This application claims the benefit of and priority to French patent application No. 14 61988 filed on Dec. 5, 2014, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a method and a device for estimating the airspeed of an aircraft.
The term “airspeed” equally denotes the Mach number of the aircraft (defined as the ratio between the speed of the aircraft and the speed of sound in the conditions of flight of the aircraft) and the conventional speed of the aircraft (called or designated “calibrated airspeed”).
Generally, the airspeed is estimated on board the aircraft from the measurement of two pressures:
The Pitot probes and the static pressure probes are exposed to the outside conditions and can be disturbed by elements or objects which can partially or totally block the ducts upstream of the corresponding sensor, leading to incorrect pressure measurements.
It can therefore be useful to have an alternative method for estimating the airspeed of an aircraft which is independent of the Pitot probes. It is known practice in this context to use the lift equation, also called ascending force equation, which links four parameters, namely the vertical load factor, the incidence, the weight and the speed. The knowledge of the incidence, of the load factor and of the weight of the aircraft makes it possible to reconstruct an equivalent speed in real time. If, in addition, the static pressure is known, this also makes it possible to reconstruct the Mach number.
However, such an estimation of the airspeed, using the lift equation, is very accurate only in a limited part of the flight envelope of an aircraft for relatively low speeds. In particular, in the cruising flight envelope of an aircraft such as an airplane, the accuracy of the estimation of the airspeed is very degraded, even unusable.
The present disclosure aims to provide an estimation of the airspeed of an aircraft, which is independent of pressure measurements obtained from the Pitot probes and which is accurate over the entire flight envelope of the aircraft.
To this end, the present disclosure relates to a method for estimating the airspeed of an aircraft, comprising an automatic and iterative implementation step, the method comprising:
(A) performing an estimation of the airspeed of the aircraft according to a first estimation method by using a lift equation, the airspeed estimated according to this first estimation method being called or designated airspeed by incidence.
According to the disclosure herein, the method comprises the following steps, implemented automatically and iteratively:
(B) performing an estimation of the airspeed of the aircraft according to a second estimation method by using at least two pressure values obtained from at least two static pressure sensors arranged on the aircraft such that:
the airspeed estimated according to this second estimation method being called or designated airspeed by pressure,
(C) weighting the airspeed by incidence by a first coefficient and weighting the airspeed by pressure by a second coefficient, the first coefficient and the second coefficient depending on the value of at least one parameter of the flight envelope of the aircraft,
(D) summing the weighted airspeed by incidence obtained in step (or paragraph) (C) above and the weighted airspeed by pressure obtained in step (C) so as to obtain an estimated airspeed of the aircraft.
By virtue of the inclusion of the estimations from two different estimation methods of the airspeed, which are independent of measurements obtained from Pitot probes and with a weighting as a function of a parameter of the flight envelope of the aircraft, by giving each method a higher or lower weighting as a function of its effectiveness in the envelope concerned, the method according to the present disclosure thus provides an estimation of the airspeed that is accurate over the entire flight envelope of the aircraft.
According to different embodiments of the disclosure herein, which can be taken together or separately:
The disclosure herein also relates to a device for estimating the airspeed of an aircraft, the device comprising a first estimation unit configured to estimate the airspeed of the aircraft according to a first estimation method using the lift equation, the airspeed estimated by the first estimation unit being called or designated airspeed by incidence.
According to the disclosure herein, the device further comprises:
the airspeed estimated by this second estimation unit being called or designated airspeed by pressure;
According to one aspect of the disclosure herein, the device comprises:
The disclosure herein also relates to an aircraft, in particular a transport airplane, comprising a device as described previously.
The attached figures provide a good understanding as to how the disclosure herein can be produced. In these figures, identical references denote similar elements.
The estimation device 1 (hereinafter denoted device 1), as shown for example in
the airspeed estimated by this second estimation unit 20A, 20B being called or designated airspeed by pressure VAP;
The device 1 further comprises a data transmission unit (not represented) configured to transmit the estimated airspeed VAE to a user system (not represented), for example to a display unit or to an embedded system (or computer).
In a preferred embodiment, the value of the parameter of the flight envelope, used by the weighting unit 30, is equal to the airspeed VAE estimated by the computation unit 40 in a preceding estimation of the device 1, preferably in a directly preceding iteration of the estimation, as represented by the link 15 in
As represented in
The sum of the coefficient 31 and of the coefficient 32 for a given parameter of the flight envelope is always equal to 1. The estimated airspeed VAE is then a barycenter of the two weighted airspeeds VAIP and VAPP with the weights determined by the weighting coefficients 31 and 32.
The coefficient 31 is equal to 1 when the value of the parameter of the flight envelope of the aircraft is below a first predetermined threshold S1, for example 0.4 Mach, and it is equal to 0 when the value of the parameter of the flight envelope of the aircraft is above a second predetermined threshold S2, for example 0.5 Mach. Conversely, the second coefficient 32 is equal to 0 when the value of the parameter of the flight envelope of the aircraft is below the threshold S1, for example 0.4 Mach, and it is equal to 1 when the value of the parameter of the flight envelope of the aircraft is above the threshold S2, for example 0.5 Mach.
The coefficient 31 decreases, preferably but not exclusively, linearly, between the thresholds S1 and S2. Conversely, the coefficient 32 increases, preferably but not exclusively, linearly, between the thresholds S1 and S2.
According to a variant that is not represented, the first and second predetermined thresholds S1 and S2 are identical. The first coefficient 31 then switches for example from 1 to 0 when the aircraft crosses the threshold S1 or S2 and the coefficient 32 then switches from 0 to 1 when the aircraft crosses the threshold S1 or S2.
It is also possible to use at least one altitude parameter as parameter of the flight envelope of the aircraft. The threshold S1 and the threshold S2 are then for example respectively equal to 20 000 and 25 000 feet.
In a particular embodiment, the device 1 also comprises a data processing unit 50 as represented in
This processing unit 50 also comprises a computation unit 53 for refining, in this situation, the estimated airspeed VAE determined by the computation unit 40, by combining the low-frequency component of the airspeed by pressure VAP and the high-frequency component of the airspeed by incidence VAI.
When the airspeed exceeds the predetermined threshold, the airspeed by incidence is correct for its dynamic range but may exhibit a significant bias whereas the airspeed by pressure has little bias but an error may appear during engine speed transients. The data processing unit 50 thus makes it possible for the device to use the low-frequency component of the airspeed by pressure and the high-frequency component of the airspeed by incidence at cruising speeds so as to limit the abovementioned inaccuracies.
As represented in
n
z
mg=qSCz
□□()
q=0.7Ps M2 (1)
or
q=½/EAS2 (2),
The first equation (1) that makes it possible to calculate q is valid whatever the altitude of the aircraft. By inserting it into the lift equation, it is possible to calculate the Mach number. It is then possible to deduce therefrom the calibrated speed if necessary.
The second equation (2) making it possible to calculate q is an approximation valid at low altitude. By inserting it into the lift equation, it is possible to directly calculate the calibrated speed. It is then possible to deduce therefrom the Mach number if necessary.
The estimation unit 10 estimates the airspeed by incidence VAI independently of the Pitot probes.
The estimation unit 20A, 20B makes it possible to estimate the airspeed by pressure VAP according to two variants respectively illustrated in
In this variant, the estimation unit 20A comprises a first measurement unit 2 configured to measure a first static pressure of the ambient air in a first measurement zone of the aircraft and a second measurement unit 3 configured to measure a second pressure of the ambient air in a second measurement zone of the aircraft. The second pressure has a lower value than the first static pressure. The first measurement unit 2 measures the first static pressure using at least one static pressure measurement probe, and notably several measurement probes.
Similarly, the second measurement unit 3 measures the second pressure using at least one static pressure measurement probe.
The estimation unit 20A also comprises a computation unit 5 configured to estimate the Mach number using the following expression:
the parameter k bearing out the expression
in which Z is a parameter dependent on the position of the second measurement zone on the aircraft.
The data collected by the first and second measurement units 2 and 3 are transmitted to the computation unit 5, respectively, via links 4 and 6.
Measurement zones for the first static pressure and the second pressure are chosen which make it possible to obtain a difference in values between the first static pressure and the second pressure. In effect, the greater the difference between the value of the first static pressure and the value of the second pressure, the better the estimation of the Mach number of the aircraft. To this end, provision is notably made to position the first measurement unit 2 at a point of the aircraft where the static pressure does not depend very much on the Mach number and the second measurement unit 3 at a point of the aircraft where the pressure on the contrary depends very much on the Mach number. In other words, a choice is made to position the first measurement zone on the aircraft at a position that is less disturbed by the airstream flowing over the aircraft than the second zone. The estimation unit 20A estimates the Mach number independently of the Pitot probes.
A nacelle static pressure and an engine total pressure are selected to determine, respectively from the static pressure of the ambient air and the total pressure, the Mach number of the aircraft. The nacelle static pressure is determined by a probe situated in an engine cell of the aircraft. The determination of the engine total pressure may involve, in addition to the nacelle static pressure measurements, measurements of parameters chosen from:
Thus, in this exemplary embodiment, the estimation unit 20B comprises, as represented in
As represented in
The values of the correction factor FC are determined experimentally from measurements performed during in-flight tests, called or designated experimental measurements MM. These concern, for example, the speed of rotation of the engine. Based on the experimental value MM, the curve giving the value of the coefficient factor FC as a function of the Mach number M is not identical. A few examples of different curves 61 are represented in
The device 1 further comprises a conversion unit 90 configured to convert the estimated static pressure PSE into estimated altitude AE by using the international barometric heighting formula. The device 1 thus makes it possible to estimate the altitude by using the estimated Mach number ME, that is to say independently of the Pitot probes and accurately over all of the flight envelope of the aircraft.
Moreover, as indicated previously, the airspeed can correspond to a Mach number or to a calibrated speed. The device 1 can also comprise a computation unit not represented to convert the estimated Mach number into calibrated speed of the aircraft when the estimated airspeed VAE corresponds to an estimated Mach number or to convert the estimated calibrated speed into Mach number when the estimated airspeed VAE corresponds to a calibrated speed. The conversion of the estimated Mach number into conventional speed or of the estimated calibrated speed into Mach number is done in the usual manner.
The subject matter disclosed herein can be implemented in software in combination with hardware and/or firmware. For example, the subject matter described herein can be implemented in software executed by a processor or processing unit. In one exemplary implementation, the subject matter described herein can be implemented using a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps. Exemplary computer readable mediums suitable for implementing the subject matter described herein include non-transitory devices, such as disk memory devices, chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, and application specific integrated circuits. In addition, a computer readable medium that implements the subject matter described herein can be located on a single device or computing platform or can be distributed across multiple devices or computing platforms.
While at least one exemplary embodiment of the invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1461988 | Dec 2014 | FR | national |