Survivable redundant vector sensors for systems with differing maximum output requirements
First Claim
1. A vector sensing system for measuring triad rates or accelerations of an aircraft comprising six identical vector sensors, each sensor having a predetermined input axis;
- means for mounting said sensors in said aircraft with their input axes arranged in a non-orthogonal relationship relative to one another and with their input axes defining the surface of a cone having its axis coincident with the axis of maximum input to the aircraft, said cone having a central half angle such that an average total amplification factor is minimum; and
a data management means responsive to the output signals of said sensors to resolve said outputs into aircraft axes rates or accelerations.
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Abstract
Six sensors are oriented to position their input axes on the surface of a cone. The cone angle is optimized to permit the use of sensors with identical range capacity despite the fact that the maximum input along each of the orthogonal axes differs.
The optimization of cone angle minimizes the average total error amplification due to skewing and change of sensor maximum rate capability to provide data closely approximating that derived from a non skewed, orthogonal, sensor array. The sensors may be gyroscope or accelerometer which are packaged in assemblies of two identical sensors each.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A vector sensing system for measuring triad rates or accelerations of an aircraft comprising six identical vector sensors, each sensor having a predetermined input axis;
- means for mounting said sensors in said aircraft with their input axes arranged in a non-orthogonal relationship relative to one another and with their input axes defining the surface of a cone having its axis coincident with the axis of maximum input to the aircraft, said cone having a central half angle such that an average total amplification factor is minimum; and
a data management means responsive to the output signals of said sensors to resolve said outputs into aircraft axes rates or accelerations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- means for mounting said sensors in said aircraft with their input axes arranged in a non-orthogonal relationship relative to one another and with their input axes defining the surface of a cone having its axis coincident with the axis of maximum input to the aircraft, said cone having a central half angle such that an average total amplification factor is minimum; and
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10. A method of measuring triad rates or accelerations in an aircraft in which the maximum rate requirements about the axes of the aircraft differ which comprises the steps of:
- providing six vector sensors having identical maximum rate capacities;
positioning the sensors with their input axes defining a cone having its axes coincident with the axis of maximum input to the aircraft, said cone having a central half angle selected to minimize the average total amplification factor; and
utilizing the output of said sensors to resolve the rates or accelerations along the roll, pitch and yaw axes. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- providing six vector sensors having identical maximum rate capacities;
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18. A vector sensing system for measuring triad rates or accelerations of an aircraft comprising six identical vector sensors, each sensor having a pre-determined input axis;
- means for mounting said sensors in said aircraft with their input axes arranged in a non-orthogonal relationship relative to one another and with their input axes defining the surface of a cone having its axis coincident with the axis of maximum input to the aircraft, said cone having a central half angle such that an average total amplification factor is minimum.
- View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
Specification