Optical Air Data Probe Port Pressure Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional air data probes require pneumatic tubing to route sampled air to remote pressure sensors, leading to issues like pneumatic lag, increased heating requirements, and potential obstructions, which affect performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
Integrating pneumatic pressure sensors directly within the air data probe ports, eliminating the need for pneumatic tubing by using optical fiber pressure sensors that measure airflow pressure directly at the port, thus reducing heating needs and preventing obstructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pneumatic tubing is used to route sampled air to remote pressure sensors, then pressure measurement can be performed remotely, but pneumatic lag and potential obstructions occur affecting measurement accuracy and reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pressure sensing function from the remote location and places it directly at the port where air is sampled. By integrating the pressure sensor within the port structure, the system eliminates the pneumatic tubing that caused measurement delays and obstructions, while maintaining the ability to perform pressure measurements at the desired location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the pressure sensing function with the port structure itself. The port and pressure sensor are integrated into a single unified component, eliminating the separate pneumatic tubing system. This combination resolves the contradiction by ensuring that pressure measurement occurs directly at the sampling point without intermediate transmission pathways that could cause lag or obstructions.
2Reliability
If pneumatic tubing is used throughout the air data probe, then pressure can be transmitted to remote sensors, but heating requirements increase and ice/moisture obstructions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pneumatic tubing from the system and extracts the pressure sensing function to the port location. This elimination of the tubing pathway removes the source of heating requirements and ice/moisture obstruction problems, while maintaining reliable pressure measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the port structure itself as an intermediary that directly transmits pressure to the sensor without requiring thermal management of intermediate tubing. By making the port the direct pressure transmission pathway, the system eliminates the need for heating elements that would otherwise be required to prevent ice and moisture accumulation in pneumatic tubing.
3Ease of operation
If pneumatic tubing is used to transport air pressure, then remote sensing is enabled, but pneumatic delay occurs reducing response speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pressure sensing function from the remote location and places it directly at the port. This eliminates the pneumatic tubing that caused delay, while maintaining the ability to sense pressure at the desired measurement point. The response speed is improved by removing the intermediate transmission pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the pressure sensing function with the port structure, creating a unified component that provides both the sampling function and the measurement function at the same location. This merger eliminates the pneumatic delay caused by separate tubing while maintaining remote sensing capability through the integrated design.
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 solution enhances performance and reliability by avoiding pneumatic lag, reducing heating power requirements, simplifying manufacturing, and preventing ice and moisture ingestion, while eliminating blockages and errors caused by edge geometry.
Implementation Method 1
Integrating pneumatic pressure sensors directly within the air data probe ports, eliminating the need for pneumatic tubing by using optical fiber pressure sensors that measure airflow pressure directly at the port
Data Source
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AI summary
An air data probe (12a-12n) includes a probe head (14, 26, 42, 64), a port (20, 22, 30, 48, 68) within the probe head (14, 26, 42, 64) in fluid communication with external airflow (A), and a pneumatic pressure sensor (28, 44, 66) mounted within the port (20...68).