Distributed air data system architecture including acoustic sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10746563-B2
Application number	US-201815975367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A system and method for an aircraft includes an air data system and an acoustic sensing system. The air data system includes a pitot tube positioned to sense a pitot pressure of an airflow about an exterior of the aircraft, and an angle of attack vane positioned to sense an angle of attack of the aircraft. The pitot pressure and the angle of attack are used to determine first air data parameters. The acoustic sensing system is configured to emit acoustic signals about the exterior of the aircraft and sense the acoustic signals as sensed data. The sensed data is used to determine second air data parameters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for an aircraft, the system comprising:
a first air data system comprising:
a first pitot tube positioned to sense a first pitot pressure of an airflow about an exterior of the aircraft; and
a first angle of attack vane positioned to sense a first angle of attack of the aircraft, wherein the first air data system is configured to use the first pitot pressure and the first angle of attack to determine first air data parameters; and

an acoustic sensing system configured to emit acoustic signals about the exterior of the aircraft and sense the acoustic signals as sensed data, wherein the acoustic sensing system is further configured to use the sensed data to determine second air data parameters;
wherein the acoustic sensor system comprises:
a first acoustic sensor; and
a second acoustic sensor;
wherein the first acoustic sensor is positioned on the exterior of the aircraft and lies in a first geometric plane, and the second acoustic sensor is positioned on the exterior of the aircraft and lies in a second geometric plane, different from the first geometric plane; and

wherein the second air data parameters include angle of attack, angle of sideslip, an airspeed, and an air temperature.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first air data system further comprises:
an angle of sideslip vane positioned to sense an angle of sideslip of the aircraft; and
at least one first static port configured to sense a first static pressure about the exterior of the aircraft;
wherein the first pitot pressure and the first static pressure are utilized to determine an airspeed of the aircraft.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second air data system comprising:
a second pitot tube positioned to sense a second pitot pressure of an airflow about the exterior of the aircraft;
a second angle of attack vane positioned to sense a second angle of attack of the aircraft; and
at least one second static port configured to sense a second static pressure about the exterior of the aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an acoustic processing unit configured to receive the sensed data from the acoustic sensor system and generate the second air data parameters based on the sensed data.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one consuming system of the aircraft, wherein the consuming system is configured to receive the first pitot pressure and the first angle of attack and determine the first air data parameters, and is further configured to receive the second air data parameters from the acoustic processing unit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic sensor system comprises:
a first acoustic sensor that includes an emitter, and first, second, third, and fourth microphones, wherein the first and second microphones are positioned along the same axis as each other, the third and fourth microphones are positioned along the same axis as each other, and the axis that includes the first and second microphones is orthogonal to the axis that includes the third and fourth microphones.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second acoustic sensors are ultrasonic acoustic sensors, and wherein the acoustic signal comprises acoustic pulses.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic sensor system further comprises:
at least one static port positioned to sense a static pressure of an airflow about the exterior of the aircraft.

9. A system for an aircraft, the system comprising:
a first pitot tube configured to measure a first pitot pressure on a first side of the aircraft;
at least one first static port configured to sense a first static pressure about the exterior of the aircraft;
a first vane positioned on the exterior of the aircraft and configured to sense a first angle of attack of the aircraft;
an acoustic sensor system that includes a first emitter configured to emit first acoustic signals into the airflow about the exterior of the aircraft and is configured to sense the first acoustic signals as first sensed data; and
the acoustic sensor system further includes an acoustic processing unit, and at least one second static pressure port configured to sense a second static pressure of airflow about an exterior of the aircraft;
wherein the acoustic sensor system further includes a second emitter configured to emit second acoustic signals into the airflow about the exterior of the aircraft and is configured to sense the second acoustic signals as second sensed data, wherein the first emitter and the second emitter are positioned in different geometric planes; and
the acoustic processing unit is configured to generate a first set of aircraft air data parameter outputs based on the first sensed data and is further unit is configured to calculate angle of sideslip, angle of attack, an airspeed, and an air temperature for the aircraft based on the first and second sensed data; and
aircraft consuming systems configured to receive the first pitot pressure, the first static pressure, the first angle of attack, and the first sensed data to determine air data parameters.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first sensed data is utilized by the consuming systems to supplement the first pitot pressure and the first angle of attack.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the aircraft consuming systems are configured to generate a second set of aircraft air data parameter outputs based on the first pitot pressure, the first static pressure, and the first angle of attack, and wherein the first and the second sets of aircraft air data parameter outputs comprise the same set of air data parameters.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein:
a second pitot tube configured to measure a second pitot pressure on a second side of the aircraft opposite the first side;
a second vane positioned on the exterior of the aircraft and configured to sense a second angle of attack of the aircraft;
a third vane positioned on the exterior of the aircraft and configured to sense an angle of sideslip of the aircraft;
wherein the aircraft consuming systems are further configured to receive the second pitot pressure, the second angle of attack, and the angle of sideslip to determine the air data parameters.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a total air temperature sensor configured to provide a sensed temperature to the aircraft consuming systems, wherein the aircraft consuming systems are further configured to determine the air data parameters using the sensed temperature.

14. A method comprising:
sensing, by a pitot tube positioned on an exterior of an aircraft, a pitot pressure;
sensing, by a first vane positioned on the exterior of the aircraft, an angle of attack;
sensing, by a second vane positioned on the exterior of the aircraft, an angle of sideslip;
sensing, by a static port positioned on the exterior of the aircraft, a static pressure;
generating first aircraft air data parameter outputs based on the pitot pressure, the angle of attack, the angle of sideslip, and the static pressure;
emitting, by an acoustic sensor system positioned on the exterior of the aircraft, acoustic signals;
sensing, by the acoustic sensor system, the acoustic signals as sensed data, wherein the acoustic sensor system comprises:
a first acoustic sensor; and
a second acoustic sensor
wherein the first acoustic sensor is positioned on the exterior of the aircraft and lies in a first geometric plane, and the second acoustic sensor is positioned on the exterior of the aircraft and lies in a second geometric plane different than the first geometric plane; and

Assignees

• Rosemount Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Sly Jaime
• Naslund Brian Brent

Classifications

• G01C9/005

  specially adapted for use in aircraft · 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

• G01C23/00 Primary

  Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration · CPC title

• G01P5/245 Primary

  by measuring transit time of acoustical waves (measuring propagation velocity of acoustical waves per se G01H5/00) · CPC title

• G01P5/16

  using Pitot tubes {, e.g. Machmeter} · CPC title