Patent Publication Number: US-9430540-B2

Title: Metal fatigue analytics and alert systems

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application is a continuation application of U.S. Pat. No. 9,260,200, which was filed on Nov. 7, 2014, and which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to metal parts, and more particularly, to metal fatigue analytics and alert systems. 
     RELATED ART 
     The detection of metal fatigue in a vehicle such as an aircraft is a painstakingly difficult activity. Metal fatigue occurs when a material is subjected to repeated loading and unloading. If the loads are above a certain threshold, microscopic cracks will begin to form at the stress concentrators such as the surface, persistent slip bands (PSBs), and grain interfaces. Eventually a crack will reach a critical size, the crack will propagate suddenly, and the structure will fracture. 
     The failure to detect the effect of metal fatigue in aircraft may lead to tragedy and loss. This problem is seen throughout the aviation industry, from defense to civil aviation, and is also present in other industries that rely on dependable metals as a raw material. 
     One current solution to the problem has been to regularly and carefully perform an ‘eyeball’ check on all aircraft for signs of metal fatigue, such as small cracks and signs of unnatural wear. If a metal part on an aircraft shows signs of fatigue, the batch of metal used in the manufacture of the faulty part and the identity of other aircraft that have parts made from the same batch of metal are determined, if possible. Then, again if possible, the owners/operators of the identified aircraft are contacted and, if necessary, the identified aircraft are recalled for a safety check. Typically, any parts made from the same batch of metal are replaced. 
     Unfortunately, this is a time consuming, resource hungry, inefficient, and error-prone process. Further, given the long lives of aircraft and the fact they change owners frequently, it can be exceedingly difficult to trace the relevant aircraft and link them with the batch numbers. 
     SUMMARY 
     A first aspect of the invention provides a system, comprising: a first database on a vehicle, the first database storing a list of at least one metal part in the vehicle and corresponding metal batch information for each metal part in the list; a second database on a server remote from the first database, the second database storing metal batch information for at least one batch of metal from which faulty metal parts have been constructed; a comparing system for comparing the metal batch information stored in the first database with the metal batch information stored in the second database; and a messaging system for generating a failure alert message when the comparing system finds a match between the metal batch information stored in the first database and the metal batch information stored in the second database. 
     A second aspect of the invention provides a method, comprising: storing, in a first database on a vehicle, a list of at least one metal part in the vehicle and corresponding metal batch information for each metal part in the list; storing, in a second database on a server remote from the first database, metal batch information for at least one batch of metal from which faulty metal parts have been constructed; comparing the metal batch information stored in the first database with the metal batch information stored in the second database; and generating, by a messaging system, a failure alert message when the comparing system finds a match between the metal batch information stored in the first database and the metal batch information stored in the second database. 
     A third aspect of the invention provides a computer program product comprising program code embodied in at least one computer-readable storage medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method, the method comprising: storing, in a first database on a vehicle, a list of at least one metal part in the vehicle and corresponding metal batch information for each metal part in the list; storing, in a second database on a server remote from the first database, metal batch information for at least one batch of metal from which faulty metal parts have been constructed; comparing the metal batch information stored in the first database with the metal batch information stored in the second database; and generating, by a messaging system, a failure alert message when the comparing system finds a match between the metal batch information stored in the first database and the metal batch information stored in the second database. 
     Other aspects of the invention provide methods, systems, program products, and methods of using and generating each, which include and/or implement some or all of the actions described herein. The illustrative aspects of the invention are designed to solve one or more of the problems herein described and/or one or more other problems not discussed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features of the disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that depict various aspects of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a metal fatigue analytics and alert system, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a database including a list of all metal parts in an aircraft, as well as metal batch information for each of the metal parts in the aircraft, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  depicts an illustrative flow diagram of a metal fatigue analytics and alert process, according to embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  shows an illustrative computing environment, according to embodiments. 
     
    
    
     It is noted that the drawings may not be to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements between the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention relates generally to metal parts, and more particularly, to metal fatigue analytics and alert systems. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, as depicted for example in  FIG. 1 , a device  10  is installed on a vehicle  12  such as an aircraft. A plurality of vehicles  12  can be provided with the device  10 . The device  10  includes a messaging system  14 , a metal part database  16 , and a comparing system  17 . The messaging system  14  may communicate, for example, using a Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol or any other suitable communication methodology. MQTT is a client/server publish/subscribe messaging protocol, designed for constrained devices and low-bandwidth, high-latency, or unreliable networks. In an embodiment, the device  10  is completely separate from all other systems of a vehicle  12  to allow existing vehicles  12  to be easily retrofitted to include the device  10 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the database  16  comprises a list  18  of all of metal parts  20  used in the construction of the vehicle  12 , as well as a list  22  of metal batch information  24  for each of the metal parts  20 . The metal batch information  22  for each metal part  20  may include information such as the batch number of the metal part  20 , manufacturer of the metal part  20 , location of manufacture of the metal part  20 , metal composition of the metal part  20 , specification (e.g., size, weight, etc.) of the metal part  20 , condition (e.g., new, used, etc.) of the metal part  20 , maintenance records of the metal part  20 , and/or the like. The metal parts  20  in the list  18  may be identified by name, part number, and/or the like. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 1 , a “hot list” database  30 , a predictive analytics system  32 , and an alert system  38  are provided on a server system  34 . In an embodiment, the server system  34  may comprise, for example, a cloud based server system, such as IBM Cloud. Other types of server systems (e.g., non-cloud, hybrid cloud, etc.) may also be used in the practice of the present invention. 
     The hot list database  30  stores metal batch information  36  associated with batches of metal from which faulty metal parts (e.g., metal parts that have shown signs of metal fatigue) have been constructed. Such batches of metal are referenced below as ‘failed metal batches’. The metal batch information  36  may include, for example, the batch numbers of failed metal batches, manufactures of failed metal batches, location of manufacture of failed metal batches, and/or the like. The metal batch information  36  may also include information identifying known vehicles  12  having metal parts formed from failed metal batches. 
     The hot list database  30  may be updated to include new metal batch information  36  associated with failed metal batches. For example, if a metal part on a vehicle  12  is determined or suspected to be suffering from metal fatigue (e.g., discovered during routine maintenance, during an inspection, during actual use of the vehicle  12 , etc.), new metal batch information  36  identifying the failed metal batch from which the metal part was manufactured may be added to the hot list database  30 . The new metal batch information  36  may be stored in the hot list database  30  as soon as it is available to provide real-time updating of the hot list database  30 . Periodic (e.g., once an hour, daily, etc.) updating of the hot list database  30  may also be performed. 
     The messaging system  14  is configured to automatically poll  40  the hot list database  30  on the server system  34  to obtain the metal batch information  36  in the hot list database  30 , which is associated with known failed metal batches. The comparing system  17  compares the obtained metal batch information  36  with the metal batch information  22  stored in the database  16  for each metal part on the vehicle  12 . The polling  40  may be performed continuously or on a predetermined schedule. 
     If a match is found via the comparing system  17 , thereby indicating that a metal part on the vehicle  12  was formed from a failed metal batch, the messaging system  14  generates and transmits a failure alert message  42  to the server system  34 . The messaging system may also transmit the failure alert message  42  directly to the operators of the vehicle  12 . 
     On receipt of a fatigue alert message  42 , the alert system  38  notifies  44  a set (one or more) of responsible parties  46  that a potential metal fatigue issue may be present in the vehicle  12 . The responsible parties  46  may include, for example, the operators (e.g., pilots), owners, manufacturer(s), and maintenance crews of the vehicle  12 . The notification  44  may include, for example, the identity of the vehicle  12 , and a list of all metal parts used in the construction of the vehicle  12  that were formed from the failed metal batch. This allows for a preemptive inspection and/or replacement of the metal parts on the vehicle  12  that may be susceptible to metal fatigue. In addition, the notification  44  may be sent to responsible parties associated with other vehicles  12  that may include the same suspect metal part(s). The authorities responsible for vehicle safety (e.g., the FAA and NTSB in the case of an aircraft) may also be notified of a potential metal fatigue issue with one or more metal parts in the vehicle  12 . 
     According to embodiments, as soon as a metal failure problem is discovered and associated with a failed batch of metal, all other potentially affected vehicles  12  (and potentially failure prone metal parts) can be identified and subsequently inspected. This preventative process is proactive and does not rely on a visible identification of a crack, tear, or other metal fatigue damage in a vehicle  12 . Affected vehicles  12  can be identified and traced immediately, rather than through a painstaking search. Human error is reduced as eyeball inspections are no longer the primary method to check for metal fatigue of parts in a vehicle  12 . 
     A predictive analytics system  32 , such as Smart Cloud Predictive Insights available from IBM, may be used to determine patterns in the sources of batches of metals and associated metal fatigue. This would, for example, allow the operators of an existing vehicle  12  to be aware if the components of their vehicle  12  came from batches of metal manufactured at plants that had a higher than average risk of metal fatigue. These vehicles could then be subjected to additional scrutiny in determining if their metal parts show signs of metal fatigue. 
     The predictive analytics system  32  may determine patterns in the metal batch information  36  indicating that certain manufactures produce batches of metal that are more prone to metal fatigue than other manufactures or that may not age particularly well. This allows certain metal parts to be highlighted, as a preventative measure, as possibly being more prone to metal fatigue, based on factors such as age, manufacture, location of manufacture, and/or the like. Additional attention, for example, in the form of more frequent inspections or more frequent replacement, may be paid to such metal parts. 
       FIG. 3  depicts an illustrative flow diagram of a metal fatigue analytics and alert process, according to embodiments. At S 1 , a list of all of the metal parts used in the construction of a vehicle and corresponding metal batch information for each of the metal parts is generated. At S 2 , this data is stored in a database on the vehicle. At S 3 , a hot list database is populated on a cloud based server system with metal batch information associated with batches of metal from which faulty metal parts have been constructed. At S 4 , the hot list database is updated with new metal batch information corresponding to newly identified failed metal batches. 
     At S 5 , a messaging system on the vehicle continuously polls the hot list database to obtain the metal batch information in the hot list database associated with known failed metal batches. At S 6 , the comparing system compares the obtained metal batch information with the metal batch information for each metal part on the vehicle. 
     If a match is not found (No, S 7 ), flow passes back to S 5 . If a match is found (Yes, S 7 ) via the comparing system at S 6 , thereby indicating that a metal part on the vehicle was formed from a failed metal batch, the messaging system generates and transmits a failure alert message to the server system at S 8 . The messaging system may also transmit the failure alert message directly to the operators of the vehicle. 
     On receipt of a fatigue alert message, the alert system notifies a set of responsible parties at S 9  that a potential metal fatigue issue may be present in the vehicle. Flow then passes back to S 5 . 
     The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention. 
     The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire. 
     Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device. 
     Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention. 
     Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions. 
     These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
     While it is understood that the program product of the present invention may be manually loaded directly in a computer system via a storage medium such as a CD, DVD, etc., the program product may also be automatically or semi-automatically deployed into a computer system by sending the program product to a central server or a group of central servers. The program product may then be downloaded into client computers that will execute the program product. Alternatively the program product may be sent directly to a client system via e-mail. The program product may then either be detached to a directory or loaded into a directory by a button on the e-mail that executes a program that detaches the program product into a directory. Another alternative is to send the program product directly to a directory on a client computer hard drive. 
       FIG. 4  depicts an illustrative computing system  100  for implementing the present invention, according to embodiments. The computing system  10  may comprise any type of computing device and, and for example includes at least one processor, memory, an input/output (I/O) (e.g., one or more I/O interfaces and/or devices), and a communications pathway. In general, processor(s) execute program code for implementing one or more systems/functions of the present invention, which is at least partially fixed in memory. While executing program code, processor(s) can process data, which can result in reading and/or writing transformed data from/to memory and/or I/O for further processing. The pathway provides a communications link between each of the components in computing system  100 . I/O can comprise one or more human I/O devices, which enable a user to interact with computing system  100 . 
     The foregoing description of various aspects of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to an individual skilled in the art are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.