Spacecraft landing and recovery inflation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10479533-B2
Application number	US-201514668589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A landing inflation system may include a compressed gas source, an airbag assembly fluidly coupled to the compressed gas source and configured to receive compressed gas, and a command processor configured to: (1) generate an inflation initiation command signal in response to an initiation signal, (2) generate an inflation cessation command signal in response to a nominal fill pressure signal, and (3) generate a vent command signal in response to an impact pressure signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A landing inflation system comprising:
a command processor;
a compressed gas source;
an isolation valve fluidly coupled to said compressed gas source and communicatively coupled with and controlled by said command processor;
a manifold located fluidly downstream from and fluidly coupled to said isolation valve;
a plurality of command valves located fluidly downstream from and fluidly coupled to said manifold and communicatively coupled with and controlled by said command processor;
a bleed orifice fluidly coupled with said manifold between said isolation valve and said plurality of command valves and configured to automatically equalize pressure in said manifold between said isolation valve and said plurality of command valves prior to pressurization of said manifold with said compressed gas;
a plurality of air bag assemblies fluidly coupled to said plurality of command valves; and
a plurality of pressure sensors fluidly coupled to said plurality of airbag assemblies and communicatively coupled with said command processor; and wherein:
said isolation valve is configured to initiate pressurization of said manifold in response to a first inflation initiation command signal from said command processor;
said manifold is configured to concurrently distribute compressed gas to said plurality of command valves;
said command processor generates a second inflation initiation command signal following pressurization of said manifold;
each one of said plurality of command valves is configured to concurrently initiate inflation of one of said plurality of airbag assemblies, associated therewith, in response to said second inflation initiation command signal from said command processor;
each one of said plurality of pressure sensors is configured to measure a fill pressure of one of said plurality of airbag assemblies, associated therewith, and generate a nominal fill pressure signal provided to said command processor when said fill pressure of said one of said plurality of airbag assemblies, associated therewith, is equal to a nominal fill pressure;
said command processor generates an inflation cessation command signal in response to said nominal fill pressure signal from each one of said plurality of pressure sensors; and
each one of said plurality of command valves is further configured to discretely cease inflation of said one of said plurality of airbag assemblies, associated therewith, in response to said inflation cessation command signal from said command processor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said pressure sensor is further configured to provide an impact pressure signal to said command processor when said fill pressure of said one of said plurality of airbag assemblies, associated therewith, is equal an impact pressure, and wherein said command processor is further configured to generate a vent command signal in response to said impact pressure signal.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one redundancy configured to accommodate a failure mode of one or more of said plurality of airbag assemblies, said command processor, said plurality of command valves and said plurality of pressure sensors.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:
an airbag assembly of said plurality of airbag assemblies comprises:
an outer airbag fluidly coupled fluidly coupled to said manifold, wherein said outer airbag receives a first portion of said compressed gas from said manifold; and
an inner airbag positioned within said outer airbag and fluidly coupled to said manifold, wherein said inner airbag receives a second portion of said compressed gas from said manifold; and

said plurality of command valves comprises:
an inner airbag command valve fluidly coupled between said manifold and said inner airbag and configured to control inflation of said inner airbag; and
an outer airbag command valve fluidly coupled between said manifold and said outer airbag and configured to control inflation of said outer airbag.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein:
said inner airbag command valve is further configured to initiate inflation of said inner airbag to a nominal fill pressure of said inner airbag in response to said inflation initiation command signal and to cease inflation of said inner airbag in response to said inflation cessation command signal; and
said outer airbag command valve is further configured to initiate inflation of said outer airbag to a nominal fill pressure of said outer airbag in response to said inflation initiation command signal and to cease inflation of said outer airbag in response to said inflation cessation command signal.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said plurality of pressure sensors comprises:
an inner airbag pressure sensor fluidly coupled to said inner airbag and configured to measure said fill pressure of said inner airbag and to provide said nominal fill pressure signal when said fill pressure of said inner airbag is equal to said nominal fill pressure of said inner airbag; and
an outer airbag pressure sensor fluidly coupled to said outer airbag and configured to measure said fill pressure of said outer airbag to provide said nominal fill pressure signal when said fill pressure of said outer airbag is equal to said nominal fill pressure of said outer airbag.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein:
said inner airbag is fluidly coupled to said outer airbag; and
said airbag assembly further comprises a venting mechanism operably coupled to said outer airbag and configured to vent said first portion of said compressed gas from said outer airbag in response to a vent command signal from said command processor.

8. The landing inflation system of claim 4 wherein
said airbag assembly of said plurality of airbag assemblies further comprises a plurality of inner airbags positioned within said outer airbag and fluidly coupled to said inner airbag command valve; and
each one of said plurality of inner airbags comprises a flow control orifice configured to control a rate of inflation; and
said rate of inflation of each one of said plurality of inner airbags is the same.

9. A spacecraft comprising:
a space capsule;
a command processor;
a compressed gas source disposed within said space capsule; and
a landing inflation system comprising:
an isolation valve fluidly coupled to said compressed gas source and communicatively coupled with and controlled by said command processor;
a manifold located fluidly downstream from and fluidly coupled to said isolation valve;
a plurality of command valves located fluidly downstream from and fluidly coupled to said manifold and communicatively coupled with and controlled by said command processor;

a bleed orifice fluidly coupled with said manifold between said isolation valve and said plurality of command valves and configured to automatically equalize pressure in said manifold between said isolation valve and said plurality of command valves prior to pressurization of said manifold with said compressed gas;
a plurality of air bag assemblies fluidly coupled to said plurality of command valves; and
a plurality of pressure sensors fluidly coupled to said plurality of airbag assemblies and communicatively coupled with said command processor; and wherein:

said isolation valve is configured to initiate pressurization of said manifold in response to a first inflation initiation command signal from said command processor;
said manifold is configured to concurrently distribute compressed gas to said plurality of command valves;
said command processor generates a second inflation initiation command signal following pressurization of said manifold;
each one of said plurality of command valves is configured to concurrently initiate in

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Albright Justin G
• Mccann John R

Classifications

• B64G1/625 Primary

  Landing devices; Undercarriages · CPC title

• B64G1/62 Primary

  Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices · CPC title

• B64G2001/224

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64G1/2227 Primary

  Inflating · CPC title