System and method for calculating aerodynamic performance of tilting wing aircraft

• US 6,553,333 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Air Force Government of The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Shenk, Barth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/871,232
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 702/33-36, 702/57-59, 702/96, 702/104, 702/113, 702/114, 702/117, 702/118, 702/144, 702/182-185, 701/1, 701/2, 701/3-5, 701/7, 701/8, 701/14, 701/15, 701/16, 701/29, 701/30, 701/31, 701/32, 701/33, 701/34, 701/35, 701/51, 701/56, 701/300-302, 701/213, 701/214
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design

Abstract

Aerodynamic performance parameters for aircraft configurations are calculated using an aerodynamic performance system and method. The aerodynamic performance system in a workstation includes a processor circuit having a processor and a memory. Additionally, the system includes aerodynamic performance logic stored on the memory and executable by the processor. The aerodynamic performance logic includes logic that calculates a number of aerodynamic performance parameters for a configuration. Further, the logic generates an aerodynamic performance report to be sent to a client via a network. The aerodynamic performance report lists at least one of the aerodynamic performance parameters.

Claims

1. An aerodynamic design system for designing aircrafts with tilting wing configurations in a workstation, comprising;

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

aerodynamic design logic stored on the memory and executable by the processor, the aerodynamic design logic comprising;

logic that consists of inter-related calculations of thrust, normal force, axial force, pitching moment, trim, and flight path angles as functions of airspeed and tilt angle of the wing, wherein the logic further calculates a number of aerodynamic design parameters for a conceptual computer model; and

logic that generates an aerodynamic design report for assisting in the design of a tilting wing aircraft to be sent to a client via a network, the aerodynamic design report listing at least one of the aerodynamic design parameters.

2. The aerodynamic performance system of claim 1, wherein the aerodynamic performance logic further comprises logic that transmits the aerodynamic performance report to the client via the network.

3. The aerodynamic performance system of claim 1, wherein the aerodynamic performance logic further comprises logic that posts the aerodynamic performance report to a workstation accessible by a user via the client through the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic calculates a number of aerodynamic performance parameters in a number of configurations wherein the logic compares the aerodynamic performance parameters of at least one of the configurations with the aerodynamic performance parameters of another configuration.

5. The aerodynamic performance system of claim 2,

wherein the logic that generates the aerodynamic performance report to be sent to the client via the network further comprises logic that embodies the aerodynamic performance report into an electronic mail message; and

wherein the logic that transmits the aerodynamic performance report to the client via the network further comprises logic that transmits the electronic mail message to the client via the network.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the logic that calculates a number of aerodynamic performance parameters in a number of configurations further comprises logic that calculates the number of aerodynamic performance parameters in the number of configurations wherein the configurations include a number of vehicle settings.

7. An aerodynamic design method for designing aircrafts with tilting wing configurations, comprising:

calculating a number of aerodynamic design parameters for a conceptual computer model in a work station; and

generating an aerodynamic design report in the workstation for assisting in the design of a tilting wing aircraft, the aerodynamic design report to be sent to a client via a network, the aerodynamic design report listing at least one of the aerodynamic design parameters.

8. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the aerodynamic performance report to the client via the network.

9. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 8,

wherein the step of generating the aerodynamic performance report in the workstation further comprises embodying the aerodynamic performance report into an electronic mail message; and

wherein the step of transmitting the aerodynamic performance report to the client via the network further comprises transmitting the electronic mail message to the client via the network.

10. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 7, further comprising posting the aerodynamic performance report to a workstation that is accessible by a user via the client.

11. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 7, wherein the step of calculating the number of aerodynamic performance parameters in the number of configurations in the workstation further comprises comparing a the aerodynamic performance parameters of at least one of the configurations with the aerodynamic performance parameters of another configuration.

12. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 11, wherein the step of calculating the number of aerodynamic performance parameters in a number of configurations further comprises logic for calculating the number of aerodynamic performance parameters in the number of configurations wherein the configurations include a number of vehicle settings.

13. An aerodynamic design system for designing aircrafts with tilting wing configurations, comprising:

a processor circuit having a processor and a memory;

aerodynamic design logic stored on the memory and executable by the processor, the aerodynamic design logic comprising;

logic that consists of inter-related calculations of thrust, normal force, axial force, pitching moment, trim, and flight path angles as functions of airspeed and tilt angle of the wing, wherein the logic further calculates at least one aerodynamic design parameter for a conceptual computer model;

logic that generates an aerodynamic design report, the aerodynamic design report identifying the at least one aerodynamic design parameter; and

logic that presents the aerodynamic design report to a user for assisting in the design of a tilting wing aircraft.

14. The aerodynamic performance system of claim 13, wherein the logic that presents the aerodynamic performance report to the user further comprises logic that displays the aerodynamic performance report in a graphical user interface on a display device.

15. The aerodynamic performance system of claim 13, wherein the logic that calculates a number of aerodynamic performance parameters in a number of configurations in the computer system further comprises logic that compares the aerodynamic performance parameters of at least one of the configurations with the aerodynamic performance parameters of another configuration.

16. The aerodynamic performance system of claim 15, wherein the logic that detects the at least one aerodynamic performance parameter in the configuration in the computer system further comprises logic that the number of aerodynamic performance parameters in the number of configurations wherein the configurations include a number of vehicle settings.

17. An aerodynamic design method for designing aircrafts with tilting wing configurations, comprising:

calculating at least one aerodynamic design parameter for a conceptual computer model in a computer system coupled to a network; and

generating an aerodynamic design report for assisting in the design of a tilting wing aircraft in the computer system, the aerodynamic performance report identifying the at least one aerodynamic design parameter; and

presenting the aerodynamic design report to a user.

18. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 17, wherein the step of presenting the aerodynamic performance report to the user further comprises displaying the aerodynamic performance report in a graphical user interface on a display device.

19. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 17, wherein the step of detecting the at least one aerodynamic performance parameter in the configuration in the computer system further comprises comparing aerodynamic performance parameters of at least one of the configurations with aerodynamic performance parameters of another configuration.

20. The aerodynamic performance method of claim 19, wherein the step of calculating the number of aerodynamic performance parameters in a number of configurations in the computer system further comprises calculating the number of aerodynamic performance parameters in the number of configurations wherein the configurations include a number of vehicle settings.