Mountable Aircraft Sensor System for Environmental Hazard Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have inadequate environmental and atmospheric sensors to detect conditions that pose danger, leading to limited resource protection.
Innovation Solution
A mountable sensor system with temperature and relative humidity sensors, integrated with a microprocessor and I2C switch, utilizing digital outputs and redundant sensors for real-time data acquisition and processing, connected via customizable interfaces for data storage and transmission, ensuring accurate and reliable environmental monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If environmental/atmospheric sensors are added to RPA, then detection capability of dangerous conditions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into separate functional modules: temperature sensor, relative humidity sensor, and pressure sensor, each independently mounted and connected to the control system. This segmentation allows for easier installation, maintenance, and replacement of individual sensors without affecting the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed to detect multiple environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, pressure) using a unified mounting and communication architecture. The I2C interface provides universal communication capability across different sensor types, reducing overall system complexity despite multiple sensing functions.
2Reliability
If redundant sensors are implemented, then reliability of environmental monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Redundant temperature and relative humidity sensors are pre-installed in the system to provide backup measurement capabilities before failures occur. This ensures continuous reliable monitoring even if one sensor fails, without requiring complex real-time failure detection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sensor data streams are combined and processed through a single I2C communication interface and unified control system. The control system integrates readings from redundant sensors, providing reliable environmental data while maintaining a streamlined system architecture.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are mounted on the aircraft, then measurement accuracy is improved, but drag increases
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors are strategically positioned on the aircraft exterior at locations that minimize their impact on aerodynamic flow. The mounting locations are selected to reduce drag while ensuring sensors receive representative environmental samples, balancing measurement accuracy with aerodynamic performance.
4Speed
If sensors are exposed to direct airflow, then response time is improved, but thermal inertia increases
Solution Approach 1:
A diffuser or sampling probe structure is introduced as an intermediary between the direct airflow and the temperature/humidity sensors. This intermediary allows environmental air to reach the sensors for accurate measurement while shielding the sensors from direct high-velocity airflow that would cause thermal inertia and response delays.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor system runs real-time software on the processor to receive and log temperature and humidity data from the sensors. A processor processes the data, reformats, if necessary, the data packaged with GPS information provided by the centralized sensor control system, transmits the packaged data (including error checking) to a designated receiver, and provides a diagnostic interface for displaying logged data and status information. This data is time stamped and transmitted to the centralized sensor control system across the external control/data interface.