Aircraft Airspeed Calculation Using Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for determining an aircraft's airspeed, such as those using trailing cones, face reliability and accuracy issues and are costly.
Innovation Solution
An airspeed calculation system incorporating a static pressure device, GPS, IMU, angle of attack device, total pressure sensor, total air temperature sensor, and a processor that uses data from these components to calculate airspeed, potentially eliminating the need for trailing cones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If trailing cones are used to calibrate static pressure and airspeed, then measurement capability is provided, but cost increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical trailing cone system with a computational approach using standard aircraft sensors (static pressure ports, pitot tubes, temperature sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes) combined with algorithms that account for aerodynamic effects. This substitution eliminates the mechanical complexity and reliability issues of trailing cones while maintaining measurement accuracy through computational correction of pressure readings based on aircraft attitude and acceleration data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces computational algorithms as an intermediary between the standard pressure sensors and the airspeed calculation. These algorithms use data from multiple sensors (including accelerometers and gyroscopes) to calculate correction factors that compensate for the effects of aircraft maneuvering on static pressure readings, thereby enabling accurate airspeed measurement without requiring trailing cones.
2Measurement precision
If trailing cones are used to calibrate static pressure and airspeed, then measurement capability is provided, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive mechanical trailing cone system with standard aircraft sensors and computational algorithms. This substitution significantly reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining measurement accuracy, as the required sensors are already present on modern aircraft and the algorithms run on existing flight control computers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual model of the trailing cone functionality through computational algorithms that simulate and correct for the aerodynamic effects previously measured by physical trailing cones. This virtual copying approach eliminates the need for expensive physical hardware while preserving the measurement capability.
3Reliability
If multiple sensors and processing algorithms are used to calculate airspeed, then reliability and accuracy improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the multi-functionality of standard aircraft sensors, using existing static pressure ports, pitot tubes, temperature sensors, accelerometers, and gyroscopes for multiple purposes. These sensors are already part of the aircraft's standard instrumentation suite, and the patent extends their utility to include airspeed calculation through computational algorithms, thereby avoiding additional hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the aircraft's existing flight control computer and sensor suite to perform the airspeed calculation, making the aircraft's own systems serve the additional function of computing corrected airspeed. This self-service approach avoids the need for separate dedicated hardware while improving reliability through redundant use of existing components.
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
This system enhances the reliability and accuracy of airspeed determination while reducing costs by leveraging multiple sensors and processing algorithms to compute airspeed based on static pressure, inertial position, angle of attack, and total air temperature.
Implementation Method 1
The static pressure device is configured to determine a static pressure acting on the aircraft
Implementation Method 2
The global positioning system device is configured to determine an inertial position such as geometric altitude of the aircraft referenced to the 1984 World Geodetic System (WGS84)
Implementation Method 3
The inertial measurement unit device is configured to determine inertial measurements such as load factors, body angular rates and Euler angles of the aircraft
Implementation Method 4
The angle of attack device is configured to determine an angle of attack of the aircraft
Implementation Method 5
The total pressure sensor is configured to determine a total pressure that the aircraft experiences while the aircraft is moving
Implementation Method 6
The total air temperature sensor is configured to determine a total air temperature that the aircraft experiences while the aircraft is moving
Data Source
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AI summary
An airspeed calculation system for determining the airspeed of an aircraft includes a static pressure device, a global positioning system device, an inertial measurement unit device, an angle of attack device, a total pressure sensor, a total air temperature sensor, at least one processor, and a memory. The at least one processor is in electronic communication with the memory, the static pressure device, the global positioning system device, the inertial measurement unit device, the angle of attack device, the total pressure sensor, and the total air temperature sensor. The memory includes programming code for execution by the at least one processor. The programming code is configured to determine the airspeed of the aircraft using data obtained from each of the static pressure device, the global positioning system device, the inertial measurement unit device, the angle of attack device, the total pressure sensor, and the total air temperature sensor.