Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft – heavier-than-air – Airplane sustained
Patent
1997-12-05
2000-01-11
Wesson, Theresa M.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft, heavier-than-air
Airplane sustained
244 76R, 244194, B64C 3102, B64C 318, G05D 100
Patent
active
060126752
ABSTRACT:
An aircraft system intended for gliders and low power-to-weight aircraft, to aid the pilot in locating updrafts associated with the buoyancy of humid air in the convective layer of the atmosphere, namely moist thermals. The system comprises a pair of laterally spaced hygrometers, generally at the wingtips. Four types of hygrometer units are described; resistive, piezoelectric, spectrometric, and capacitive. Humidity data is transmitted to the cockpit by telemetry links, of which four types are also described; by dedicated wiring, by carrier current using wingtip position lights wiring, by modulated infrared beams, and by low-power radio waves. The system monitors the difference of humidity between left and right sensors, and also the rate of change of humidity of one or both sensors as a function of time. This lateral and eventually axial differential humidity information is presented to the pilot via a visual interface such as bargraph displays and computer monitors, or via an audio interface producing sounds of variable pitch or beat in one or more cockpit loudspeakers, or via both interfaces simultaneously. For humidity measurements inherently sensitive to temperature, such as relative humidity, either the hygrometers are heated, or their temperature is also measured so that temperature effects can be subsequently removed by computation. This system enables the pilot to get a better understanding of the thermodynamics of the convective layer of the atmosphere.
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