Damage detection for aircraft parts
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorTyson Henry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment is a rotorcraft including a rotor system, and a transmission system for providing rotational power to the rotor system. The transmission system includes a housing, and a planetary pinion gear disposed in the housing. The rotorcraft further includes a system for detecting damage includes a break wire embedded in the planetary pinion gear, the break wire configured to break when a crack develops in the planetary pinion gear and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for indicating breakage of the break wire to an RFID reader.
Claims20
A rotorcraft comprising:
- a rotor system;
- and
- a transmission system for providing rotational power to the rotor system, the transmission system comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- a planetary pinion gear disposed in the housing;
- and
- a system for detecting damage to the planetary pinion gear during operation thereof, the system comprising;
- a break wire embedded in the planetary pinion gear, the break wire configured to break when a crack develops in the planetary pinion gear;
- and
- a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for indicating breakage of the break wire to an RFID reader.
A system for detecting an occurrence of a catastrophic failure event in connection with a gear of an aircraft during operation of the aircraft, the system comprising:
- a break wire embedded in the gear, the break wire configured to break upon the occurrence of the catastrophic failure event;
- and
- a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for indicating breakage of the break wire to an RFID reader.
A method for detecting an occurrence of a catastrophic failure event in connection with a planetary pinion gear of an aircraft disposed within a housing during operation of the aircraft, the method comprising:
- detecting a rupture of a break wire embedded in the planetary pinion gear, the break wire configured to break upon the occurrence of the catastrophic failure event;
- and
- signaling the detected rupture to a system disposed outside of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.