is a Knowledge Graph (KG) of nodes and edges which uses natural language processing (NLP) and image processing to retrieve relevant information derived from SRM PDF documents. In the KG, Entity descriptions contribute to one another, forming a network, where each entity represents part of the description of the entities in which each entity is related. The entities have properties describing each entity and each entity is interlinked via relationships such as allowable damage limits (ADL).