Aircraft Backup Altitude Stabilization via Pressure Differential Filtering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining an aircraft's backup altitude are inconsistent during engine transients due to the influence of engine thrust on static pressure readings, leading to altitude drift.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that compute a backup altitude by filtering static pressure differences using data from geolocation and static pressure sensors, incorporating a standard atmospheric model and vertical speed to stabilize altitude readings, eliminating the need for air data references and accounting for atmospheric layer offsets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If static pressure values from engine nacelle sensors are used to determine backup altitude, then the system can operate without air data references, but the altitude drifts during engine transients due to thrust effects on static pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary correction mechanism that uses geolocation-derived altitude and a standard atmospheric model to compute expected static pressure, then uses this as a reference to correct the engine nacelle pressure sensor readings. This intermediary reference system mediates between the unavailable air data references and the thrust-affected pressure sensors, enabling reliable backup altitude determination without ADRs while compensating for engine transient effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter basis for altitude determination by switching from direct reliance on engine nacelle static pressure readings to a hybrid approach that computes altitude from geolocation data and corrects it using processed pressure differential information. This parameter transformation allows the system to maintain accuracy during engine transients by not directly using the thrust-affected pressure values as the primary altitude indicator
2Measurement precision
If geolocation data is combined with static pressure values to improve backup altitude, then altitude accuracy improves during engine transients, but the complexity of the determination system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the geolocation module serve multiple functions: it provides primary altitude determination, supplies reference pressure computation via the atmospheric model, and enables correction of the pressure sensor readings. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while achieving improved measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own geolocation capability to generate the reference pressure information needed for correction, rather than requiring external air data references. The standard atmospheric model and the pressure differential filtering process are self-contained computational elements that use readily available data (geolocation altitude, vertical speed) to perform the correction, making the system self-sufficient and avoiding additional complex external dependencies
Data Source
AI summary
A determining method comprises a first computing step implemented by a computational module to compute a static pressure from an altitude determined by a geolocation module, a receiving step implemented by a reception module to receive a static pressure determined by a static pressure sensor, a second computing step implemented by a second computational module to compute a static pressure difference between the static pressure and the static pressure, a step of filtering the static pressure difference, a third computing step implemented by a third computational module in order to compute the backup altitude from the filtered static pressure difference and from the static pressure, and a sending step implemented by a sending module in order to deliver the computed backup altitude to a user device.