Method and system for health monitoring of aircraft landing gear

An aircraft landing gear health monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of replaceable landing gear components of the aircraft landing gear system, the system comprising:

• a plurality of sub-systems each comprising:
• a plurality of sensors each independently connected to separate replaceable components of a pre-determined sub-system of the aircraft landing gear and operable to measure real-time data associated with the status of each replaceable component when the aircraft power is switched on and when the aircraft power is switched off;
• and
• a processor connected to the plurality of sensors for receiving the real-time data therefrom and operable to determine the current condition of the sub-system by comparing the real-time data to pre-determined stored health data associated with each replaceable component of the sub-system, the pre-determined health data including data relating to the historic condition of each replaceable component, including actual fatigue and historic load conditions, the current condition comprising the probability of failure and the remaining useful life of the sub-system;
• each replaceable component of the landing gear structure including an electronic memory device attached thereto for storing the pre-determined health data associated with the replaceable component to which it is attached, wherein replacement of one of the replaceable components also replaces the attached electronic memory device and the pre-determined health data stored thereon, the electronic memory device being operable to transmit the stored data to at least one of the sensors, associated with the component, and the processor;
• and
• a reporting device connected to each of the sub-systems for receiving data therefrom and operable to report at least one of the real-time data and the current condition of each of the sub-systems.

A method for monitoring and diagnosing the health of an aircraft landing gear system having two or more replaceable components, the method comprising the steps of:

• (i) measuring real-time data associated with the status of at least one replaceable component of the aircraft landing gear system;
• (ii) transmitting the real-time data to a processor for processing;
• (iii) processing the real-time data and pre-determined health data associated with the at least one replaceable component, the pre-determined health data including data relating to the historic condition of the at least one replaceable component, including actual fatigue and historic load conditions, to calculate a current condition of the at least one replaceable component, the current condition comprising the probability of failure and the remaining useful life of the at least one replaceable component for determining if any maintenance is required;
• (iv) recording the calculated condition of the at least one replaceable component and storing the calculated condition on an electronic memory device attached to the at least one component, each of the two or more replaceable components having an attached electronic memory wherein replacement of the at least one replaceable component also replaces the attached electronic memory device and the pre-determined health data stored thereon;
• and
• (v) reporting at least one of the real-time data, the calculated condition and any required maintenance.