Pitot-static probe with pneumatic angle-of-attack sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10564173-B2
Application number	US-201815974975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

An air data probe includes a housing and a probe head with a body, total pressure and alpha chambers, total pressure and alpha ports, and alpha drain ports. The total pressure chamber extends through a radial center of the body. The alpha chambers are disposed radially outward from the total pressure chamber. The total pressure port is disposed in a distal end of the body is collinear with a centerline axis of the body. The total pressure chamber is in fluid communication with the total pressure port and with the housing. The alpha ports are disposed downstream of the total pressure port and upstream of the housing. The alpha chambers are in fluid communication with the alpha ports. The alpha drain ports are disposed downstream from the alpha port and upstream from the housing. The alpha drain ports fluidly communicate with the alpha chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air data probe for use with an aircraft, the air data probe comprising:
a housing; and
a probe head attached to the housing, wherein the probe head further comprises:
a body connected to and extending from the housing, wherein the body comprises an outer wall region and a tubular shape, wherein body is connected to the housing at a downstream end of the body;
a total pressure port disposed in a distal end of the body opposite from the housing, wherein the distal end of the body opposite from the housing comprises an upstream end of the body, wherein the total pressure port is aligned collinear with a centerline axis of the body;
a total pressure chamber extending through a radial center of the body, wherein the total pressure chamber is in fluid communication with the total pressure port and with the housing;
a first alpha port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream of the total pressure port and upstream of the housing;
a first alpha chamber extending through a portion of the body, wherein the first alpha chamber is in fluid communication with the first alpha port, wherein the first alpha chamber is disposed radially outward from the total pressure chamber;
a first alpha drain port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream from the first alpha port and upstream from the housing, wherein the first alpha drain port is in fluid communication with the first alpha chamber;
a second alpha port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream of the total pressure port and upstream of the housing;
a second alpha chamber extending through the body, wherein the second alpha chamber is in fluid communication with the second alpha port, wherein the second alpha chamber is disposed radially outward from the total pressure chamber; and
a second alpha drain port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream from the second alpha port and upstream from the housing, wherein the second alpha drain port is in fluid communication with the second alpha chamber.

2. The air data probe of claim 1 , wherein the air data probe comprises an angle-of-attack sensor configured to calculate an angle between the air data probe and a direction of a flow of fluid flowing across the air data probe.

3. The air data probe of claim 1 , wherein the air data probe comprises a pneumatic pitot-tube sensor configured to sense changes in pressure in an environment surrounding the body of the air data probe.

4. The air data probe of claim 3 , wherein the total pressure port is configured to take in fluid from an ambient environment external to the air data probe and through which the aircraft is moving relative to.

5. The air data probe of claim 1 , wherein the first alpha drain port is configured to drain liquid from the first alpha chamber of the body to outside of the body, wherein the second alpha drain port is configured to drain liquid from the second alpha chamber of the body to outside of the body.

6. The air data probe of claim 1 , further comprising a total pressure drain port disposed in the body of the probe head, wherein the total pressure drain port is fluidly connected to the total pressure chamber, and wherein the total pressure drain port is configured to drain liquid from the total pressure chamber of the body to outside of the body.

7. The air data probe of claim 1 , further comprising a total pressure drain port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream from the total pressure port and upstream from the housing, wherein the total pressure drain port is in fluid communication with the total pressure chamber.

8. The air data probe of claim 1 , wherein the air data probe is configured to discharge liquid from the first alpha chamber in response to a pressure differential between the first alpha chamber and an ambient environment.

9. The air data probe of claim 1 , wherein the air data probe is configured to discharge liquid from the total pressure chamber in response to a pressure differential between the total pressure chamber and an ambient environment.

10. A method of removing liquid from an air data probe of an aircraft, the method comprising:
moving the air data probe of the aircraft relative to an ambient environment that is external to the air data probe, wherein the air data probe comprises:
a housing; and
a probe head attached to the housing, wherein the probe head further comprises:
a body connected to and extending from the housing, wherein the body comprises an outer wall region and a tubular shape, wherein body is connected to the housing at downstream end of the body;
a total pressure port disposed in a distal end of the body opposite from the housing, wherein the distal end of the body opposite from the housing comprises an upstream end of the body, wherein the total pressure port is aligned collinear with a centerline axis of the body;
a total pressure chamber extending through a radial center of the body, wherein the total pressure chamber is in fluid communication with the total pressure port and with the housing;
a first alpha port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream of the total pressure port and upstream of the housing;
a first alpha chamber extending through the body, wherein the first alpha chamber is in fluid communication with the first alpha port, wherein the first alpha chamber is disposed radially outward from the total pressure chamber;
a first alpha drain port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream from the first alpha port and upstream from the housing, wherein the first alpha drain port is in fluid communication with the first alpha chamber;
a second alpha port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream of the total pressure port and upstream of the housing;
a second alpha chamber extending through the body, wherein the second alpha chamber is in fluid communication with the second alpha port, wherein the second alpha chamber is disposed radially outward from the total pressure chamber;
a second alpha drain port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream from the second alpha port and upstream from the housing, wherein the second alpha drain port is in fluid communication with the second alpha chamber; and

discharging liquid from the alpha chamber out of the first alpha drain port and into the ambient environment.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising discharging liquid from the total pressure chamber out of the total pressure drain port and into the ambient environment.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising sensing a change in pressure of a fluid in the air data probe.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising calculating an angle-of-attack of the air data probe based on the sensed change in pressure.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein a downstream direction includes a direction of flow of the ambient environment relative to the air data probe of the aircraft, wherein the first alpha drain port is located downstream of the alpha port.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the liquid is discharged from the alpha chamber in response to a pressure differential between the alpha chamber and the ambient environment.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein liquid is discharged from the total pressure chamber in response to a pressure differential between the total pressure chamber and an ambient environment.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the air data probe further comprises a total pressure drain port disposed in the body at a location positioned downstream fr

Assignees

• Rosemount Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Whalen Mackenzie
• Egberg James Barron
• Johnson Paul Robert

Classifications

• B64D43/02

  for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions · CPC title

• G01P5/165 Primary

  Arrangements or constructions of Pitot tubes · CPC title

• G01F1/46

  Pitot tubes · CPC title

• G01P13/025

  indicating air data, i.e. flight variables of an aircraft, e.g. angle of attack, side slip, shear, yaw · CPC title

• G01P15/165 Primary

  for measuring angular accelerations · CPC title