Active infrared prediction utilizing fiber optic network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498694-B2
Application number	US-201916548089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2019
Priority date	Aug 22, 2019
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An aircraft and method of operating an aircraft. The aircraft includes a temperature sensor and a processor. The temperature sensor that obtains an optical signal indicative of a temperature at a selected location of an outer surface of the aircraft. The processor is configured to determine the temperature at the selected location from the optical signal, and operate the aircraft based on the temperature at the selected location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an aircraft, comprising:
obtaining an optical signal from a fiber optic link of a temperature sensing system affixed on the outer surface of the aircraft, wherein the temperature sensing system comprises a mesh affixed to at least a portion of the outer surface of the aircraft, wherein the mesh comprises the fiber optic link disposed at a selected location, wherein the mesh further comprises a plurality of interconnected support beams, wherein each support beam of the plurality of interconnected support beams comprises a corresponding fiber optic link of the plurality of fiber optic links;
determining, based at least in part on a change in a parameter of the optical signal, the temperature at the selected location; and
operating the aircraft based at least in part on the temperature at the selected location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the optical signal through the fiber optic link disposed at the selected location;
determining the change in the parameter of the optical signal due to the temperature at the selected location; and
determining the temperature at the selected location from the change in the parameter of the optical signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the fiber optic link is one of a plurality of fiber optic links forming a network at the selected location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the aircraft further comprises flying the aircraft to mask an infrared signal of the aircraft related to the temperature.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising masking the infrared signal by determining an ambient temperature of an environment of the aircraft and operating the aircraft to match the temperature at the selected location to the ambient temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting an operation of the aircraft to reduce the temperature at the selected location.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising comparing the temperature to a temperature threshold and adjusting the operation when the temperature exceeds the temperature threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is one of: (i) a fixed wing aircraft; and (ii) a rotary wing aircraft.

9. An aircraft, comprising:
an temperature sensing system affixed on the outer surface of the aircraft, the temperature sensing system comprising: a mesh affixed to at least a portion of the outer surface of the aircraft, the mesh comprising a plurality of fiber optic links, wherein each fiber optic link is associated with a selected location on the outer surface of the aircraft, wherein the mesh further comprises a plurality of interconnected support beams, wherein each support beam of the plurality of interconnected support beams comprises a corresponding fiber optic link of the plurality of fiber optic links and an optical interrogator configured to transmit an optical signal through each of the plurality of fiber optic links and determine a change in a parameter of the optical signal due to a temperature at the selected location associated with the corresponding fiber optic link; and
a processor configured to:
determine, based at least in part on the change in the parameter of the optical signal determined for each of the fiber optic links, the temperature of at least one of the selected locations; and
operate the aircraft based at least in part on the temperature of at the at least one of the selected locations.

10. The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fiber optic links form a network at the selected locations.

11. The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust an operation of the aircraft to reduce the temperature of at least one of the selected locations.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the temperature of at least one of the selected locations to a temperature threshold and adjust the operation when the temperature of at least one of the selected locations exceeds the temperature threshold.

13. The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein the fiber optic link of each support beam extends from a first end of the support beam to a second end of the support beam, forms a loop at the second end of the support beam, and extends back from the second end of the support beam to the first end of the support beam.

14. The aircraft of claim 9 , wherein each fiber optic link comprises a receiving end and a delivery end, wherein both the receiving end and the delivery end are in communication with the optical interrogator.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Kaye Jordan Alex
• Weintraub Alexander Quinn
• Parkhurst Jeffrey K

Classifications

• B64D2033/045

  comprising infrared suppressors · CPC title

• B64D33/04

  of exhaust outlets or jet pipes · CPC title

• G01D5/35374 Primary

  Particular layout of the fiber · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G01D5/268

  using optical fibres (G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence) · CPC title