Irregularity detection in a structure of an aircraft
AssigneesEuropean Aeronautic Defence and Space Company Eads France, EADS Deutschland GmbH
InventorsWerner Zimmerman, Jurgen Steinwandel, Sebastien Rolet, Didier Simonet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device, a system and a method for detecting an irregularity in a structure of an aircraft are proposed. The device includes a resonant circuit with a resonance frequency and a probe for tuning the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit. The resonant circuit and the probe are operatively connected in such a way that the probe changes the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit if the structure changes due to a formation of an irregularity.
Claims4
A method for detecting an irregularity in a structure of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- providing a transponder stimulated by a radio signal at a resonance frequency of a resonant circuit of said transponder, wherein
- a probe is connected to the resonant circuit so that, when probe is not damaged,
- said resonance frequency is significantly modified from a second resonance frequency to a first resonance frequency, and
- the probe is sensitively attached to a surface of the structure, said probe being damaged in case of a structure change due to formation of an irregularity;
- deducing that the structure has an irregularity if a return signal is received from the transponder and an ID number of an RFID tag, in which the resonant circuit is comprised, is readable when stimulating the transponder using a stimulating signal at the second resonance frequency of the resonant circuit;
- and
- deducing that the probe is not damaged and the structures has no irregularity if the transponder returns a signal and the ID number of the RFID tag, in which the resonant circuit is comprised, is not readable when stimulated using a stimulating signal at the first resonance frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.