Aircraft Evacuation Slide Lighting Using Piezoelectric Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft evacuation slide lighting systems face challenges such as wiring damage during folding and deployment, reliability issues due to inaccessible components, and difficulty in testing, leading to inadequate lighting during emergencies.
Innovation Solution
A self-powered, wireless lighting system using piezoelectric sensors that generate electrical energy from vibrations and pressure changes within the evacuation slide, powering LED lights independently and eliminating the need for wires and battery packs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wired lighting systems are used in evacuation slides, then lighting can be provided during emergency evacuation, but wiring may be damaged during folding and deployment and components become inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the wiring harness and battery pack from the lighting system, extracting the problematic components that cause reliability issues and accessibility problems. The lighting system is reconfigured to be wireless and self-powered, eliminating the wiring that gets damaged during folding and deployment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system powers itself using piezoelectric sensors that generate electrical energy from the vibrations and mechanical movements inherent in the slide's deployment and evacuation process. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external power sources and wiring, making the system more reliable and easier to maintain.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If battery-powered lighting systems are used, then continuous illumination can be provided, but battery replacement and maintenance become frequent and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously generates its own power through piezoelectric sensors that harvest energy from vibrations during slide deployment and evacuation. This eliminates batteries entirely, removing all associated maintenance, replacement, and charging requirements while providing continuous lighting throughout the evacuation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy source from chemical (batteries) to mechanical energy conversion (piezoelectric effect). This parameter change transforms the lighting system from requiring periodic battery replacement to continuously self-powered through vibration energy harvesting during normal operation.
3Area of stationary object
If complex wiring harnesses are used to power lights, then lighting coverage can be extended, but wiring damage and single-point failures increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into multiple independent lighting modules distributed along the slide. Each module contains its own piezoelectric sensor and light source, operating independently without interconnections. This segmentation eliminates wiring entirely while maintaining comprehensive lighting coverage across the entire slide area.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiring harness is completely extracted from the system. Instead of using wires to connect power sources to multiple lights, each lighting module is self-contained and wireless, eliminating the source of wiring damage and single-point failures while preserving full lighting coverage.
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
The system enhances reliability by preventing wiring damage, reduces maintenance frequency, and ensures consistent lighting without single-point failures, offering flexibility in light configurations and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric sensor coupled to the case, the piezoelectric sensor comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion, and a light source in electronic communication with the piezoelectric sensor
Data Source
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AI summary
A self-powered, wireless lighting system for an aircraft evacuation system. The lighting system includes a piezoelectric sensor (122, 422, 522) configured to generate electrical energy under an aircraft evacuation event when the aircraft evacuation system is deployed, and a first light source (124, 524) disposed on the aircraft evacuation system, the first light source (124, 524) configured to provide illumination to the aircraft evacuation system. The piezoelectric sensor (122, 422, 522) is operably connected to the first light source (124, 524) and configured to supply electrical energy to the light source (124, 524) based on vibrations in the evacuation system during deployment of the evacuation system and during use of the evacuation system as passengers evacuate the aircraft.