Aircraft Undercarriage Wheel Speed Measurement Dual Processor Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional aircraft wheel tachometers, especially those using active sensors, are prone to reduced reliability due to sensitivity to mechanical stresses, temperature, and moisture cycles, leading to potential loss of anti-lock function when additional components fail.
Innovation Solution
A measurement device with dual processor units and measurement units for each wheel, where each processor unit powers and acquires signals from both measurement units, ensuring that a failure in one processor does not disrupt the anti-lock function, and amplifiers are used to compensate for signal differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional functions (digitizing, filtering, processing, transmitting) are added to the tachometer using electrical power supply, then the measurement capabilities and functionality are improved, but the reliability is reduced due to increased sensitivity to mechanical stresses, temperature, and moisture cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the tachometer functions into separate processor units, with each processor unit responsible for specific wheels. This segmentation isolates failures to individual processor units rather than causing complete system failure, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving enhanced measurement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Each processor unit is dedicated to specific wheels and contains localized processing capabilities. This local quality approach ensures that failures are contained locally and do not propagate throughout the entire system, maintaining overall system reliability while providing advanced measurement functions where needed.
2Device complexity
If a single processor unit is used per tachometer, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability is reduced because a single failure disables the entire anti-lock function
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the processor functions into multiple independent processor units, each handling specific wheels. This segmentation increases reliability through functional distribution while keeping each individual processor unit relatively simple in design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the architectural parameter from a single centralized processor to multiple distributed processors. This parameter change transforms the system from vulnerable to resilient, as failures in one processor do not compromise the entire anti-lock function.
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 configuration significantly improves the reliability of the anti-lock function by reducing the failure rate of the measurement device, effectively doubling the mean time between critical failures and ensuring continuous operation even if one processor unit fails.
Implementation Method 1
The passive sensor thus includes a coil having terminals across which a measurement voltage is induced, which voltage is representative of the speed of rotation of the wheel
Implementation Method 2
Attempts have been made to improve the accuracy with which the speed of rotation of the wheel is measured and to improve the sensitivity of the measurement at low speed by using an active sensor, e.g., a Hall effect sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A measurement device for measuring speeds of rotation of at least two wheels of an aircraft undercarriage includes a measurement unit and a processor unit associated with each wheel. The measurement unit of each wheel is configured to transform the speed of rotation of the wheel into an electrical magnitude. The processor unit of each wheel is configured to acquire the electrical magnitudes produced by at least two measurement units in order to transform the electrical magnitudes into digital measurement signals representative of the speeds of rotation of at least two wheels, and in order to transmit the digital measurement signals to external equipment.