Advanced air data system architecture with air data computer incorporating enhanced compensation functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852316-B2
Application number	US-201816009846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2018
Priority date	Jun 15, 2018
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A system includes an air data computer (ADC) having a single pneumatic port for receiving a pneumatic input, a plurality of electrical inputs for receiving one or more electrical signals, and an output. The ADC can transmit, via the output, air data parameters based on the received pneumatic input and the received one or more electrical signals. In a further example embodiment, the system includes a first pressure sensing probe discrete from the ADC and a pneumatic connection joining a pressure sensing port of the first probe to the pneumatic input of the ADC. Second and third pressure sensing probes pneumatically coupled to respective pressure modules, which output electrical signals to the ADC, the electrical signals being representative of pressures sensed by the second and third pressure sensing probes, respectively.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an air data computer (ADC) comprising a single pneumatic port for receiving a pneumatic input, a plurality of electrical inputs for receiving one or more electrical signals, and an output;
a first pressure sensing probe discrete from and co-located with the ADC comprising a first pressure sensing port for measuring a first pressure of an oncoming airflow about an exterior of an aircraft;
a pneumatic connection joining the first pressure sensing port to the pneumatic port of the ADC such that the pneumatic input is representative of the first pressure, wherein the ADC is configured to transmit, via the output, air data parameters based on the received pneumatic input and the received one or more electrical signals;
a receiving system of the aircraft electrically coupled to the output of the ADC to receive the air data parameters;
a standby instrument; and
a standby pressure module pneumatically coupled to the first pressure sensing probe and configured to transmit a standby pressure signal representative of the first pressure of the oncoming airflow to the standby instrument.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure sensing probe is a pitot pressure probe, and the first pressure is a pitot pressure.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pressure sensing probe is a static pressure probe, and the first pressure is a static pressure.

4. The system of claim 2 , and further comprising:
a first input of the plurality electrical inputs;
a first static pressure probe configured to sense a first static pressure of the oncoming airflow about the aircraft exterior; and
a first pressure module pneumatically coupled to the first static pressure probe and electrically coupled to the first input, wherein the first pressure module is configured to transmit a first static pressure signal representative of the first static pressure to the ADC via the first input.

5. The system of claim 4 , and further comprising:
a second input of the plurality electrical inputs;
a second static pressure probe configured to sense a second static pressure of the oncoming airflow about the aircraft exterior; and
a second pressure module pneumatically connected to the second static pressure probe and electrically coupled to the second input, wherein the second pressure module is configured to transmit a second static pressure signal representative of the second static pressure to the ADC via the second input.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first static pressure probe is disposed on a first side of the aircraft exterior, and wherein the second static pressure probe is disposed on a second side of the aircraft exterior that is opposite the first side of the aircraft exterior.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the first static pressure probe and the second static pressure probe are flush-mounted static pressure probes configured to be mounted parallel to the aircraft exterior.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the ADC is configured to determine an aircraft angle of sideslip based on the first and second static pressure signals received from the first and second static pressure probes, respectively, and to compensate the air data parameters based on the determined aircraft angle of sideslip.

9. The system of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a second pressure sensing probe having a second pressure port configured to sense a second pressure of the oncoming airflow;
a second pressure module pneumatically coupled to the second pressure port and configured to output a second pressure signal representative of the second pressure to the ADC via one of the electrical inputs;
a third pressure sensing probe having a third pressure port configured to sense a third pressure of the oncoming airflow; and
a third pressure module pneumatically coupled to the third pressure port configured to output a third pressure signal representative of the third pressure to the ADC via one of the electrical inputs.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the air data parameters are compensated based on at least one of total air temperature data received from a total air temperature sensor electrically coupled to the ADC, angle of attack data of the aircraft received from an angle of attack sensor electrically coupled to the ADC, and angle of sideslip data of the aircraft received from an angle of sideslip sensor electrically coupled to the ADC.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrical signals received by the ADC is a digital signal representative of a pressure of the oncoming airflow sensed by a pressure sensing probe.

12. A system comprising:
a first air data system configured to provide first air data parameters;
a second air data system configured to provide second air data parameters;
a third air data system configured to provide third air data parameters, wherein each of the first, second, and third air data systems comprise:
an air data computer (ADC) comprising a single pneumatic port for receiving a pneumatic input, a plurality of electrical inputs for receiving one or more electrical signals, and an output;
a pitot pressure probe discrete from the ADC configured to sense pitot pressure of the oncoming airflow about an aircraft exterior, wherein the pitot pressure probe is pneumatically coupled to the single pneumatic port of the ADC;
a first static pressure probe configured to be aligned with the aircraft exterior to sense static pressure of the oncoming airflow about the aircraft exterior; and
a second static pressure probe configured to be mounted parallel to the aircraft exterior to sense static pressure of the oncoming airflow about the aircraft exterior, wherein each ADC of the first, second, and third air data systems is configured transmit, via respective outputs, first, second, and third air data parameters, respectively, based on the pneumatic input and the one or more electrical signals received by respective ADCs;

a standby instrument;
a first standby pressure module pneumatically coupled to the pitot pressure probe of the first air data system and configured to transmit a first standby pressure signal representative of pitot pressure of the oncoming airflow about the aircraft exterior to the standby instrument;
a second standby pressure module pneumatically coupled to the first static pressure probe of the first air data system and configured to transmit a second standby pressure signal representative of static pressure of the oncoming airflow sensed by the first static pressure probe of the first air data system; and
a third standby pressure module pneumatically coupled to the second static pressure probe of the third air data system and configured to transmit a third standby pressure signal representative of static pressure of the oncoming airflow sensed by the second static pressure probe of the third air data system.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the ADCs of the first, second, and third air data systems receive electrical inputs from at least one of an angle of attack sensor, an angle of sideslip sensor, and a total air temperature sensor, and the first, second, and third air data parameters are compensated based on the electrical inputs.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein two or more of the first air data system, the second air data system, and the third air data system are independent from one another.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the first, second, and third air data systems further comprise:
a first pressure module pneumatically coupled to the first static pressure probe and configured to output

Assignees

• Rosemount Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Naslund Brian Brent
• Boelke Joel
• Langemo Benjamin John
• Benning Kevin

Classifications

• G01P13/025 Primary

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

• G01P5/14 Primary

  by measuring differences of pressure in the fluid · CPC title

• B64D43/02

  for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions · CPC title

• B64D47/00

  Equipment not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G01P5/165

  Arrangements or constructions of Pitot tubes · CPC title