Pressure Measuring Rake With Sensor Fusion for Unsteady Aerodynamics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current measurement tools, particularly MEMS sensors, fail to accurately capture both stationary and unsteady pressure variations in aircraft engines due to inadequate sampling rates, leading to inaccurate data during unsteady aerodynamic phenomena.

Innovation Solution

A pressure measuring rake mounted on a connecting rod within an aircraft engine, combining stationary and unsteady pressure sensors with a data fusion module using an adjustable cross filter, such as a Kalman filter, to merge data and accurately track unsteady aerodynamic phenomena.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If stationary pressure sensors are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates because sampling rates are lower than the 100 Hz variation frequency of unsteady aerodynamic phenomena

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor system complexityVSAvoidtracking precision of unsteady aerodynamic variations
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor system is segmented into two distinct sensor types: stationary pressure sensors for measuring steady pressure components and unsteady pressure sensors for capturing dynamic variations. This segmentation allows each sensor type to be optimized for its specific function, with the stationary sensor providing stable baseline measurements and the unsteady sensor capturing high-frequency variations up to 100 Hz and above

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Data from both stationary and unsteady pressure sensors are merged through a data fusion module that combines the complementary information from both sensor types. The stationary sensor data provides the mean pressure level while the unsteady sensor data captures the fluctuations, and their fusion produces complete pressure measurements that track unsteady aerodynamic phenomena accurately

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If unsteady pressure sensors are used, then measurement precision improves for capturing high-frequency variations, but reliability deteriorates during sudden temperature changes due to inaccurate stationary pressure measurements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesampling rate for unsteady phenomenaVSAvoidmeasurement accuracy during temperature variations
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stationary pressure sensor acts as an intermediary that provides stable reference measurements during temperature changes. When unsteady sensors produce inaccurate readings due to thermal effects, the stationary sensor's reliable stationary pressure data serves as a reference to identify and correct these anomalies, ensuring measurement reliability during temperature variations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If only unsteady pressure sensors are used, then measurement precision improves for dynamic phenomena, but loss of information increases because stationary pressure data cannot be accurately captured

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapability to track 100 Hz variationsVSAvoidaccuracy of stationary pressure measurements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The measurement function is segmented between two sensor types: the stationary pressure sensor exclusively captures the steady pressure component while the unsteady pressure sensor captures the dynamic variation component. This segmentation prevents the unsteady sensor from being overwhelmed by attempting to measure both stationary and unsteady components, thereby preserving information integrity for both measurement types

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 precise tracking of unsteady aerodynamic variations by fusing data from stationary and unsteady sensors, providing accurate pressure measurements across varying conditions.

Implementation Method 1

an air intake forming a fluidic passage between the cavity and the vein

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluidic passage:

Data Source

PatentEP4417955B1Pressure measuring rake improving the tracking of non-stationary aerodynamic phenomena
Publication Date: 2026.04.01 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)
  • EP4417955B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4417955B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4417955B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

The measuring rake 1 comprises a sleeve (82), a leading edge (6) with a plurality of cavities (61), a steady-state pressure sensor (71) generating first data and an unsteady-state pressure sensor (72) generating second data in each of the cavities (61), an electronic circuit (8) including the steady-state pressure sensor (71) and the unsteady-state pressure sensor (72) of each of the cavities (61), a processing unit (9) configured to fuse the first and second data, and a second communication module (93) for transmitting the first and second data, as well as the fused first and second data, to a user device (94). This allows for the monitoring of unsteady aerodynamic phenomena.