Aircraft Airspeed Determination via Assisted Wind Interpolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to reliably determine an aircraft's speed relative to the air in case of anemometric chain failure, leading to uncertainties in wind speed estimation and impacting safe manual or automatic piloting.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines an aircraft's speed relative to the air by receiving wind speed data from multiple assisting aircraft, interpolating this data to estimate the local wind speed, and calculating the true airspeed through vector difference, while also verifying the operation of the anemometric chain and enabling automatic piloting within corrected speed limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wind speed is estimated from statistical data or ground station communication, then airspeed can be determined without anemometric chains, but the estimate is marred by significant uncertainties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple assisting aircraft as intermediaries to measure and communicate wind speed data. These aircraft act as mobile measurement platforms that provide real-time wind speed observations to the assisted aircraft, replacing the function of failed anemometric chains while maintaining measurement precision through direct atmospheric sampling rather than statistical estimation
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously receiving wind speed measurements from multiple assisting aircraft and using these measurements to calculate and update the airspeed of the assisted aircraft. This continuous feedback loop allows for real-time airspeed determination with quantified uncertainty, enabling reliable operation even without functional anemometric chains
2Measurement precision
If anemometric chains are used to measure airspeed, then direct measurement is available, but the system is vulnerable to failure that compromises safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement function across multiple independent aircraft rather than relying on a single aircraft's anemometric chains. Each assisting aircraft independently measures wind speed, and the assisted aircraft synthesizes these measurements. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure inherent in traditional anemometric chains while maintaining measurement precision through multiple independent observations
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares for anemometric chain failure by establishing a backup measurement methodology using assisting aircraft. This prior cushioning ensures that if the primary measurement system fails, a reliable alternative is already in place and can be activated immediately, maintaining both precision and reliability without interruption
3Measurement precision
If multiple assisting aircraft are used to estimate wind speed, then accuracy improves through interpolation, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each aircraft in the system is multi-functional, serving both as a platform for pilot operations and as a mobile wind measurement station. The assisting aircraft use their existing anemometric chains for their own navigation while simultaneously providing wind speed data to assist other aircraft. This universality reduces overall system complexity by leveraging existing capabilities rather than adding dedicated measurement equipment to each aircraft
4Measurement precision
If wind speed data is received and interpolated from multiple sources, then local wind speed estimation accuracy improves, but data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system processes wind speed data from multiple assisting aircraft, using more measurements than strictly necessary for a basic estimate. This excessive action provides redundant information that improves precision through interpolation while allowing the system to filter and prioritize data based on factors such as aircraft proximity, measurement quality, and temporal relevance, thereby managing processing requirements effectively
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A method and system for determining an airspeed of an aircraft, known as assisted aircraft, comprises: a) determining a position; b) measuring a ground speed; c) receiving a plurality of messages from a plurality of other assisting, aircraft, each message containing a first item of information, indicating a position of an assisting aircraft, and a second item of information, indicating a wind speed at the position; d) estimating a wind speed at the position of the assisted aircraft by interpolating the wind speed values at the positions of the assisting aircraft obtained in step c); and e) computing a true speed of the assisted aircraft by using the vector difference between its ground speed, measured in step b), and the wind speed estimated in step d). The method can check operation of an anemometric subsystem aboard an aircraft, to compensate for any malfunction and/or to enable automatic piloting.