Aircraft control surface element monitoring system

An aircraft including an aircraft control surface element system, the aircraft control surface element system comprising:

• an aircraft wing structure having a fixed part and a control surface element;
• the control surface element is operably moveable relative to the fixed part;
• a signal generator;
• a signal transmitter coil electrically connected to the signal generator;
• a signal detector;
• a signal receiver coil electrically connected to the signal detector;
• a signal transmission unit located in the control surface element;
• the signal transmission unit comprising comprises a first coil and a second coil, the first coil being electrically connected to the second coil;
• the signal transmitter coil, the signal transmission unit and the signal receiver coil forming at least a portion of an inductively coupled transmission line;
• the signal generator operable to provide an electrical signal to the signal transmitter coil and the signal detector is configured to detect the electrical signal via the signal receiver coil;
• the signal detector is configured to determine a condition of the control surface element by comparing a detected electrical signal to a predetermined signal characteristic;
• and
• the predetermined signal characteristic including at least one of:
• a peak voltage;
• a peak root mean squared voltage;
• a voltage profile over time;
• and an original phase of the electric signal produced by the signal generator.

A method for determining a condition of one or more aircraft moveable elements, each of the one or more aircraft moveable elements having installed thereon a respective moveable element signal transmission unit, each moveable element signal transmission unit comprising a first signal transmission unit coil and a second signal transmission unit coil, the first signal transmission unit coil being electrically connected to the second signal transmission unit coil, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• generating, using a signal generator, an electrical signal;
• providing the electrical signal from the signal generator to a signal transmitter coil;
• transmitting the electrical signal from the signal generator to a signal receiver coil via an inductively coupled transmission line formed from the signal transmitter coil, the one or more moveable element signal transmission units and the signal receiver coil;
• providing the electrical signal from the signal receiver coil to a signal detector;
• detecting, using the signal detector, the electrical signal;
• determining, using the signal detector, a condition of one or more moveable elements by comparing the detected electrical signal to a predetermined signal characteristic;
• and
• the predetermined signal characteristic including at least one of:
• a peak voltage;
• a peak root mean squared voltage;
• a voltage profile over time;
• and an original phase of the electric signal produced by the signal generator.