Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01D3/00—Indicating or recording apparatus with provision for the special purposes referred to in the subgroups
  • G01D3/10—Indicating or recording apparatus with provision for the special purposes referred to in the subgroups with provision for switching-in of additional or auxiliary indicators or recorders

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for in situ diagnostics of a faulty avionic instrument.
• the invention relates to a method for in situ diagnostics of a failed avionics rescue instrument.
• the invention also relates to an on-board instrument for implementing the method according to the invention.
• the reliability of aircraft instruments used by airlines is measured according to two main criteria: -
• the average time between two identified failures (also known as MTBF) corresponds to the time observed in average between two failures of a device. This time depends on the design of the instrument and the conditions of use.
• the average time between two drops (also called MTBUR, acronym for the expression "Mean Time Before Removal Unit”) corresponds to the time actually elapsed between two drops of the device.
• MTBUR should be close to the MTBF. Any difference between these two average durations means that deposits are made without the causes of default being subsequently identified, either because the elements recorded during the default were not sufficient, or because the failure did not arise. of the device itself.
• a dashboard of an airliner is equipped with primary display screens and one or more backup instruments.
• the primary visualization screens are doubled, one group for the pilot and the other group for the co-pilot.
• Each group usually includes a screen showing the information of speed, altitude and attitude of the aircraft and a screen presenting the navigation information.
• Emergency instruments are used, but not exclusively, in case of failure of the primary display screens.
• an emergency instrument presents essential information for the piloting of the aircraft, in particular the speed, the altitude and the attitude of the aircraft.
• a rescue instrument must also be relatively autonomous and decorrelated from other aircraft instruments.
• it integrates for example sensors to generate the information it provides.
• it comprises for example a static pressure sensor and a total pressure sensor including defining the altitude and speed of the aircraft.
• It can also include an inertial unit, several temperature sensors and other types of sensors.
• the display screen of the standby instrument can be in liquid crystal technology.
• the standby instrument can receive information from sensors of other systems on the aircraft.
• This information passes through the serial bus of the aircraft, known as ARINC.
• This data can for example indicate the heading of the aircraft and are therefore displayed on the screen of the standby instrument.
• the standby instrument can also send information to the outside, especially to the autopilot. Indeed, since it itself generates some of the information it displays, it can provide this information to other systems integrated into the aircraft.
• the autopilot needs reliable information.
• an aircraft has at least two inertial units. However, they can break down or deliver false information.
• the standby instrument can compensate for the faulty central unit and / or indicate which of the two central stations provides the correct information.
• it is therefore particularly important to have at least three pieces of information for the same parameter.
• the standby instruments may include means for detecting failures and means for recording certain failure parameters.
• the latter if it detects its failure, records the characteristics of this failure and some parameters representing the current operating conditions.
• Current solutions have the following disadvantages:
• the instrument panel can not record all the parameters likely to allow a certain diagnosis for the failure; - some failures having a purely graphic manifestation, the manufacturers of instruments very often have many difficulties to identify the cause causing the failure.
• the subject of the invention is a method for diagnosing an instrument on board an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a pilot and possibly a co-pilot.
• the on-board instrument receives secondary signals from at least one sensor.
• the diagnostic method comprises the following steps: triggering a recording of the secondary signals on command of the pilot or co-pilot when he notices a failure of the on-board instrument;
• the recording of secondary signals is triggered during a flight of the aircraft.
• the recorded signals can be recovered on the ground.
• the instrument panel is for example a backup instrument. It can be connected to primary circuits, the primary circuits receiving primary signals from sensors, and the triggering of the recording of the secondary signals can trigger the recording of the primary signals.
• the on-board instrument processes the secondary signals by calculation means and display control means to obtain processed data and triggering the recording of the secondary signals triggers the recording of the signals. processed data.
• the secondary signals and, if necessary, the primary signals and the processed data are for example recorded periodically.
• the instrument panel may include an internal memory and the secondary signals and, if appropriate, the primary signals and processed data may be stored in the internal memory of the instrument panel.
• the subject of the invention is also an instrument for implementing the method as described above, the instrument instrument comprising means for triggering the recording of the secondary signals and, if necessary, primary signals. and processed data, accessible communication means without removing the instrument panel and an internal memory.
• the means for triggering the recording of the secondary signals comprise for example a command button.
• the communication means comprise an infrared transmission and / or reception component.
• the instrument panel is a backup instrument.
• FIG. 1 represents a dashboard of an aircraft, in particular an airliner, equipped with an emergency instrument
• FIG. 2 represents an instrument on board an aircraft, in particular an emergency instrument
• FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a display in the event of failure detection at this standby instrument
• FIG. 4 presents possible steps of the method according to the invention
• Figure 5 shows a block diagram of the assembly formed of the standby instrument and its connections with other devices of the aircraft.
• Figure 1 schematically shows a dashboard 1 of an airliner. It comprises two groups of display screens 2, 3. Each group includes a screen including information including altitude, speed and attitude and a screen with navigation information.
• the two groups 2, 3 are identical, one being reserved for the pilot and the other for the co-pilot. These two groups form the primary visualization screens. They are connected to primary circuits.
• a backup instrument 4 is placed between these two primary visualization groups. Optionally, it is possible to provide several backup instruments.
• the standby instrument 4 of FIG. 1 has at least altitude, speed and attitude information of the aircraft.
• FIG. 2 presents a backup instrument 4, of the electronic type, equipping an aircraft.
• the standby instrument 4 comprises a housing 10 and a display 11, for example a liquid crystal display.
• the standby instrument 4 is connected to a secondary circuit comprising, on the one hand, pressure sensors and, on the other hand, inertial sensors.
• the emergency instrument 4 can also receive information from the outside via the ARINC bus sent by other instruments.
• a first zone 12 shows the attitude of the airplane symbolized by its wings with respect to a skyline 13.
• a second zone 14 displays the speed of the airplane and a third zone 15 displays the altitude of the airplane .
• an area 16 is reserved for heading information.
• Figure 3 illustrates a case where there is a problem in detecting the attitude of the aircraft.
• the first zone 12 no longer displays an illustration and parameters symbolizing the attitude but a fault signal 31 or "flag".
• the word "ATT" is displayed, very clearly and prominently, to indicate to the pilots that attitude information is unavailable on the standby instrument.
• the problem of availability of the information lies in another zone, its operational display as shown in Figure 2, is then replaced by a signal of the type of Figure 3 for example.
• the corresponding zone 14 displays for example the word "SPD”.
• the corresponding zone 15 displays for example the word "ALT”, always prominently. Pilots note these failures in flight.
• Figure 4 is an illustration of the possible steps of the method according to the invention.
• the pilot or co-pilot noting a failure of the emergency instrument 4 triggers a recording of secondary signals from flight environment sensors, in particular pressure sensors and inertial sensors of the aircraft. emergency instrument 4.
• a second step 42 the secondary signals are recovered on the ground, after landing of the aircraft, for example by a maintenance team.
• a third step 43 the secondary signals are analyzed for a diagnosis of the failure of the backup instrument 4.
• FIG. 5 illustrates by a block diagram a backup instrument 4 according to the invention.
• This instrument integrates into a back-up system, the system components being integrated or not into the backup instrument 4.
• the backup system comprises in particular at least one total pressure sensor 51 and a static pressure sensor 52 to enable to generate altitude and speed information of the aircraft, as indicated above.
• the backup system may comprise other components, for example an inertial sensor 53 to provide attitude information of the aircraft.
• the standby instrument 53 may also be located inside or outside the standby instrument 4.
• the standby instrument may also receive information, including navigation information, provided by other systems via a bus, in particular the bus 54.
• ARINC plane may also be located inside or outside the standby instrument 4.
• processing means 55 arrive at processing means 55 internal to the backup instrument 4.
• These processing means 55 exploit the information from different sensors or external systems. They can also generate information for transmission to the outside, for example via the ARINC bus 54, in particular for the autopilot.
• a primary function however remains to display on the display 11 of the standby instrument 4 the flight information, this information including the altitude, speed and attitude of the aircraft but also other information. Flight information is not available directly from sensors 51, 52, 53. They must be calculated by the processing means 55 as a function of the measurements made by the sensors 51, 52, 53, but also as a function of possible initialization parameters entered for example by the pilots.
• the processing means 55 comprise a module 56 for calculating the flight information. Possibly, information previously calculated and directly usable can be provided by the bus 54. In all cases, the calculated information is provided to a control module 57 of the display of the display 1 1.
• the processing means 55 can also include an internal memory 58 allowing in particular to record the characteristics of a failure when the standby instrument 4 detects it.
• the emergency instrument 4 may also include a module 59 for communication with the outside of the aircraft to transmit in particular the characteristics of a failure.
• the communication module 59 uses, for example, a physical connection, a radio wave connection, or a light wave connection.
• the communication module uses a light connection module, in particular an infrared module.
• Such a connection avoids any interaction with instruments on board the aircraft.
• the communication module 59 should be compatible with the environment of the standby instrument 4, in particular with the standards aimed at limiting the power of the waves emitted by the electronic instruments.
• the standby instrument 4 is connected by the infrared module 59 to a diagnostic device, for example a computer.
• the computer comprises a communication module compatible with the communication module 59 of the standby instrument 4.
• the pilot or the co-pilot spots a failure of the standby instrument, whether or not the failure has been detected by the standby instrument 4, he controls a recording of secondary signals from the pressure sensors and inertial sensors of the emergency system.
• the recording of secondary signals can for example be triggered by a command on a control button provided on the backup instrument 4.
• all backup system secondary signals are recorded.
• the recording of all the secondary signals makes it possible in particular to identify a possible failure of a sensor and to verify that the emergency instrument 4 has not failed.
• the data from the processing means 55 are also recorded.
• the flight information obtained by the calculation module 56 and the display data obtained by the control module 57 of the display can be recorded with the secondary signals. Such a recording makes it possible in particular to check the correct operation of the modules 56 and 57 for calculating and controlling the display.
• the secondary signals and, where appropriate, the data coming from the processing means 55 are recorded in the internal memory 58 of the standby instrument 4.
• the use of the internal memory 58 avoids the adding a specific memory.
• the secondary signals and, if appropriate, the data from the processing means 55 may for example be recorded periodically from the start of the recording.
• the periodic recording makes it possible in particular to store a large number of information over a long period, while occupying a small memory space.
• the secondary signals and, where appropriate, the data coming from the processing means 55 may in particular be recorded for a predetermined period, until the pilot or co-pilot interrupts the recording voluntarily, or until the landing of the plane.
• the duration of the recording may however be determined in any other way without departing from the scope of the invention. The choice of the recording duration can for example be made according to the occurrence and the type of failure. Since the standby instrument 4 is connected to other on-board instruments, in particular to the on-board instruments of the primary circuits, the triggering of the recording of the secondary signals and, if necessary, data from the processing means 55 can also trigger a recording of instrument data of the primary circuits of the aircraft.
• primary signals from the Pressure sensors and inertial sensors of the primary circuits are also recorded.
• All the primary signals and data of the primary circuits correlated to the secondary signals and data from the processing means 55 may be recorded.
• the data recording of the primary circuit instruments makes it possible, in particular, to compare with the respective data of the standby instrument 4.
• the data of the instruments of the primary circuits can be recorded for example in an internal memory for each instrument of edge.
• these are recorded in the only internal memory 58 of the standby instrument 4.
• the secondary signals and, as the case may be, the data coming from the processing means 55, the primary signals and the data of the primary circuits are recovered after landing of the aircraft, for example by a flight crew. maintenance.
• a diagnostic device for example a computer, communicates with the rescue instrument 4 by the communication module 59 and retrieves all the signals and data recorded during the flight.
• the primary signals and the data of the primary circuits recorded during the flight are recovered by means of the only backup instrument 4, in particular by its communication module 59.
• This embodiment avoids multiple connections with the various primary circuit edge instruments having recorded signals and data from the primary circuits. A faster diagnosis of the emergency instrument 4 is thus possible.
• the secondary signals and, if appropriate, the data coming from the processing means 55, the primary signals and the data of the primary circuits are analyzed with a view to a diagnosis of the failure of the backup instrument 4
• the diagnosis can for example be carried out by a diagnostic program installed in the computer.
• the diagnostic program can notably compare the secondary signals with the corresponding primary signals. he can also analyze the data from the processing means 55 as a function of the secondary signals.
• the method according to the invention allows a complete diagnosis of the failure of the backup instrument 4, without requiring a specific onboard computer to the detection of failures.
• the diagnostic device is external to the aircraft; it does not require a navigation certification. It is also possible to go back to the source cause of the failure and to change the instrument panel, the sensor, or any other device that has actually failed, without removing the apparently faulty emergency instrument 4. As a result, only failing devices are replaced. The method thus saves both time and money, while ensuring better flight safety by the appropriate replacement of faulty devices.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Navigation (AREA)
• Alarm Systems (AREA)
• Testing Or Calibration Of Command Recording Devices (AREA)
• Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)

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• 2007
  • 2007-10-05 FR FR0707004A patent/FR2922013B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2008
  • 2008-09-25 EP EP08835404A patent/EP2195614A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-09-25 CN CN200880114665A patent/CN101849162A/zh active Pending
  • 2008-09-25 CA CA2701742A patent/CA2701742A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-09-25 WO PCT/EP2008/062856 patent/WO2009043800A2/fr not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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