Predictive Vertical Speed Indicator for Rotorcraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotorcraft instruments, such as variometers and anemometers, provide delayed and unreliable vertical speed measurements, especially at low speeds, leading to potential loss of control and safety risks during flight, particularly in unpredictable conditions like instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) where pilots rely heavily on instrument data for timely reactions.
Innovation Solution
A predictive vertical speed method is developed, which calculates a predictive vertical speed by adding a corrective term to the instantaneous vertical speed, accounting for delays in instrumentation and incorporating measurements from variometers and anemometers, along with characteristic constants and weighting coefficients, to provide the pilot with a safety time window for anticipatory maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional variometer is used to measure vertical speed, then the instrument provides vertical speed indication based on pressure variation, but the indication is delayed and not instantaneous during trajectory changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations using current flight parameters (vertical speed, airspeed, power settings) to predict future vertical speed before the actual change occurs. This anticipatory computation compensates for the inherent delay in conventional variometer response, providing the pilot with advance warning of upcoming vertical speed changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The predictive vertical speed system continuously monitors actual vertical speed, airspeed, and power settings, then feeds this information back through a computational model that adjusts the prediction based on current flight conditions. This closed-loop feedback mechanism improves measurement accuracy while maintaining real-time responsiveness.
2Ease of operation
If conventional instruments are used at low speeds, then the instruments provide basic flight data, but the measurements become unreliable and can lead to loss of control
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from relying solely on conventional pressure-based measurements to using a multi-parameter predictive model that incorporates vertical speed, airspeed, power settings, and flight regime information. This parameter diversification maintains instrument availability while significantly improving reliability at low speeds where conventional instruments fail.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts its calculation methodology based on the current flight regime (hover, low-speed flight, high-speed flight). By adjusting the predictive model parameters according to flight conditions, the system maintains reliable measurements across the entire operational envelope, particularly improving performance in the critical low-speed regime.
3Ease of operation
If the pilot relies on delayed instrument information, then the pilot can maintain basic control, but reaction time is reduced and emergency situations may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The predictive vertical speed indicator provides preliminary warning of upcoming vertical speed changes before they actually occur. This advance information gives the pilot additional reaction time to anticipate and prepare for changes in flight trajectory, reducing the likelihood of emergency situations while maintaining ease of operation.
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 method enhances pilot safety by providing accurate, anticipatory vertical speed information, reducing the likelihood of emergency situations and improving control over the rotorcraft, especially at low speeds and in adverse weather conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The variometer is controlled by the pressure difference between the free air (atmospheric pressure or static pressure inside the variometer but outside the capsule) and that prevailing in the capsule via the connection made by the capillary tube
Implementation Method 2
Total pressure (or 'actual stall pressure') is obtained from a total pressure tap of the airflow. A person skilled in the art commonly calls this total air pressure tap 'Pitot' or 'Pitot tube'
Implementation Method 3
by applying Bernoulli's theorem, valid in particular for the forward speeds of a rotorcraft, said difference is equal to a dynamic pressure (proportional to the square of the speed of the aircraft with respect to the flow of air)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a device for obtaining the predictive vertical speed of a rotorcraft, wherein said device includes a predictive vertical speed indicator (1) that comprises at least: a first means (V) for measuring the instantaneous vertical speed v of a rotorcraft; a second means (2) for measuring the instantaneous true speed (VP) of a rotorcraft; a third means (3) for calculating the predictive vertical speed (vAp) of a rotorcraft, wherein said third means is connected to the first and second means respectively by first (l1) and second (l2) links, and contains in a memory the predetermined values of the minimal power speed (Vy) and a characteristic coefficient (k) which are constants concerning said rotorcraft, for a given type of rotorcraft.