Aircraft Air Data Cross-Check for Sensor Failure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft sensor systems fail to provide accurate air data in adverse conditions such as ice buildup, leading to potential aviation disasters without alerting the crew or control systems, as seen in the crash of Air France AF-447, where ice crystals blocked pitot tubes causing erroneous airspeed readings.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for cross-checking aircraft operating data by receiving air data from sensors and flight data from monitoring systems, detecting sensor failures, estimating air data, and providing validated data to display devices and automated flight control systems to ensure accurate information is available to the crew.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If air data sensors are used to acquire air data during flight, then air data information is obtained, but the sensors may provide erroneous data when ice builds up on them without alerting the crew
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors air data sensor readings and compares them against expected physical relationships (such as the relationship between indicated airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed). When discrepancies are detected that indicate sensor failure, the system generates alerts to the flight crew. This feedback mechanism enables real-time detection of ice buildup or other sensor failures, allowing pilots to take corrective action before erroneous data compromises flight safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that acts as a mediator between the air data sensors and the flight crew. This intermediary system validates sensor readings, detects inconsistencies, and determines whether the sensors are providing accurate data or erroneous readings due to ice buildup. By placing this intermediary layer, the system filters out unreliable data before it reaches the pilots, solving the contradiction between obtaining air data information and ensuring its reliability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If ice builds up on air data sensors, then sensor function is blocked, but no alert is provided to the crew or control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation of air data sensor readings by checking whether the data conforms to expected physical relationships and operational parameters before presenting it to the flight crew. By conducting this preliminary check, the system can detect ice buildup or other failures before they result in erroneous data being displayed to pilots, allowing for preventive action to be taken.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop that continuously monitors air data readings and compares them against physically consistent expectations. When ice buildup causes sensor readings to diverge from expected values, the feedback mechanism triggers an alert to the flight crew, informing them of the sensor degradation before it leads to catastrophic failure.
3Productivity
If measured air data from compromised sensors is used, then flight systems receive data, but the data may be erroneous and mislead pilots
Solution Approach 1:
The flight system performs self-validation of air data by internally checking whether sensor readings are physically consistent with the aircraft's known state and operational parameters. This self-service capability allows the system to autonomously detect when sensors are providing erroneous data due to ice buildup, without requiring external verification, thereby maintaining productivity while ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism that continuously validates air data readings against expected physical relationships. When discrepancies indicate sensor failure, the feedback loop alerts the flight crew, allowing them to switch to alternative data sources or manual operations, thus maintaining flight system productivity while protecting against erroneous data.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a communications system and at least one processor coupled with the communications system and with a non-transitory processor-readable medium storing processor-executable code. The communications system is configured to receive measured air data from an air sensor system and receive flight data from a flight monitoring system. The air data is indicative of at least one air characteristic of an environment surrounding an aircraft. The flight data is indicative of at least one flight characteristic of the aircraft. The processor-executable code causes the at least one processor to detect a failed state of the air sensor system based on the measure air data and the flight data, estimate air data in response to detecting the failed state of the air sensor system, and provide the estimated air data to at least one of a display device and an automated flight control system.