Air cannon starting control device and method
By combining a gas pressure sensor and an optocoupler relay, the automatic control of the air cannon firing process was realized, solving the problems of air pressure measurement accuracy and operational complexity, and improving the speed control accuracy and stability of bird strike tests.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511830593.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing air cannon control devices have low accuracy in measuring air pressure, are prone to mechanical button switches that are prone to failure, and have delayed on/off states of electromagnetic relay mechanical contacts. This results in insufficient accuracy in controlling the speed of the bird projectile, complicated and error-prone operation, and an inability to achieve real-time display of air pressure data and real-time monitoring of the air tank status.
An air cannon firing control device, consisting of a gas pressure sensor, optocoupler relay, multi-functional data acquisition card, and industrial control computer, enables real-time display of air pressure values and real-time monitoring of the firing mechanism and air pressure status of the filling tank. The charging and discharging process is automatically controlled by programmable software, and optocoupler relays are used to replace electromagnetic relays to solve the problem of mechanical contact on/off delay.
It improves the accuracy of bird projectile velocity control, reduces operational errors, realizes automated control of the air cannon firing process, ensures real-time display and stability of air pressure data, and reduces the mechanical failure rate.
Smart Images
Figure CN121576520A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of process control of air cannons for bird strike tests on aircraft structural components, and specifically relates to an air cannon firing control device and method. Background Technology
[0002] Bird strike tests aim to verify whether aircraft structural components meet bird strike resistance requirements. A common test method involves mounting the test specimen on a fixture and using an air cannon system to accelerate a bird projectile to a predetermined velocity. The projectile then impacts the specimen at a predetermined point of impact, verifying its ability to withstand the impact force. However, during bird strike tests, excessively high impact velocities may damage the specimen, while insufficient velocities may fail to accurately verify its bird strike resistance. Therefore, the accuracy of the bird projectile's impact velocity is crucial for test success. Since there is a positive correlation between the bird projectile's velocity and the gas pressure in the gas tank, the key to accurate velocity measurement lies in the precise measurement and control of the gas pressure in the gas tank by the air cannon's firing control device. Currently, existing air cannon control devices primarily display the gas pressure in the firing mechanism cavity and on the gas tank using a pressure gauge, then manually compare the readings to determine if a preset pressure value has been reached. Once the pressure value is reached, a mechanical switch controls the electromagnetic relay circuit to complete the bird launch. The above process suffers from several problems: low accuracy in air pressure measurement, high mechanical failure rate of mechanical buttons and switches, delay in the on / off process of electromagnetic relay mechanical contacts, and overcharging of the air tank. These issues result in a large error between the actual air pressure value and the preset air pressure value, making it impossible to guarantee the accuracy of bird strike velocity control. In addition, the above operation process is complex and prone to operational errors, and the air pressure data cannot be displayed in real time, making it impossible to determine the air pressure status of the firing mechanism cavity and the air tank. Therefore, it is highly necessary to develop a bird strike test air gun process control device with high accuracy in air pressure data measurement, high degree of automatic process control accuracy, and stable control status. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned technical problems by proposing an air cannon firing control device and method comprised of a gas pressure sensor, an optocoupler relay, a multi-functional data acquisition card, an industrial control computer, and programmable control software. This effectively solves the problems of real-time display of air pressure values and real-time monitoring of the air pressure status in the firing mechanism cavity and the inflation tank. It streamlines the test process control flow and utilizes programmable control software to automatically control the air cannon firing mechanism and the inflation / deflation process of the inflation tank, reducing the operational error rate during testing. By using an optocoupler relay instead of an electromagnetic relay, the problem of over-inflation caused by the delay in the on / off process of the electromagnetic relay's mechanical contacts is solved, achieving stable air pressure in the firing mechanism cavity and the inflation tank, thereby significantly improving the accuracy of bird projectile velocity control.
[0004] Technical solution An air cannon firing control device includes an industrial control computer 1, a data acquisition card 3, an air filling tank 16, and a firing mechanism. A gas pressure sensor 7 is installed on the air filling tank 16, which transmits the gas pressure value of the air filling tank 16 to the data acquisition card. The data acquisition card then transmits the pressure value of the air filling tank 16 to the industrial control computer. A pressure sensor 7 is installed on the firing mechanism, which transmits the gas pressure value of the firing mechanism to the data acquisition card. The data acquisition card then transmits the pressure value of the air filling tank 16 to the industrial control computer. The air filling tank 16 and the firing mechanism are connected. Based on the gas pressure values of the air filling tank 16 and the firing mechanism, the industrial control computer controls the piston of the firing mechanism to reset, thereby firing a bird projectile using the high-pressure gas in the air filling tank 16.
[0005] Furthermore, it also includes a USB bus module 2, which is used to connect the industrial computer 1 and the data acquisition card 3.
[0006] Furthermore, a one-way air pressure solenoid valve A is installed on the air inlet of the air tank 16, a cavity 9 is set inside the firing mechanism, a one-way air pressure solenoid valve B is installed at the air inlet of the cavity, and a one-way air pressure solenoid valve C is installed at the air outlet of the cavity.
[0007] Furthermore, it also includes optocoupler relay A, optocoupler relay B, and optocoupler relay C, wherein: Pin 1 of optocoupler relay A is connected to port P0.1 of data acquisition card 3, pins 2 and 4 are grounded, and pin 3 is connected to one-way pneumatic solenoid valve A. Pin 1 of optocoupler relay B is connected to port P0.2 of data acquisition card 3, pins 2 and 4 are grounded, and pin 3 is connected to one-way pneumatic solenoid valve B. Pin 1 of the optocoupler relay C is connected to port P0.3 of the data acquisition card 3, pins 2 and 4 are grounded, and pin 3 is connected to the one-way pneumatic solenoid valve C.
[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a DC regulated power supply module 6, which supplies power to the gas pressure sensor 7 on the inflation tank 16, the pressure sensor 7 placed on the firing mechanism, and the one-way air pressure solenoid valves A, B, and C.
[0009] Furthermore, the firing mechanism includes a firing mechanism housing, inside which are provided a cavity 9, an air cannon tube 18, a piston assembly 13, and a restoring spring 11. The piston assembly 13 includes a large end, a small end, and a connecting rod connecting the large end and the small end. The small end is slidably disposed in the cavity. The restoring spring is disposed in the cavity and sleeved on the rod segment of the connecting rod located in the cavity. The large end is slidably disposed in the air cannon tube 18, and a bird projectile 20 is disposed at the front end of the air cannon tube 18.
[0010] Furthermore, the bird projectile is mounted at the front end of the air gun barrel 18 via the bird projectile substrate 19.
[0011] Furthermore, the upper side of the large end of the piston assembly 1 is attached to the vent of the air tank 16. When it is necessary to launch bird bullets, the upper side of the large end of the piston assembly 1 is moved away from the vent of the air tank 16.
[0012] Furthermore, a rubber sealing ring is provided between the upper side of the large end of the piston assembly 1 and the vent of the air tank 16; a rubber sealing ring is provided between the side of the small end of the piston assembly 1 and the inner wall of the cavity; and a rubber sealing ring is provided between the front end face of the large end of the piston assembly 1 and the air cannon tube 18.
[0013] A test method for the air cannon firing control device includes: First, set the predetermined pressure value parameters for the air tank and the cavity of the firing mechanism on the industrial control computer 1; At the start of the experiment, the signal is transmitted to the P0.2 port of the data acquisition card 3 via the USB bus module 2. The P0.2 port outputs a 5V high-level signal. After the 5V high-level signal is received by pin 1 of the optocoupler relay B4-2, the optocoupler relay B is turned on. Pins 3 and 4 of the optocoupler relay B4-2 are turned on, and the one-way solenoid valve A5-2 at the air inlet 8-2 of the firing mechanism is opened. High-pressure gas enters the cavity 9 of the firing structure through the air inlet 8-2. The high-pressure air pressure acts on the rear end face 10 of the small end of the sliding piston assembly, generating a thrust that causes the sliding piston assembly 13 to slide forward. At the same time, the return spring 11 is compressed until the front end face 14 of the large end of the sliding piston assembly is in contact with the inner wall of the front limit platform 15 of the firing mechanism, and the sliding piston assembly is locked in place. When the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor 7-2 in cavity 9 reaches the predetermined pressure value, the power-off command of the industrial control computer 1 is transmitted to the P0.2 port of the data acquisition card 3 through the USB bus module 2. At this time, the P0.2 port outputs a 0V low-level signal. After the 0V low-level signal is received by pin 1 of the optocoupler relay B4-2, the optocoupler relay B4-2 is disconnected, the path of pins 3 and 4 of the optocoupler relay B4-2 is cut off, the one-way solenoid valve B5-2 at the air inlet 8-2 of the firing mechanism is cut off, and the air filling process of cavity 9 of the firing mechanism is completed. The industrial control computer 1 sends an air filling command to the P0.1 port of the data acquisition card 3 via the USB bus module 2. The P0.1 port outputs a 5V high-level signal. After the 5V high-level signal is received by pin 1 of the optocoupler relay A4-1, the optocoupler relay A4-1 is turned on, and the one-way solenoid valve A5-1 at the air filling port 8-1 of the air filling tank is opened. High-pressure gas enters the air filling tank 16 through the air filling port 8-1. When the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor on the air filling tank 16 reaches the preset pressure value, the air filling tank 16 completes the filling process, and the air cannon control system enters the ready-to-fire state. When the industrial control computer 1 confirms the firing command, the P0.3 port of the data acquisition card 3 outputs a 5V high-level signal. After the 5V high-level signal is received by pin 1 of the optocoupler relay C4-3, the optocoupler relay C4-3 is turned on, and the one-way solenoid valve C5-3 at the air cannon mechanism vent 8-3 is opened. The high-pressure gas in the firing mechanism cavity 9 is quickly discharged through the vent 8-3, the air pressure in the air cannon mechanism cavity decreases, the return spring 11 is reset, and the sliding piston assembly 13 is pushed to move backward. The high-pressure gas in the air tank 16 quickly enters the air cannon tube 18 through the air tank vent 17. The high-pressure air drags the bird projectile substrate 19 and the bird projectile 20 forward to accelerate, completing the bird projectile firing process. After the high-pressure gas in the air tank 16 is released, the sliding piston assembly 13 is reset.
[0014] Beneficial effects The air cannon firing control device disclosed in this invention can solve the problems of real-time display of air pressure values in the firing cavity mechanism and air tank, automatic compensation control when there is an error between the air pressure set value and the actual value, and one-button automatic control of the air cannon firing process. It reduces the problems of misoperation caused by mechanical buttons and the delay of on / off action of traditional coil contact relay circuits, effectively eliminates errors caused by various interferences, improves the control accuracy of bird strike speed, and achieves very good results. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 Electrical control diagram for the air cannon firing control device; Figure 2 Diagram showing the reset state of the sliding piston assembly; Figure 3 Diagram showing the mounting position of the sliding piston assembly; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a sliding piston assembly. Detailed Implementation
[0016] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings: refer to Figure 1-4 The air cannon firing control device proposed in this invention consists of an industrial control computer 1, a USB bus module 2, a multi-functional data acquisition card 3, an optocoupler relay 4, a one-way air pressure solenoid valve 5, a DC regulated power supply module 6, and a gas pressure sensor 7.
[0017] The system consists of an industrial computer (1), a USB bus module (2), a multi-functional data acquisition card (3), a DC regulated power supply module (6), and a gas pressure sensor (7) to achieve real-time acquisition and display of gas pressure data.
[0018] The system comprises an industrial control computer 1, a USB bus module 2, a multi-functional data acquisition card 3, a DC regulated power supply module, an optocoupler relay 4, a one-way pneumatic solenoid valve 5, and a DC regulated power supply module 6, which together implement the logic control function for the inflation and deflation process of the firing cavity mechanism 9 and the 16 inflation tanks. The industrial control computer 1 is equipped with programmable control software.
[0019] The system comprises an industrial computer 1, a USB bus module 2, a multi-functional data acquisition card 3, a DC regulated power supply module 6, and a gas pressure sensor 7, enabling real-time acquisition and display of gas pressure data. Specifically, the DC regulated power supply module 6 provides operating voltage to the cavity 9 of the firing mechanism and the gas pressure sensor 7 of the inflation tank 16. The gas pressure sensor 7 converts the real-time gas pressure values into voltage signals. These voltage signals are input through the analog input channels AI0 and AI1 of the multi-functional data acquisition card 3, where A / D conversion is performed to convert the analog voltage signals into digital voltage signals. These digital voltage signals are then transmitted via the USB bus module 2 to the industrial computer 1 for real-time processing and display of the gas pressure data.
[0020] The system comprises an industrial control computer (1), a USB bus module (2), a multi-functional data acquisition card (3), an optocoupler relay (4), a one-way air pressure solenoid valve (5), and a DC regulated power supply module (6) to implement the logic control function for the air cannon's charging and discharging process. Specifically, the industrial control computer (1) sets the predetermined pressure values for the air tank and the cavity of the firing mechanism. Upon starting the test, the test start command is transmitted via the USB bus module (2) to the P0.2 digital I / O control port of the multi-functional data acquisition card (3). The P0.2 digital I / O outputs a 5V high-level signal. When the control signal input terminal 1 of the optocoupler relay (4-2) receives the 5V high-level signal, the internal LED of the optocoupler relay (4-2) lights up, activating the phototransistor within the relay. This connects the drive ports 3 and 4 of the optocoupler relay (4-2), activating the one-way solenoid valve (5-2) at the air inlet (8-2) of the firing mechanism. Current flows through the coil, and the electromagnetic force generated by the coil opens the one-way solenoid valve 5-2. High-pressure gas enters the firing mechanism cavity 9 through the air inlet 8-2. The high-pressure air pressure acts on the rear end face 10 of the sliding piston assembly, generating a thrust that causes the sliding piston assembly 13 to slide forward. At the same time, it compresses the return spring 11 until the front end face 14 of the sliding piston assembly is in contact with the inner wall of the front limit platform 15 of the firing mechanism. The sliding piston assembly is then locked in place. (See attached image) Figure 3Rubber sealing ring 12-2 seals the air outlet 17 of the air tank 16, and rubber sealing ring 12-3 seals the air inlet inside the air cannon tube 19 to prevent air leakage from the air tank 16 into the air cannon tube 18, which would blow the bird projectile substrate 19 and the bird projectile 20 out of the air cannon tube 18 and cause an error. When the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor 7-2 reaches the predetermined pressure value, the power-off command of the industrial control computer 1 is transmitted to the P0.2 digital I / O control port of the multi-function data acquisition card 3 through the USB bus module 2. At this time, the P0.2 digital I / O outputs a 0V low-level signal. After the control signal input terminal 1 of the optocoupler relay (4-2) receives the 0V low-level signal, the light-emitting diode inside the optocoupler relay 4-2 is turned off, making the photosensitive transistor in the optocoupler relay 4-2 cut off. The drive ports 3 and 4 of the optocoupler relay 4-2 are cut off, the coil of the one-way solenoid valve 5-2 at the air inlet 8-2 of the firing mechanism is de-energized, the air inlet (8-2) of the firing mechanism is cut off, and the air filling process of the cavity 9 of the firing mechanism is completed. At this time, the industrial control computer 1 automatically sends an air filling command to the P0.1 digital I / O control port of the multi-functional data acquisition card 3 via the USB bus module 2. The P0.1 digital I / O outputs a 5V high-level signal. After the control signal input terminal 1 of the optocoupler relay 4-1 receives the 5V high-level signal, the internal light-emitting diode of the optocoupler relay 4-1 lights up, making the phototransistor in the optocoupler relay 4-1 conduct. Current flows through the coil of the one-way solenoid valve 5-1 at the air filling port 8-1 of the air filling tank, generating electromagnetic force to open the valve port of the one-way solenoid valve 5-1. High-pressure gas enters the air filling tank 16 through the air filling port 8-1. When the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor 7-1 reaches the preset pressure value, the air filling tank 16 completes the filling process, and the air cannon control system enters the ready-to-fire state.
[0021] During the entire process from the completion of the inflation process of the cavity 9 of the firing mechanism to the entry of the air cannon control system into the firing state, the industrial control computer 1 will monitor the real-time air pressure values of the gas pressure sensor 7-1 of the inflation tank 16 and the gas pressure sensor 7-2 of the cavity 9 of the firing mechanism in real time. When the real-time air pressure value is lower than the set value, the industrial control computer and the program control software 1 will quickly restart the inflation process of the cavity 9 of the firing mechanism and the inflation tank 16. At this time, the two inflation processes can be carried out simultaneously.
[0022] After the industrial control computer 1 confirms the firing command, the multi-function data acquisition card 3P0.3 digital I / O control port outputs a 5V high-level signal. Upon receiving the 5V high-level signal at the control signal input terminal 1 of the optocoupler relay 4-3, the internal LED of the optocoupler relay 4-3 lights up, causing the phototransistor in the optocoupler relay 4-3 to conduct. Current flows through the coil of the one-way solenoid valve 5-3 at the air cannon mechanism's vent 8-3, generating electromagnetic force that opens the valve port of the one-way solenoid valve 5-3. The high-pressure gas in the firing mechanism cavity 9 is rapidly discharged through the vent 8-3, reducing the air pressure in the air cannon mechanism cavity. The return spring 11 resets, pushing the sliding piston assembly 13 backward. High-pressure gas in the air tank 16 quickly enters the air cannon tube 18 through the air tank vent 17. The high-pressure air drags the bird projectile substrate 19 and the bird projectile 20 forward, accelerating them and completing the bird projectile firing process. After the high-pressure gas in the air tank 16 is completely released, the sliding piston assembly 13 resets. (See attached image) Figure 2 .
[0023] Among them, the multi-functional data acquisition card is model 3 USB6009; the optocoupler relay is model 4-2 TKG0411 4-channel combination module.
[0024] The air cannon firing control device disclosed in this invention can solve the problems of real-time display of air pressure values in the firing cavity mechanism and air tank, automatic compensation control when there is an error between the air pressure set value and the actual value, and one-button automatic control of the air cannon firing process. It reduces the problems of misoperation caused by mechanical buttons and the delay of on / off action of traditional coil contact relay circuits, effectively eliminates errors caused by various interferences, improves the control accuracy of bird strike speed, and achieves very good results.
Claims
1. An air cannon firing control device, characterized in that, The system includes an industrial control computer, a data acquisition card, an inflation tank, and a firing mechanism. A gas pressure sensor on the inflation tank transmits the gas pressure value to the data acquisition card, which in turn transmits it to the industrial control computer. A pressure sensor on the firing mechanism transmits the gas pressure value from the firing mechanism to the data acquisition card, which in turn transmits it to the industrial control computer. The inflation tank and firing mechanism are connected. Based on the gas pressure values from the inflation tank and firing mechanism, the industrial control computer controls the piston of the firing mechanism to reset, thus firing the bird projectile using the high-pressure gas in the inflation tank.
2. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a USB bus module, which is used to connect the industrial computer and the data acquisition card.
3. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A one-way air pressure solenoid valve A is installed on the air inlet of the air tank 16. A cavity is set inside the firing mechanism. A one-way air pressure solenoid valve B is installed at the air inlet of the cavity, and a one-way air pressure solenoid valve C is installed at the air outlet of the cavity.
4. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes optocoupler relay A, optocoupler relay B, and optocoupler relay C, wherein: Pin 1 of optocoupler relay A is connected to port P0.1 of the data acquisition card, pins 2 and 4 are grounded, and pin 3 is connected to one-way pneumatic solenoid valve A. Pin 1 of optocoupler relay B is connected to port P0.2 of the data acquisition card, pins 2 and 4 are grounded, and pin 3 is connected to one-way pneumatic solenoid valve B. Pin 1 of the optocoupler relay C is connected to port P0.3 of the data acquisition card, pins 2 and 4 are grounded, and pin 3 is connected to the one-way pneumatic solenoid valve C.
5. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a DC regulated power supply module, which supplies power to the gas pressure sensor on the inflation tank, the pressure sensor on the firing mechanism, and one-way air pressure solenoid valves A, B, and C.
6. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The firing mechanism includes a firing mechanism housing, inside which are provided a cavity, an air gun barrel, a piston assembly, and a return spring. The piston assembly includes a large end, a small end, and a connecting rod connecting the large end and the small end. The small end is slidably disposed in the cavity. The return spring is disposed in the cavity and sleeved on the rod segment of the connecting rod located in the cavity. The large end is slidably disposed in the air gun barrel, and a bird projectile is disposed at the front end of the air gun barrel.
7. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The bird projectile is mounted at the front end of the air gun barrel via a bird projectile substrate.
8. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The upper side of the large end of the piston assembly is attached to the vent of the gas tank. When it is necessary to launch bird bullets, the upper side of the large end of the piston assembly is moved away from the vent of the gas tank.
9. The air cannon firing control device according to claim 7, characterized in that, A rubber sealing ring is installed between the upper side of the large end of the piston assembly and the vent of the air tank; a rubber sealing ring is installed between the side of the small end of the piston assembly and the inner wall of the cavity; and a rubber sealing ring is installed between the front end face of the large end of the piston assembly and the air gun tube.
10. A test method for the air cannon firing control device as described in claim 9, characterized in that, include: First, set the predetermined pressure value parameters for the air tank and the cavity of the firing mechanism on the industrial control computer; At the start of the experiment, the signal was transmitted to the P0.2 port of the data acquisition card via the USB bus module. The P0.2 port output a 5V high-level signal. After the 5V high-level signal was received by pin 1 of the optocoupler relay B, the optocoupler relay B was turned on. Pins 3 and 4 of the optocoupler relay B were also turned on. The one-way solenoid valve A at the air inlet of the firing mechanism was opened, and high-pressure gas entered the cavity of the firing structure through the air inlet. The high-pressure air pressure acted on the rear end face of the small end of the sliding piston assembly, generating a thrust that made the sliding piston assembly slide forward. At the same time, the return spring was compressed until the front end face of the large end of the sliding piston assembly was in contact with the inner wall of the front limit platform of the firing mechanism, and the sliding piston assembly was locked in place. When the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor in the cavity reaches the predetermined pressure value, the power-off command of the industrial control computer is transmitted to the P0.2 port of the data acquisition card through the USB bus module. At this time, the P0.2 port outputs a 0V low-level signal. After the 0V low-level signal is received by pin 1 of the optocoupler relay B, the optocoupler relay B is disconnected, the path of pins 3 and 4 of the optocoupler relay B is cut off, the one-way solenoid valve B at the air inlet of the firing mechanism is cut off, and the air filling process of the firing mechanism cavity is completed. The industrial control computer sends an air filling command to the P0.1 port of the data acquisition card via the USB bus module. The P0.1 port outputs a 5V high-level signal. After the 5V high-level signal is received by pin 1 of the optocoupler relay A, the optocoupler relay A is turned on, and the one-way solenoid valve A at the air filling port of the air filling tank opens. High-pressure gas enters the air filling tank through the air filling port. When the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor on the air filling tank reaches the preset pressure value, the air filling tank completes the filling process, and the air cannon control system enters the ready-to-fire state. After the industrial control computer confirms the firing command, the P0.3 port of the data acquisition card outputs a 5V high-level signal. After pin 1 of the optocoupler relay C receives the 5V high-level signal, the optocoupler relay C conducts, and the one-way solenoid valve C at the air cannon mechanism's vent opens. The high-pressure gas in the firing mechanism cavity is quickly discharged through the vent, reducing the air pressure in the air cannon mechanism cavity. The spring returns to its original position, pushing the sliding piston assembly backward. The high-pressure gas in the inflation tank quickly enters the air cannon tube through the inflation tank's vent. The high-pressure air drags the bird projectile substrate and the bird projectile forward, accelerating them and completing the bird projectile firing process. After the high-pressure gas in the inflation tank is completely released, the sliding piston assembly resets.