Autonomous Flight Termination for In-Envelope Instability Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous flight safety systems lack the capability to detect vehicle instability and make timely termination decisions when a launch vehicle maintains position within defined boundary limits but becomes unstable, such as tumbling out of control.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an autonomous flight termination unit (AFTU) that incorporates a three-axis gyroscope sensor and instability detection processing, enabling the monitoring of angular rates to determine vehicle stability and issuing termination commands when instability conditions are met, thereby enhancing the system's ability to detect and respond to rapid failure scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional ground/air-based radar systems are used for trajectory monitoring, then real-time position and velocity data can be obtained, but the system requires a monitoring officer to interpret data and make termination decisions, resulting in delayed response time
Solution Approach 1:
The aerial vehicle performs self-monitoring of its own trajectory and stability parameters using onboard sensors (GPS, three-axis gyroscope). The vehicle autonomously evaluates its flight status against predefined safety criteria and triggers termination without external intervention, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminate human response delays
Solution Approach 2:
The manual decision-making process by monitoring officers is replaced with an automated electronic system. The AFTU uses computer algorithms to continuously compare sensor data with safety thresholds and automatically activates the flight termination system when conditions are met, substituting human cognitive processing with machine-based automated control
2Reliability
If boundary limit detection is used to monitor vehicle position, then flight envelope compliance can be ensured, but the system cannot detect vehicle instability when the vehicle remains within boundary limits
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous flight termination unit integrates multiple detection functions into a single system. It simultaneously monitors both boundary limit compliance (position) and vehicle stability (angular rates) using onboard sensors, making the system versatile enough to detect multiple types of failure modes without requiring separate monitoring systems
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system transitions from two-dimensional boundary limit checking (horizontal and vertical position) to three-dimensional monitoring by adding angular rate detection (pitch, roll, yaw). This additional dimensional measurement enables detection of instability conditions that occur within the flight envelope boundaries
3Reliability
If a three-axis gyroscope sensor is added to detect angular rates, then vehicle instability can be detected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The three-axis gyroscope sensor is integrated with the existing GPS receiver and other onboard systems into a unified autonomous flight termination unit. The sensor data processing, stability evaluation algorithms, and termination control functions are merged into a single automated system, reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate monitoring and control systems
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
The AFTU enables faster and more reliable autonomous flight termination decisions, reducing the risk of catastrophic failures by detecting instability and initiating termination commands promptly, even when the vehicle remains within defined boundary limits, thus enhancing safety and reducing the response time compared to traditional man-in-the-loop systems.
Implementation Method 1
an AFTU may incorporate a three-axis gyroscope sensor and may implement instability detection processing based on information obtained via the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes autonomous flight safety systems (AFSSs) that incorporate an autonomous flight termination unit (AFTU) enabling AFSS monitoring for various termination conditions that are used to activate a flight termination system (e.g., in the event a termination condition is detected). Such termination conditions include boundary limit detection (e.g., whether a vehicle position is outside or projected outside a planned flight envelope), as well as body instability detection (e.g., whether a pitch rate and yaw rate exceed some threshold indicative of vehicle instability). For instance, an AFTU may incorporate a three-axis gyroscope sensor and may implement instability detection processing based on information obtained via the sensor. Instability detection processing may include, for example, a BID algorithm that may be implemented by an AFTU to monitor angular rates of the vehicle, to determine if the vehicle is no longer under stable control, and to issue termination commands when termination conditions are detected.