Structural health management with active control using integrated elasticity measurement
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHarris O. Hinnant, JR., Darin W. Brekke, David J. Black, JR.
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Abstract
A system and method for actively controlling a structure is disclosed. At least one non-optimal event is identified in real-time based on at least one real-time elasticity measurement, if an event threshold exceeds a predetermined value. In response to an active control command, a control mechanism is then activated in real-time to compensate for the non-optimal event.
Claims20
A control method for actively compensating for a non-optimal event in a structure, the method comprising:
- receiving a Vehicle Structural Health (VSH) threshold from a VSH threshold database in-real-time, wherein the VSH threshold is derived from real-time elasticity measurements comprising real-time relative measurements between measurement points and their respective design reference points on the structure to provide the real-time relative measurements related to design data;
- identifying at least one non-optimal event in real-time, if the VSH threshold exceeds a predetermined value;
- and
- compensating for the at least one non-optimal event by activating at least one control mechanism in real-time in response to an active control command, wherein the at least one non-optimal event comprises structural twisting, bending or displacement induced by at least one force received on the structure.
A system for actively controlling a structure in real-time, the system comprising:
- a data analyzer module operable to receive a Vehicle Structural Health (VSH) threshold from a VSH threshold database in real-time, wherein the VSH threshold is derived from a real-time elasticity measurements comprising real-time relative measurements between measurement points and their respective design reference points on the structure to provide the real-time relative measurements related to design data;
- a processing module operable to identifying at least one non-optimal event in real-time, if the VSH threshold exceeds a predetermined value;
- and
- an active control initiation module operable to compensate for the at least one non-optimal event by activating at least one control mechanism in real-time in response to an active control command, wherein the at least one non-optimal event comprises structural twisting, bending or displacement induced by at least one force received on the structure.
A control method for actively compensating for a non-optimal event in a structure, the method comprising:
- updating a Vehicle Structural Health (VSH) threshold database based on real-time elasticity measurements to provide an updated VSH threshold database, wherein the real-time elasticity measurements comprise relative measurements between measurement points and their respective design reference points on the structure to provide real-time relative measurements related to design data;
- receiving an event threshold from the updated VSH threshold database;
- identifying at least one non-optimal event in real-time, if the event threshold exceed a predetermined value;
- and
- activating a control mechanism in real-time to compensate for the at least one non-optimal event in response to an active control command, wherein the at least one non-optimal event comprises structural twisting, bending or displacement induced by at least one force received on the structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.