Aircraft Static Pressure Sensor Obstruction Detection on Ground
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods fail to detect obstructions in aircraft static pressure sensors on the ground, leading to potential safety issues and inaccurate flight parameters due to human errors during maintenance, as they can only detect failures in flight.
Innovation Solution
A method involving activation of the heating system of static pressure sensors, taking initial and subsequent measurements, calculating differences, and emitting a warning signal if the difference exceeds a predetermined value, allowing for obstruction detection on the ground before flight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heating system is activated to detect obstruction, then detection capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is activated before flight to detect obstructions in advance. By performing the detection action preliminarily (before takeoff), the system ensures reliable detection while limiting energy consumption to ground operation only, avoiding continuous heating during flight.
2Device complexity
If detection is performed only in flight, then device complexity is reduced, but detection timing is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs obstruction detection preliminarily during ground operations before flight. This timing allows maintenance personnel to identify and correct obstructions (such as adhesive tape blocking the pressure tap) before takeoff, eliminating the need for complex real-time detection systems during flight while ensuring timely detection.
3Reliability
If multiple pressure sensors are used to maintain flight capability, then system reliability is improved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates when one sensor fails
Solution Approach 1:
By detecting obstructions preliminarily on the ground, the system identifies failed sensors before flight. This allows maintenance personnel to repair or replace obstructed sensors, ensuring all sensors are functional and providing accurate measurements during flight, thereby maintaining both reliability and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback about sensor obstruction status to maintenance personnel through warning signals. This feedback mechanism enables timely correction of issues, ensuring that only properly functioning sensors are used for flight measurements, thus maintaining measurement accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and reliable detection of pressure tap obstructions on the ground, allowing maintenance personnel to unblock sensors before takeoff, ensuring accurate flight data and enhanced safety.
Implementation Method 1
the air imprisoned inside this probe will heat up immediately the heating system of the probe is activated such that the static pressure inside the probe that is measured by the static pressure sensor will then very quickly increase
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for detecting, on the ground, the obstruction of a pressure tap of a static pressure sensor of an aircraft. The device includes a pressure sensor that measures the pressure inside a probe and a heating system for heating the probe. When the heating system is activated, the sensor carries out a first measurement of a parameter dependent on the pressure inside the probe. After a predetermined duration from the activation of the heating system, the sensor carries out a second measurement of the parameter. A central processing unit calculates the difference between the first and second measurements and compares this difference to a predetermined value. A warning device emits a warning signal indicating the detection of an obstruction if the difference is greater than the predetermined value.