Systems and methods for converting wind pressure to wind velocity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513136-B2
Application number	US-202117176128-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by a controller, a first wind pressure associated with a first port of a first probe, determining, by the controller, a second wind pressure associated with a second port of the first probe, and determining, by the controller, a reference wind pressure associated with an end portion of the first probe. The method also includes calculating, by the controller, a first reference differential using the first wind pressure and the reference wind pressure, calculating, by the controller, a first rotational differential using the first wind pressure and the second wind pressure, and calculating, by the controller, an angular coefficient using the first reference differential and the first rotational differential. The method further includes calculating, by the controller, a wind velocity using the first reference differential and the angular coefficient. The wind velocity represents a wind velocity relative to a vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining, by a controller, a first wind pressure associated with a first probe;
determining, by the controller, a second wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining, by the controller, a reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating, by the controller, a first reference differential using the first wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining, by the controller, a first wind pressure associated with a second probe;
determining, by the controller, a pressure differential by subtracting the first wind pressure associated with the second probe from the second wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining, by the controller, whether the pressure differential is less than or equal to zero; and
selecting, by the controller, the first probe for calculating a wind velocity relative to a vehicle in response to determining that the pressure differential is less than or equal to zero.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating, by the controller, a first rotational differential using the first wind pressure associated with the first probe and the second wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating, by the controller, an angular coefficient using the first reference differential and the first rotational differential; and
calculating, by the controller, the wind velocity using the first reference differential and the angular coefficient.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating, by the controller, a second reference differential using the second wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining, by the controller, whether the first reference differential is greater than the second reference differential; and
calculating, by the controller, the wind velocity using the first reference differential in response to determining that the first reference differential is greater than the second reference differential.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the wind velocity further comprises using a velocity calibration coefficient.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the wind velocity further comprises using an air density value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, a third wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating, by the controller, a second reference differential using the second wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating, by the controller, a third reference differential using the third wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe; and
determining, by the controller, a wind direction relative to the vehicle by comparing at least two of the first reference differential, the second reference differential, and the third reference differential.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first wind pressure associated with the first probe is further associated with a first port of the first probe;
the second wind pressure associated with the first probe is further associated with a second port of the first probe; and
the first port of the first probe and the second port of the first probe each face away from a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.

8. A system comprising one or more processors and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
determining a first wind pressure associated with a first probe;
determining a second wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining a reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating a first reference differential using the first wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining a first wind pressure associated with a second probe;
determining a pressure differential by subtracting the first wind pressure associated with the second probe from the second wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining that the pressure differential is less than or equal to zero; and
selecting the first probe for calculating a wind relative to a vehicle in response to determining that the pressure differential is less than or equal to zero.

9. The system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
calculating a first rotational differential using the first wind pressure associated with the first probe and the second wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating an angular coefficient using the first reference differential and the first rotational differential; and
calculating the wind velocity using the first reference differential and the angular coefficient.

10. The system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
calculating a second reference differential using the second wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining whether the first reference differential is greater than the second reference differential; and
calculating the wind velocity using the first reference differential in response to determining that the first reference differential is greater than the second reference differential.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein calculating the wind velocity further comprises using a velocity calibration coefficient.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein calculating the wind velocity further comprises using an air density value.

13. The system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
determining a third wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating a second reference differential using the second wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating a third reference differential using the third wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe; and
determining a wind direction relative to the vehicle by comparing at least two of the first reference differential, the second reference differential, and the third reference differential.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first wind pressure associated with the first probe is further associated with a first port of the first probe;
the second wind pressure associated with the first probe is further associated with a second port of the first probe; and
the first port of the first probe and the second port of the first probe each face away from a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
determining a first wind pressure associated with a first probe;
determining a second wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining a reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
calculating a first reference differential using the first wind pressure associated with the first probe and the reference wind pressure associated with the first probe;
determining a first wind pressure associated with a second probe;
determining a pressure differential by subtracting the first wind pressure associated with the second probe from the second wind pressure associated with t

Assignees

• Bnsf Railway Co
• Airflow Sciences Corp

Inventors

• Dumont Brian J
• Paul James
• Fleming Matthew
• Harris Paul
• Wills Corey D
• Pasta Corey T
• Gabler Paul K
• Morgart Dennis W

Classifications

• F05B2270/32

  Wind speeds · CPC title

• G01P5/06 Primary

  using rotation of vanes (measuring speed of rotating shafts G01P3/00) · CPC title

• G01P5/14 Primary

  by measuring differences of pressure in the fluid · CPC title

• G01P13/045

  with speed indication · CPC title

• F05B2270/322

  the detection or prediction of a wind gust · CPC title