Aircraft sensor module and aircraft sensor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021123812-A1
Application number	US-201816635724-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2018
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aircraft sensor system includes an aircraft sensor module provided in an aircraft. The sensor module is an outdoor temperature sensor module configured to measure outdoor temperature of the aircraft. The sensor module includes an energy harvesting element configured to generate power from vibration generated by the aircraft; a power storage unit configured to store power generated by the energy harvesting element; a sensor configured to operate by the power from at least one of the energy harvesting element and the power storage unit; and a wireless communication unit configured to operate by at least one of the power from the energy harvesting element and the power from the power storage unit, and transmit measurement data measured by the sensor to an external device via wireless communication. The sensor module is provided to a wing tip end portion that is a free end of a wing body of the aircraft.

First claim

1 . An aircraft sensor system comprising an aircraft sensor module provided in an aircraft, wherein
the sensor module is an outdoor temperature sensor module configured to measure outdoor temperature of the aircraft, and includes an energy harvesting element configured to generate power from vibration generated by the aircraft; a power storage unit configured to store power generated by the energy harvesting element; a sensor configured to operate by at least one of the power from the energy harvesting element and the power from the power storage unit; and a wireless communication unit configured to operate by at least one of the power from the energy harvesting element and the power from the power storage unit, and also transmit measurement data measured by the sensor to an external device via wireless communication, and the sensor module is provided to a wing tip end portion that is a free end of a wing body of the aircraft.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The aircraft sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the energy harvesting elements are provided, and the plurality of energy harvesting elements are connected to the power storage unit and configured to supply power to the power storage unit.

4 . The aircraft sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to transmit the measurement data in a long cycle having a longer length than an initial cycle that is initially set.

5 . The aircraft sensor system according to claim 1 , further comprising a data receiver configured to receive the measurement data transmitted from the sensor module.

6 . The aircraft sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is configured to transmit the measurement data measured by the sensor to the data receiver a plurality of times,
the data receiver is configured to generate normalized measurement data by performing normalization on the basis of a plurality of the measurement data received from the sensor module.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The aircraft sensor system according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the sensor modules of same type are provided, and each of the plurality of the sensor modules is configured to transmit the measurement data to the data receiver.

9 . The aircraft sensor system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an emergency power supply; and a wired power supply line configured to supply power from the emergency power supply to the sensor module via a wire.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kamihara Nobuyuki
• Yano Yuki
• Takagi Kiyoka

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• H02N2/186

  Vibration harvesters · CPC title

• Y02E10/56

  Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers · CPC title