Pressure sensing method and system for flexible aerodynamic surfaces
AssigneeSailmeter Inc.
InventorsDavid George, Greg Burley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for measuring aerodynamic performance is provided, including a batten; a plurality of pressure differential sensors positioned on the batten, each of the sensors having a first port for exposure to a first pressure and a second port for exposure to a second pressure; and a plenum positioned so that each of the first ports is exposed to a pressure within the plenum. The batten is positioned on a sail. The sensors may be in communication with a computer and the sensors may be networked in an asymmetric daisy chain network for uplink communications from the computer and networked in parallel as a bus for downlink communications to the computer.
Claims15
An apparatus for measuring aerodynamic performance, comprising:
- a) a batten;
- b) a plurality of pressure differential sensors positioned on said batten, each of said sensors having a first port for exposure to a first pressure and a second port for exposure to a second pressure;
- and
- c) a plenum positioned so that each of said first ports is exposed to a pressure within said plenum.
A flexible aerodynamic surface, comprising:
- a) a batten;
- b) a plurality of pressure differential sensors positioned on said batten, each of said sensors having a first port for exposure to a first pressure and a second port for exposure to a second pressure;
- and
- c) a plenum positioned so that each of said first ports is exposed to a pressure within said plenum.
A system for evaluating sail pressure, comprising:
- a) a computer;
- b) a plurality of sensors, each of said sensors having a first port for exposure to a first pressure and a second port for exposure to a second pressure;
- c) a batten, said batten containing a plenum and said plurality of sensors;
- wherein said sensors are networked in an asymmetric daisy chain when receiving communications from said computer and said sensors are networked in parallel as a bus for transmitting communications to said computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.