Iterative method of aircraft sideslip compensation for...

Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Aeronautical vehicle

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C701S006000, C701S007000, C073S17800T, C073S180000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06594559

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to air data systems that provide accurate compensation of sideslip of an air vehicle utilizing independent probes that are not pneumatically coupled, but which have processors for interchanging electrical signals between the probes. These probes are sometimes referred to as multi-function probes (MFPs). One type of MFP is the SmartProbe™ sold by B. F. Goodrich Company. Multi-function probes include processing circuitry located at the probe itself as part of its instrument package. During sideslip of the air vehicle, compensation of various local (to the probes) parameters or signals, such as angle of attack and static pressure, is necessary for accurate determination of aircraft angle of attack and other aircraft parameters including determination of altitude from static pressure or other means. This requirement for accuracy in altitude indications is particularly important in Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) space areas of the air traffic control system.
In conventional air data systems, probes on opposite sides of an aircraft can be pneumatically connected so that the pressure signals are averaged between the right side of the aircraft and the left side of the aircraft to provide a static pressure that is “nearly true”. In most conventional systems, although corrections are made for Mach number and aircraft angle of attack, it is rare that neglecting sideslip effect will introduce enough error to warrant a correction based on sideslip for the cross coupled probes.
However, MFPs are connected only electrically in order to eliminate the need for pneumatic tubing passing between the opposite sides of the aircraft or between probes on the same side of the aircraft. This means that each probe is pneumatically independent, even if it is electrically communicating with other probes. In the RVSM space, there is a need for dual redundant systems for static pressure estimation. While information can easily be exchanged between the processing circuitry of different probes, the need for determining sideslip effects remains. Computational fluid dynamic analysis has shown that position errors can be up to 600 feet per degree of sideslip under typical RVSM flight conditions at, for example, 41,000 feet and a Mach number of 0.8. It is thus apparent that the sideslip effect must be corrected to obtain the necessary accuracy for certification by aviation authorities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to multi-function air data sensing systems which provide for redundancy in correcting for sideslip of an aircraft arriving at various air data parameters, such as aircraft angle of attack, pressure altitude, and Mach number. Aerodynamic sideslip is a measure of the magnitude of a cross component of airspeed to the forward component of airspeed. Compensation information exchanged between MFPs, such as a differential and local angle of attack between the two sides of an aircraft, can provide an indication of sideslip effect utilizing the system disclosed herein. Using values of local angle of attack, for example at two separate MFPs, provides information that corresponds to aircraft parameters or variables of angle of attack and angle of sideslip.
A predictor-corrector method can be used to iteratively calculate aircraft parameters based on assumed free stream variables. As an example, knowing the local angle of attack at a single probe, a prediction is made for the aircraft angle of attack based on an assumed value of aircraft angle of sideslip. This is done for a second probe on the same aircraft. A comparison is made between the two predicted values of aircraft angle of attack. If they differ within a selected tolerance, it is deduced that the assumed aircraft angle of attack and aircraft angle of sideslip are correct for that combination of local angle of attack measurements at the two MFPs. If the difference between the two predicted aircraft angles of attack is not within a specified tolerance, it is assumed that the aircraft angle of attack is actually the average of the two predictions. Predictions for aircraft angle of sideslip are then made, with each prediction being made using the local angle of attack from a different one of the two probes and the new assumed aircraft angle of attack. A comparison is then made between the two predicted aircraft angle of sideslip values. If the two predicted aircraft angle of sideslip values are within a predetermined tolerance range of each other, then the iterative process is completed and the aircraft parameters of angle of sideslip and angle of attack are determined based upon the predictions and assumptions. If the two predicted aircraft angle of sideslip values are not within tolerance, the process continues.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3318146 (1967-05-01), DeLeo et al.
patent: 4096744 (1978-06-01), DeLeo et al.
patent: 4378696 (1983-04-01), DeLeo et al.
patent: 4378697 (1983-04-01), DeLeo et al.
patent: 5205169 (1993-04-01), Hagen
patent: 5319970 (1994-06-01), Peterson et al.
patent: 5369993 (1994-12-01), Hagan
patent: 5485412 (1996-01-01), Sarkkinen et al.
“BFGoodrich—Aircraft Sensors Division Air Data System with SmartProbe for Fairchiled Dornier 728JET”, BFGoodrich—Rosemount Aerospace, Addendum to D9820217 Rev. B, Oct. 1998, pp. 1-10.
“SmartProbe™ Air Data System for Embraer ERJ-170 & 190”, BFGoodrich—Aircraft Sensors Division, Proposal D9920133, Apr. 1999, pp. 1-65.
F.W. Hagen and Dr. H. Seidel, “Deutsche Airbus Flight Test of Rosemount Smart Probe for Distributed Air Data System”, IEEE AES Systems Magazine, Apr. 1994, pp 7-14.
Bulletin 1013, “Pitot and Pitot-Static Probes”, BFGoodrich (May 1998).
T.J. Rohloff, S.A. Whitmore and I. Catton, “Air Data Sensing from Surface Pressure Measurements Using a Neural Network Method”, AIAA Journal, Vo. 36, No. 11, Nov. 1998, pp. 2095-2101.
T.J. Rohloff, S.A. Whitmore and I. Catton, “Fault-Tolerant Neural Network Algorithm for Flush Air Data Sensing”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 36, No. 3, May-Jun. 1999, pp. 541-549.
T.J. Rohloff and I. Catton, “Fault Tolerance and Extrapolation Stability of a Neural Network Air-Data Estimator”, Journal of Aircraft, vol. 36, No. 3, May-Jun. 1999, pp. 571-576.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Iterative method of aircraft sideslip compensation for... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Iterative method of aircraft sideslip compensation for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Iterative method of aircraft sideslip compensation for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3092688

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.