Fiber Optic Weight Sensor Decoupling Thermal Strain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methodologies fail to accurately differentiate between mechanical and thermally induced strain measurements in aircraft landing gear, leading to inaccurate load calculations due to thermal compensation issues affected by sensor accuracy, geometry, and thermal bulk.
Innovation Solution
A computing device communicatively coupled to a sensor subsystem on the landing gear decouples total strain into mechanical and thermal components using multiple sensors oriented in different directions, incorporating temperature characteristics to isolate mechanical strain, and refines coefficients based on sensor data and system test results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If thermal compensation is applied using traditional methods, then temperature effects are partially compensated, but measurement precision deteriorates due to sensor accuracy limitations, geometry constraints, and thermal bulk effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the total strain measurement into distinct mechanical and thermal components by deploying multiple fiber optic sensors in different orientations (longitudinal and transverse). This segmentation allows independent measurement of each strain component, enabling accurate differentiation between mechanical load effects and thermal expansion effects without relying on traditional thermal compensation methods that are limited by sensor geometry and thermal bulk.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors in different orientations are deployed, then ability to differentiate strain components improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs fiber optic sensors that serve multiple functions simultaneously: they measure longitudinal strain, transverse strain, and temperature effects. By using the same sensor technology platform for multiple measurement purposes and applying mathematical decoupling algorithms, the system achieves comprehensive strain component differentiation without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If traditional thermal compensation methods are used, then implementation is simpler, but measurement accuracy deteriorates under varying thermal conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical thermal compensation methods with an optical-based fiber optic sensing system. The fiber optic sensors detect strain through optical wavelength shifts, and mathematical algorithms decouple mechanical and thermal components. This substitution eliminates the limitations of traditional methods related to sensor geometry and thermal bulk, providing accurate load measurements even under rapidly varying thermal conditions during aircraft operations.
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 approach enables precise measurement of mechanical strain, allowing for accurate calculation of aircraft gross weight and center of gravity, reducing errors and improving reliability in varying thermal conditions.
Implementation Method 1
fiber optic sensors bond to a mechanical structure to sense a total strain by measuring a shift in wavelength of reflected light caused by mechanical strain in the mechanical structure
Implementation Method 2
changes in altitude subject the landing gear to thermally induced strain caused by changes in temperature at different altitudes
Data Source
AI summary
A measuring system and method that computes and analyzes sensor data fused with multiple mechanical and thermally induced strain measurements is provided. Further, the measuring system and method realizes physics-based relations between sensor readings due to mechanical and thermal sources by optimally de-coupling a total strain into its mechanical and thermal components. The measuring system and method also auto-tunes coefficients involved in the optimal de-coupling equations using sensor specification data and previous system test results for initialization.