Integrated total pressure and total temperature low-radar-cross-section air data sensor

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of aircraft sensors, and discloses a low-RCS atmospheric data sensor integrated with total pressure and total temperature, which comprises a pipe head, a support arm and a connector. The pipe head is designed in a flat conical structure, is provided with a total pressure port at the front end, and is provided with differential pressure holes on the left and right sides. The support arm is designed in a water-drop-like structure, is bent at the front end, is connected with the pipe head, is provided with a total temperature port on the support arm, and is provided with a base conforming to the aircraft skin at the tail end. The connector is connected to the base and transmits the total temperature signal to an atmospheric computer. The application solves the problem of single function of the existing aircraft sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aircraft sensor technology, specifically relating to a low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature. Background Technology

[0002] The air data sensor is an important device in the aircraft air data system. It is used to sense one or more pressure signals such as total pressure, static pressure, and differential pressure at the location of the flow field and transmit the sensed pressure signals to the air data computer. In order to accurately calculate the aircraft's vacuum velocity, it also needs to be used in conjunction with the total temperature sensor to obtain the total temperature of the incoming flow. The air data computer then processes the pressure and total temperature signals to obtain relevant parameters such as the aircraft's Mach number, altitude, angle of attack, and sideslip angle.

[0003] Currently, pressure and total temperature signals are measured using separate sensors on aircraft. Although there are many multi-functional sensors that can sense multiple pressure signals simultaneously, due to limitations in conventional manufacturing technology, sensors that combine total temperature and pressure sensors are rare. When integrating sensors, the impact of total temperature on pressure measurement and the accuracy of total temperature measurement after integration must be considered.

[0004] As aircraft require increasingly sophisticated stealth capabilities, surface-mounted sensors will become less common, while total temperature sensors will have a significant impact on stealth performance. Research indicates that current aircraft typically install total temperature sensors at the engine inlet, combining them with pressure sensors to calculate flight parameters. However, the total temperature at the engine differs from that at the fuselage, and is also affected by the engine's air intake volume, thus influencing the measurement and posing a significant challenge to correcting subsequent flight data. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the issue of limited functionality in existing aircraft sensors by providing a low RCS atmospheric data sensor that integrates total differential pressure and total temperature. By studying the shape design of the low RCS sensor, the invention solves the problems of temperature and pressure measurement performance and stealth performance after integrating the total temperature sensor, optimizes the RCS of the integrated sensor, and optimizes the internal structure of the integrated sensor. Additive manufacturing technology is used to reduce the processing difficulty of the sensor.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows:

[0007] A low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature, comprising: The pipe head adopts a flat conical structure design, with a main pressure port at the front end and differential pressure holes on the left and right sides; The support arm adopts a teardrop-shaped structure design, with the front end bent and connected to the pipe head. A total temperature port is provided on the support arm, and the opening direction of the total temperature port is consistent with that of the total pressure port. The rear end is provided with a base conforming to the aircraft skin. The connector attaches to the base and transmits the total temperature signal to the atmospheric computer.

[0008] As a further aspect of the present invention: the three pressure signals from the main pressure port and the two differential pressure ports are transmitted to the atmospheric system computer located inside the fuselage through independent cavity pipelines inside the sensor.

[0009] As a further aspect of the present invention: two differential pressure orifices are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the front part of the pipe head.

[0010] As a further aspect of the present invention: the total temperature port includes a total temperature air inlet and an exhaust port. The opening direction of the total temperature air inlet is the same as that of the total pressure port. There are three exhaust ports, one of which is located on the back of the total temperature air inlet, and the other two are located on both sides of the support arm respectively. They are connected to the total temperature air inlet through an internal independent cavity pipeline.

[0011] As a further aspect of the present invention: a heater is welded inside the pipe head and at the front of the support arm, and a drain hole is provided on the lower side of the pipe head to discharge water vapor from the main pressure port.

[0012] As a further aspect of the present invention: the outrigger has a flat overall design with smooth transitions between the front and rear edges and the overall shape, and the thickest part of the outrigger is 24mm.

[0013] As a further aspect of the present invention: the total temperature air inlet is located at the front edge of the support arm, and is generally semi-circular, with several through holes on the lower side of the total temperature air inlet.

[0014] As a further aspect of the present invention: the distance between the center of the main pressure port and the center of the main temperature air inlet should be no less than 65mm in the direction of incoming flow and no less than 50mm in the direction of height.

[0015] As a further aspect of the present invention: the distance between the center of the total temperature air intake and the skin should be no less than 60mm.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. Compared with the atmospheric data sensors currently used in actual installations, the low RCS atmospheric data sensor of the present invention, which integrates total differential pressure and total temperature, combines total temperature measurement with pressure measurement, reduces the number of installation locations on the aircraft, and improves the accuracy of total temperature measurement under stealth requirements.

[0017] 2. This invention can be applied to aircraft. Currently, the design can meet the flight speed of Mach 4, providing application prospects for various future flight atmospheric data systems.

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a comparative diagram of the cross-section of the sensor arm of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a design drawing of the total temperature opening of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the sensor of the present invention.

[0020] The attached diagram is labeled as follows: 1-pipe head; 2-main temperature port; 3-support arm; 4-connector. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-4 The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0025] Example 1 This invention provides a low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature, comprising: The pipe head adopts a flat conical structure design, with a main pressure port at the front end and differential pressure holes on the left and right sides; The support arm adopts a teardrop-shaped structure design, with the front end bent and connected to the pipe head. A total temperature port is provided on the support arm, and the opening direction of the total temperature port is consistent with that of the total pressure port. The rear end is provided with a base conforming to the aircraft skin. The connector attaches to the base and transmits the total temperature signal to the atmospheric computer.

[0026] Furthermore, the three pressure signals from the main pressure port and the two differential pressure ports are transmitted to the atmospheric system computer located inside the fuselage through independent cavity pipelines inside the sensor.

[0027] Furthermore, two differential pressure orifices are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the front of the pipe head.

[0028] Furthermore, the main temperature port includes a main temperature air inlet and an exhaust port. The main temperature air inlet and the main pressure port have the same opening direction. There are three exhaust ports, one of which is located on the back of the main temperature air inlet, and the other two are located on both sides of the support arm. They are connected to the main temperature air inlet through an independent internal cavity pipeline.

[0029] Furthermore, heaters are welded inside the pipe head and at the front of the support arm, and a drain hole is provided on the lower side of the pipe head to discharge water vapor from the main pressure port.

[0030] Furthermore, the overall shape of the outrigger is flat, with smooth transitions between the front and rear edges and the overall shape. The thickest part of the outrigger is 24mm.

[0031] Furthermore, the main air intake is located at the front edge of the support arm, and is roughly semi-circular in shape, with several through holes on the lower side of the main air intake.

[0032] Furthermore, the distance between the center of the main pressure port and the center of the main temperature air inlet should be no less than 65mm in the direction of incoming flow and no less than 50mm in the direction of height.

[0033] Furthermore, the distance between the center of the total air intake and the skin should be no less than 60mm.

[0034] Example 2 This invention provides a low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature. The external structure mainly comprises a sensor pressure measuring tube head and an arm. It can sense one total pressure and two upper / lower pressures. The basic design is consistent with other sensors, with the total pressure port located at the front end of the sensor. The upper and lower differential pressure ports are symmetrically distributed at the front of the sensor tube head. The total temperature sensor is located at the front of the arm and is designed with a total temperature inlet and outlet. The three pressure signals are transmitted along independent internal cavity pipelines to the atmospheric system computer located inside the sensor body. The total temperature sensor transmits its signal to the atmospheric calculation via a connector cable. Heaters are welded inside the tube head and at the front of the arm. A drain hole is arranged at a certain position inside the total pressure port to ensure the sensor's anti-icing and waterproof function during use. The basic shape of the sensor is as follows. Figure 1 As shown.

[0035] (1) Integrated sensor shape design scheme From the sensor's external structure, it mainly consists of three parts: a pressure sensing head, a support arm, and a temperature sensing element. To improve stealth performance, the sensor has an overall flat design. Compared to existing low RCS pressure sensors, the support arm has been redesigned to accommodate a larger total temperature sensor, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the cross-sectional area of ​​the integrated sensor arm increases with the increase in total temperature, but the edges and overall shape of the arm remain smooth. Through optimization, the arm width is designed to be 24mm. A comparison of the sensor arm cross-sections is provided. Figure 2 As shown.

[0036] For the design of the total air intake, an opening was incorporated into the leading edge of the support arm to ensure sufficient air intake volume. Figure 3 As shown. Multiple stealth RCS simulations were conducted for the opening size and shape, and the final opening dimensions were determined to be 19mm wide and 20mm high, ensuring that the opening width does not exceed the support arm width.

[0037] For the design of the sensor's aerodynamic characteristics, the main consideration is the influence of the total temperature inlet on the pressure measurement. Through aerodynamic simulation calculation and analysis, the distance between the center position of the design opening and the center position of the total temperature inlet should be no less than 65mm in the direction of incoming flow and no less than 50mm in the direction of height. Below Mach number 4, the calculated total pressure and differential pressure aerodynamic characteristics are not affected by the total temperature.

[0038] (2) Design scheme of total temperature sensor Total temperature sensor housing such as Figure 1 As shown, the design incorporates air intake and exhaust channels on the sensor arm to ensure proper total temperature measurement. Simultaneously, to avoid the influence of the aircraft skin boundary layer, the center distance between the total temperature sensor inlet and the skin should be no less than 60mm.

[0039] Through research, a temperature sensor capable of measuring 800℃ was found. Due to the limited size of the total temperature housing inside the sensor, the sensor needed to be custom-designed. Testing of the manufactured prototype confirmed that the total temperature sensor met the usage requirements.

[0040] (3) Design and manufacturing of the sensor In this integrated atmospheric data sensor design, the internal gas path is highly integrated and compact, while the total temperature housing design is complex. The selected material is a high-temperature resistant material, which is difficult to manufacture using conventional methods. Therefore, additive manufacturing technology was employed to design a gas path cavity to replace the traditional gas path conduit, maximizing the optimization of the limited internal space of the sensor. Simultaneously, while meeting structural strength requirements, the sensor wall thickness can be reduced to 1mm. For solid parts of the sensor not involved in the design, cavity treatment can be used, significantly reducing the sensor weight. The sensor internal cavity structure is as follows: Figure 4 As shown.

[0041] In addition, the tube head and tube body are manufactured separately to facilitate the subsequent arrangement of the heater in the main pressure chamber. At the same time, another set of heaters is designed and welded near the main temperature port and the front edge of the support arm to ensure the anti-icing and de-icing function of the sensor.

[0042] Finally, the RCS value is reduced by coating the sensor with a high-temperature resistant absorbing coating material. The absorbing coating uses a ferrite absorbing agent, and through the design of the absorber and the coating thickness, the trough of the low-frequency RCS value curve is ensured to be approximately 1.4 GHz. This design can reduce the low-frequency RCS value by more than 8 dB.

[0043] Thus, the objective of this invention has been achieved.

[0044] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature, characterized in that, include: The pipe head adopts a flat conical structure design, with a main pressure port at the front end and differential pressure holes on the left and right sides; The support arm adopts a teardrop-shaped structure design, with the front end bent and connected to the pipe head. A total temperature port is provided on the support arm, and the opening direction of the total temperature port is consistent with that of the total pressure port. The rear end is provided with a base conforming to the aircraft skin. The connector attaches to the base and transmits the total temperature signal to the atmospheric computer.

2. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three pressure signals from the main pressure port and the two differential pressure ports are transmitted to the atmospheric system computer located inside the fuselage through independent cavity pipelines inside the sensor.

3. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 2, characterized in that, Two differential pressure orifices are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the front of the pipe head.

4. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main temperature port includes a main temperature air inlet and an exhaust port. The main temperature air inlet and the main pressure port open in the same direction. There are three exhaust ports, one of which is located on the back of the main temperature air inlet, and the other two are located on both sides of the support arm. They are connected to the main temperature air inlet through an independent internal cavity pipeline.

5. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 1, characterized in that, Heaters are welded inside the pipe head and at the front of the support arm. A drain hole is provided on the lower side of the pipe head to discharge water vapor from the main pressure port.

6. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor integrating total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outrigger has a flat overall design with smooth transitions between the front and rear edges and the overall shape. The thickest part of the outrigger is 24mm.

7. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor with integrated total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main air intake is located at the front edge of the support arm and is roughly semi-circular in shape. Several through holes are provided on the lower side of the main air intake.

8. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor with integrated total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 7, characterized in that, The distance between the center of the main pressure port and the center of the main temperature air inlet should be no less than 65mm in the direction of incoming flow and no less than 50mm in the direction of height.

9. The low RCS atmospheric data sensor with integrated total differential pressure and total temperature according to claim 8, characterized in that, The distance between the center of the total air intake and the skin should be no less than 60mm.

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