# US 11,029,323 B2 · Sailing ship comprising an aerodynamic profile and a system for determining characteristics of an airflow incident on a leading edge of the aerodynamic profile

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- Number: US 11,029,323 B2
- Document ID: US11029323B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/202,741
- Filed: 2018-11-28
- Published: 2019-05-30
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-30
- Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH
- Applicants: Airbus Operations SAS
- Inventors: Olivier Sornique; Gilles Studer; Thierry Renard
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029323B2

## CPC

- G01P 5/001: {Full-field flow measurement, e.g. determining flow velocity and direction in a whole region at the same time, flow visualisation}
- B63H 9/04: using sails or like wind-catching surfaces (sail or rigging arrangements specially adapted for water sports boards, e.g. for windsurfing or kitesurfing B63H8/00)
- B63H 9/061: Rigid sails; Aerofoil sails
- B63H 9/0635: {the panels being pivotable about vertical axes}
- B63J 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- G01M 9/065: {dealing with flow}
- G01P 5/14: by measuring differences of pressure in the fluid
- G05D 1/0206: {specially adapted to water vehicles}
- G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G})
- B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00)
- B63J: AUXILIARIES ON VESSELS
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

In order to be able to determine with precision the location of the stagnation point at different zones along the leading edge of an aerodynamic profile, a system comprises rows of pressure sensors distributed on either side of the leading edge and forming, virtually, patterns that are spaced apart from one another in the form of simple polygonal lines, and a computer connected to the pressure sensors. The computer determines, along each of the patterns, a respective stagnation point position that is defined by a curved abscissa for which a pressure interpolated on the basis of pressure measurements provided by the pressure sensors of the corresponding row is at a maximum, and by an altitude evaluated on the basis of respective altitude data from the pressure sensors of the corresponding row.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sailing ship comprising an aerodynamic profile forming a sail of the sailing ship, and a system for determining characteristics of an airflow incident on a leading edge of the aerodynamic profile, wherein the system comprises:
a plurality of series of pressure sensors, wherein the pressure sensors are arranged on a surface of the aerodynamic profile, the pressure sensors of each series being distributed on either side of the leading edge of the aerodynamic profile, the series of pressure sensors virtually forming respective patterns that are spaced apart from one another, each of the patterns being a simple polygonal line; and
a computer connected to the pressure sensors so as to receive local pressure values respectively originating from the pressure sensors;
wherein the computer is configured to determine, along each of the patterns, a respective stagnation-point position defined by a curvilinear abscissa defined along the pattern in question and for which a pressure interpolated from pressure measurements delivered by the pressure sensors of the corresponding series is maximal along the pattern in question, and by an altitude evaluated from respective altitude data of the pressure sensors of the corresponding series; and
wherein the respective altitude data of the pressure sensors are determined from respective altitudes of the pressure sensors in a frame of reference that is fixed with respect to the sailing ship, and from a variable component determined, for each of the pressure sensors, from measurements of an orientation of the ship.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sailing ship as claimed in claim 1, wherein the patterns lie in respective pattern planes that are distinct from one another and such that each of the pattern planes is orthogonal to an osculating plane at a point of intersection of the leading edge and of the pattern plane in question.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The sailing ship as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pattern planes are parallel to one another.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sailing ship as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system furthermore comprises a memory containing a map relating the stagnation-point positions respectively determined along each of the patterns and operational parameters of the aerodynamic profile to a direction profile of the airflow.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sailing ship as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer is furthermore configured to determine, along each of the patterns, a respective stagnation pressure, defined as a value of a pressure at the corresponding stagnation-point position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The sailing ship as claimed in claim 5, wherein the system furthermore comprises a reference-pressure sensor placed in a sheltered zone away from the aerodynamic profile and connected to the computer, and wherein the computer is furthermore configured to determine a speed profile of the airflow from a reference pressure delivered by the reference-pressure sensor and from the stagnation pressures respectively determined along each of the patterns.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The sailing ship as claimed in claim 5, wherein the system furthermore comprises an anemometer connected to the computer, and wherein the computer is furthermore configured to determine a speed profile of the airflow by equating an airflow speed value delivered by the anemometer to a speed value of the airflow incident on one of the patterns, and from the stagnation pressures respectively determined along each of the patterns.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The sailing ship as claimed in claim 1, comprising an automatic or assisted piloting device configured to control at least one operational parameter of the aerodynamic profile based on the stagnation-point positions respectively determined along each of the patterns.