Angle of attack sensor with thermal enhancement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11181545-B2
Application number	US-201715824589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2017
Priority date	Aug 17, 2017
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

An angle of attack sensor includes a vane assembly and a multi-piece faceplate adjacent the vane assembly. The faceplate includes a heated chassis defining a pocket and a mounting plate positioned adjacent the heated chassis and having an opening. The vane assembly has a portion that is positioned in the pocket of the heated chassis and extends through the opening of the mounting plate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An angle of attack sensor comprising:
a vane assembly; and
a multi-piece faceplate adjacent the vane assembly, the faceplate including:
a heated chassis defining a pocket; and
a mounting plate positioned on the heated chassis and having an opening;

wherein the vane assembly has a vane base that is positioned in the pocket of the heated chassis and connected to a vane shaft; and
wherein the heated chassis includes a ring portion that extends into the opening of the mounting plate.

2. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: polymers, composites, and metals.

3. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , further including an air gap between the heated chassis and the mounting plate.

4. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , further including a fastener connected to the heated chassis and the mounting plate.

5. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , further including a standoff positioned between the heated chassis and the mounting plate, wherein the standoff is configured to be a thermal break between the heated chassis and the mounting plate.

6. The angle of attack sensor of claim 5 , wherein the standoff is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel, plastic, polymers, and composites.

7. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , wherein the heated chassis is made of thermally conductive metal or metal alloys.

8. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , further including a heater positioned on the heated chassis.

9. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , wherein the heated chassis includes a protrusion that extends into an opening in the mounting plate.

10. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , wherein the heated chassis includes an annular space extending into the heated chassis from an exterior surface of the heated chassis.

11. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , wherein the heated chassis defines the pocket at a central portion of the heated chassis.

12. The angle of attack sensor of claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate is made of aluminum.

13. A faceplate for an angle of attack sensor comprising:
a heated chassis defining a pocket at a central portion of the heated chassis, the pocket being configured to receive a vane base of a vane assembly connected to a vane shaft;
a mounting plate positioned on the heated chassis and having an opening; and
an air gap located between the mounting plate and the heated chassis;
wherein the heated chassis includes a ring portion that extends into the opening of the mounting plate.

14. The faceplate of claim 13 , wherein the mounting plate is thermally isolated from the heated chassis.

15. The faceplate of claim 13 , wherein the heated chassis is made of thermally conductive metal or metal alloys.

16. The faceplate of claim 13 , wherein the heated chassis includes an annular space extending into the heated chassis from an exterior surface of the heated chassis.

17. The faceplate of claim 13 , wherein the heated chassis includes a protrusion that extends into an opening in the mounting plate.

18. The faceplate of claim 13 , wherein the mounting plate is made of a material selected from the group consisting of: polymers, composites, and metals.

Assignees

• Rosemount Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Reid Alexander N
• Schwartz Richard Alan
• Krueger William B
• Deangelo Timothy
• Freeman Kenneth

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

• B64D15/14

  controlled cyclically along length of surface · CPC title

• B64D45/0005

  Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear · CPC title

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title