Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Donaldson Comapny, Inc.

Textron Innovations Inc.

Other

Rolls-royce North American Technologies Inc.

Bell Textron Inc.

Brian Edward Tucker

John R Hacker

Brent A Gulsvig

Bradley S Honermann

Mark S Emery

Gary H Gift

Kent Mehlhop

David B Harder

Charles Eric Covington

Scott David Poster

Kurt Joscher

Michael J Gustafson

Joseph Wendelsdorf

Scott A Betcher

Daniel Eric Adamek

Andrew J Dallas

Bryan Kenneth Baskin

James M McCollough

Jeremy Robert Chavez

Glenn Alan Shimek

Davis B Moravec

Paul Madej

Matthew Curtis Ledbetter

Thomas B Priest

Daniel Wesley Rowe

David Platz

Leonard N Jones

Michael Eugene Moody

Richard Marcos Muñiz

Kenneth P Skaja

Paul R Hennen

Gwenolé Stouthuysen

Troy Cyril Schank

Drew Alan Sutton

Robert Patrick Wardlaw

Bradly G Hauser

Walter West Riley

Joseph M Block

Paul Anthony Way

Aflal Rahmathullah

David W Mulder

Charles S Christ

Matthew P Goertz

Rodney Keith Hale

Vijay K Kapoor

Steven Kirk Spears

Wijadi Jodi

Kevin Conrad

Stephen K Sontag

Stuti S Rajgarhia

Michael J Lockert, Jr

Douglas Boyd

Timothy O Winters

Stephen Johnston

Cullen E Hall

Keith Hale

Brandon Johnson

William S Rossiter

Tom L Wood

William D Girard

Daryl L Quam

Colter A Marcks

Matthew J Anderson

Silvio Mario Lopez

Drew Franklin Waller

Jobin J Thomas

Bang Nguyen

Allen Altman

Brian Mesing

Chris Thompson

Larry A Plowman

James M Mccollough

Joseph W Wendelsdorf

Richard Marcos Muniz

David A Platz

Richard Muniz

Tom Wood

Stephen R Johnston

One embodiment is a system including a component for installation on a vehicle comprising a central maintenance computer ('CMC'); a configuration/maintenance module (“CMM”) associated with the component and including memory for storing component information, a sensor for detecting a condition and generating data indicative thereof; a microprocessor for processing the sensor data and updating the component information with the processing results; and a communications interface between the CMM and the CMC. The system further includes a remaining useful life (“RUL”) module associated with the component that periodically updates an RUL, the RUL module periodically updating an RUL value for the component and communicating the updated RUL value to the CMM for storage in the memory. The CMC communicates with the CMM to update the component information included in the memory based on information input to the CMC by a user or changes in a condition of the vehicle.

On-component tracking of maintenance, usage, and remaining useful life

A droplet detection system includes a sensing channel, such as a microfluidic channel, configured to receive a flow of fluid that may contain one or more liquid droplets dispersed in the fluid. The cross-sectional area of the sensing channel maybe configured to allow droplets of a predetermined size to flow through the channel one at a time. A light source, a light aperture, and a light detector are positioned outside the sensing channel, which use light in a selected frequency band that has a substantially different absorbance for the liquid compared to the fluid. Liquid droplets may be detected and characterized using a signal from the light detector.

Droplet sensors for fuel systems

A filter arrangement for threadably securing to a filter head includes a housing having a surrounding wall defining an interior volume, an open mouth providing access to the interior volume and an end opposite of the open mouth. The surrounding wall has an exterior and an interior. A filter media construction is operably held within the interior volume. A sleeve, distinct from the housing, is secured to the exterior of the surrounding wall adjacent to the housing mouth and extending partially along the surrounding wall. The sleeve has an exterior and an interior. The exterior of the sleeve defines mounting threads constructed and arranged to removably mount with the filter head, when the filter arrangement is secured to the filter head. The interior of the sleeve is against the exterior of the surrounding wall. A first seal member is oriented against the sleeve to create a seal with a filter head, when the filter arrangement is secured to the filter head. A filter assembly includes a filter arrangement and a filter head. The filter arrangement is removably secured to the filter head by a threaded connection between the sleeve and the filter head. A system includes an engine utilizing a liquid and a filter assembly in fluid communication with the engine to filter the liquid. Methods of making filter arrangements include utilizing structures characterized above.

Spin-on filter with external threads and methods

A filter cartridge includes a threaded sleeve having a seal holder recess and seal member. The filter cartridge is for removably threading onto a filter head that includes threads for connection to the filter cartridge by way of the threaded sleeve. The filter head includes a ramp that engages the seal member to form a seal. The force needed to make the seal is a torque of less than 10 N-m.

Liquid filter arrangement and methods

Aspects herein include filtration systems with multitiered data exchange capabilities. In an embodiment, a filtration system with multitiered data exchange capabilities is included. The system can include a first data communication tier including a filter element, the filter element storing data, and a first sensor. The system can include a second data communication tier including a reader device in communication with the first sensor. The system can include a third data communication tier including an engine control unit (ECU) in communication with the reader device, wherein the ECU stores data. The second data communication tier receives data from the first data communication tier and the third data communication tier. The second data communication tier executes operations on the received data to create a processed data set. Further, the second data communication tier sends the processed data set to the third data communication tier. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Filtration systems with multitiered data exchange capabilities

Embodiments are directed to systems and methods for estimating wear in aircraft rotor systems. Data associated with loads and motions of a swashplate actuator is collected. The swashplate actuator drives a swashplate and at least one control link is coupled to the swashplate. The loads and motions of the at least one control link is estimated based upon the loads and motions of the swashplate actuator. Using a wear model, the current wear of control link components is estimated due to the loads and motions of the at least one control link. Wear estimates for the components are aggregated across multiple flights and used to determine when maintenance actions should occur.

Wear estimation for wear liner bearings

A system and method for reducing data noise for vehicle monitoring sensors using parameter-based correction. The system includes a sensor operable to make a sensor reading and generate a sensor signal, and a data server operable to acquire a condition indicator model correlating operational parameters with condition indicators, and to acquire a current condition indicator according to the sensor signal, the data server further operable to generate an adjusted condition indicator by adjusting the current condition indicator according to the condition indicator model, and to determine whether an alert condition is indicated, according to at least the adjusted condition indicator, by a condition indicator set that includes the adjusted condition indicator, and to provide an alert in response to determining that the alert condition is indicated.

Condition indicator noise reduction through operational parameter-based corrections

A filter element, for use filtering liquids such as fuel, includes a first section of filter media, an optional layer of coalescer media, and a section of barrier media. The first section and optional coalescer filter media are held between opposite first and second end caps. The second end cap is integrated with the barrier filter media. The barrier media extends at least part way into an interior of the first section and can be conical in shape.

Fuel filter with coalescer

The current technology relates to filter media configurations where the filter media has a surface with a treatment that increases the roll off angle of the surface for a 50 μL water droplet when the surface is immersed in toluene. Some example filter media have a fluted configuration, and some example filter media have multiple layers. Filter media having multiple layers can be single facer media, for example, where one layer is planar and another layer is fluted.

Filter media configurations

A torque measurement system determines torque on a shaft by monitoring angular deflection of the shaft under load using phase shift measurements. Calibration of the system uses a defined offset that is determined using a reference operating condition. The offset calibration value is determined for a rotorcraft using the following steps: defining a reference operational condition in which the shaft is rotating, estimating the torque at the reference condition based on aerodynamic knowledge of the rotors coupled to the shaft, operating the shaft at the reference operational condition, capturing sensor data to determine the phase difference at the operational condition, and associating the phase difference and an estimated torque as a calibration value to enable calculation of torque in the torque measurement system.

System and method for calibrating torque measurements

A system for monitoring of elastomeric bearings is described. A pattern or shape can be applied to a joint comprising elastomeric material. A camera can be disposed such that it can capture photographs or video of the pattern and how it deforms under torque and other stresses. Actual deformation of the shape/pattern can be compared to an expected deformation to gauge levels of degradation of the elastomeric material or other joint components.

Elastomeric bearing monitoring system

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes: a gearbox including: a housing having an opening; an input pinion disposed in the housing; a moving feature mechanically coupled to the input pinion, the moving feature and the input pinion being operable to convert between power and torque; and first sensors disposed on the moving feature, the first sensors having batteries, where the moving feature is operable to rotate about a common axis, each of the first sensors being exposed by the opening as the moving feature rotates about the common axis.

Gearbox including wireless sensors

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Brian Edward Tucker