Aircraft Tire Pressure Sensing With Local Data Logging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft tire pressure monitoring systems are cumbersome for ground crew to use, often require manual checks that are unreliable and infrequent, and are expensive to retrofit, especially for aircraft without integrated systems.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained tire pressure sensor device with a pressure sensor, temperature sensor, and local control unit that records data over time, allowing for wireless communication with a handheld device for efficient and systematic pressure monitoring, including motion sensors to determine flight status and prevent inaccurate readings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual tire pressure checks are performed, then tire pressure can be measured, but the process is time-consuming and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The tire pressure sensor device autonomously performs measurements and stores data without requiring manual intervention. The sensor automatically records pressure readings at predetermined intervals and stores them in memory, eliminating the need for ground crew to manually check each tire while maintaining reliable and systematic measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical pressure checking with an automated electronic sensor system. The pressure sensor electronically measures and transmits data to a control unit and memory device, substituting the manual mechanical gauge method with an automated electronic measurement and storage system that operates without human intervention.
2Reliability
If integrated tire pressure monitoring systems are installed, then systematic pressure recording is improved, but the system becomes complex and expensive to retrofit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring function into separate modular components: a pressure sensor, a control unit, and a memory device. These segmented components work together to provide systematic pressure recording without requiring a complex integrated system, allowing for simpler installation and maintenance while maintaining reliable data collection.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it receives pressure data from the sensor, determines aircraft flight status using motion sensors, decides when to store readings based on flight conditions, and manages memory storage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, simplifying the overall system while maintaining systematic recording capability.
3Ease of operation
If ground crew board the aircraft to check tire pressure, then pressure data can be accessed, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a portable reader device as an intermediary that can wirelessly communicate with the sensor system from outside the aircraft. This allows ground crew to access tire pressure data without boarding the aircraft, simplifying the inspection process and saving time while maintaining ease of data access.
Data Source
AI summary
A tire pressure sensor device (122) for a wheel (112) of an aircraft (102) including a pressure sensor (124) for measuring the internal pressure of a tire, a temperature sensor (126) for measuring a temperature local to the tire (116), a memory unit (131) local to the tire for storing data, and a control unit (128) local to the tire arranged to record in the memory unit (131) data of the readings taken at intervals of time. The data recorded for each reading includes an indication of the time of the reading, the tire pressure and the temperature local to the tire. Measurements may be taken and recorded over time, both when the aircraft is on the ground and when the aircraft is in flight. Data may be uploaded to a portable handheld device (140) for analysis when maintaining the tires in their correctly inflated state.