System and Method for Distributed Airflow Sensing
AssigneeAurora Flight Sciences Corporation
InventorsRiley Griffin, Michael Lieu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a distributed pressure sensor system that quickly detects and counters changes in lift, onset of stall, and flutter. The distributed pressure sensor system may employ a plurality of integrated pressure ports distributed across the span of a wing's leading edge to gather differential pressure measurements. Based on the differential pressure measurements, the distributed pressure sensor system can estimate torque on the fuselage to provide a more efficient estimate for changes in lift, onset of stall, and/or flutter. These estimates may be applied as feedback to the aircraft's control system, thereby eliminating the latency in the existing platform dynamics.
Claims20
A distributed pressure sensor system for an aerial vehicle, the distributed pressure sensor system comprising:
- a first wing and a second wing, each of said first wing and said second wing having an upper surface, a lower surface, a leading edge, and a trailing edge;
- and
- a first plurality of pressure sensor modules distributed along the leading edge of the first wing, and
- a second plurality of pressure sensor modules distributed along the leading edge of the second wing,
- wherein each of said first and second pluralities of pressure sensor modules comprises an upper surface pressure-sensing port, a lower surface pressure-sensing port, a leading edge pressure-sensing port, a first differential pressure transducer, and a second differential pressure transducer,
- wherein the upper surface pressure-sensing port is positioned on the upper surface adjacent the leading edge,
- wherein the leading edge pressure-sensing port is positioned at the leading edge,
- wherein the lower surface pressure-sensing port is positioned on the lower surface adjacent the leading edge,
- wherein the first differential pressure transducer is fluidly coupled to two of said upper surface pressure-sensing port, said lower surface pressure-sensing port, and said leading edge pressure-sensing port to determine a first differential pressure, and
- wherein the second differential pressure transducer is fluidly coupled to two of said upper surface pressure-sensing port, said lower surface pressure-sensing port, and said leading edge pressure-sensing port to determine a second differential pressure that is different from said first differential pressure.
A method for determining roll torque of an aircraft using a distributed pressure sensor system having a plurality of pressure sensor modules distributed along a leading edge of a wingset comprising a first wing and a second wing, the method comprising:
- measuring, via a first differential pressure transducer at a first pressure sensor module, a first differential pressure between a first set of pressure-sensing ports positioned on the first wing;
- measuring, via a second differential pressure transducer at the first pressure sensor module, a second differential pressure between a second set of pressure-sensing ports positioned on the first wing;
- determining lift, via a processor, on said first wing using said first differential pressure and said second differential pressure;
- measuring, via a third differential pressure transducer at a second pressure sensor module, a third differential pressure between a third set of pressure-sensing ports positioned on the second wing, the first wing and the second wing being positioned on opposite sides of a center of gravity of the aircraft;
- measuring, via a fourth differential pressure transducer at the second pressure sensor module, a fourth differential pressure between a fourth set of pressure-sensing ports positioned on the second wing;
- determining, via the processor, lift on said second wing using said third differential pressure and said fourth differential pressure;
- and
- calculating, via the processor, a roll torque of the aircraft as a function of a difference between lift on said first wing and lift on said second wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.