Aircraft Fault Isolation Using In-Flight Parameter Capture
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for fault isolation and maintenance in aircraft are labor-intensive and limited by the inability to accurately recreate flight conditions on the ground, leading to ineffective diagnosis and correction of faults.
Innovation Solution
An electronic control unit with processors and memory modules that identify faults during flight, measure relevant parameters, and determine whether these values are within acceptable ranges, thereby guiding maintenance procedures based on actual flight conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual fault isolation procedures are used with ground-based measurements, then maintenance can be performed, but diagnostic accuracy is limited because flight conditions cannot be recreated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically recording fault data, environmental parameters, and operational conditions at the moment a fault occurs during flight. This preliminary data collection enables accurate later analysis without needing to recreate flight conditions, as the actual flight data is already captured and stored for maintenance personnel to review.
2Ease of repair
If traditional manual fault isolation procedures are used, then maintenance can be performed, but the process is highly labor intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically performing fault detection, data recording, and preliminary analysis without requiring extensive manual intervention. The electronic control unit autonomously monitors aircraft systems, identifies faults, and compiles relevant data, reducing the maintenance crew's workload to reviewing automated findings rather than performing manual measurements and diagnostics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement processes with automated electronic monitoring and data collection systems. Instead of maintenance personnel physically measuring parameters during fault isolation, electronic sensors and control units automatically capture and transmit data, substituting mechanical human operations with automated electronic systems.
3Loss of information
If limited fault information is recorded during flight, then storage requirements are minimized, but the effectiveness of ground-based fault isolation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies extraction by selectively capturing and storing only the specific fault-related data and environmental parameters relevant to diagnostic needs. Rather than storing all possible aircraft operational data, the system extracts and records only the critical information associated with detected faults, maintaining data completeness for diagnosis while minimizing unnecessary storage requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of performing fault isolation for an aircraft comprises identifying a fault that occurs during a flight of the aircraft; identifying a first set of parameters associated with the aircraft based on the identification of the fault; automatically determining values of the first set of parameters to obtain a first set of measured values; determining whether the first set of measured values are within acceptable ranges; and identifying a source of the fault based on the determination of whether the first set of measured values are within the acceptable ranges.