Damage detection for rotary angle measurement sensors
AssigneeRosemount Aerospace Inc.
InventorsBrian Brent Naslund, Brian D. Kane, Steven Schaub, Brian Daniel Matheis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An angle of attack sensor includes a rotatable vane extending away and support from a mounting plate, a housing extending way from an opposite side of the mounting plate, and a sensor coupled to the vane. The angle of attack sensor communicates with an electronics module enclosed within the housing or mounted remotely with respect to the angle of attack sensor. The electronics module includes a processor, computer-readable memory, and a communication device. The computer-readable memory is encoded with instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronics module to perform steps of a damage detection method.
Claims20
An angle of attack sensor comprising:
- a mounting plate;
- a vane supported from the mounting plate and extending from a first side of the mounting plate, wherein the vane is rotatable about a vane axis;
- a housing extending from a second side of the mounting plate in a direction opposite to the vane;
- a sensor coupled to the vane;
- and
- an electronics module mounted within the housing, the electronics module comprising:
- at least one processor;
- a communication device;
- and
- computer-readable memory, encoded with instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronics module to:
- receive, from the sensor, a signal indicative of one or more of a kinematic parameter of the vane and an electrical parameter of the angle of attack sensor;
- compare the signal to a first damage criterion;
- and
- output, using the communication device, a first fault signal to a consuming system of an aircraft that is indicative of a damage event based on a comparison of the signal to the first damage criterion.
An assembly comprising:
- an angle of attack sensor:
- a mounting plate;
- a vane supported from the mounting plate and extending from a first side of the mounting plate, wherein the vane is rotatable about a vane axis;
- a housing extending from a second side of the mounting plate in a direction opposite to the vane;
- and
- a sensor coupled to the vane;
- and
- an electronics module comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- computer-readable memory, encoded with instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronics module to:
- receive, from the sensor, a signal indicative of one or more of a kinematic parameter of the vane and an electrical parameter of the angle of attack sensor;
- compare the signal to a first damage criterion;
- and
- output a first fault signal to a consuming system of an aircraft that is indicative of a damage event based on comparison of the signal to the first damage criterion.
A method of detecting damage to an angle of attack sensor, the method comprising:
- receive, from a sensor coupled to a vane of the angle of attack sensor, a signal indicative of one or more of a kinematic parameter of the vane and an electrical parameter of the angle of attack sensor;
- compare the signal to a first damage criterion stored within computer-readable memory;
- and
- output, using a communication device, a first fault signal to a consuming system of an aircraft that is indicative of a damage event based on comparison of the signal to the first damage criterion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.