Integrated aeroelasticity measurement system

• US 7,307,585 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Clingman, Dan J., Hinnant, Harris O. Jr., Brekke, Darin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/264,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.22
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0016 of aircraft wings or blades
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0041 by determining deflection or stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/393 Trajectory determination or predictive tracking, e.g. Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements

Abstract

An aircraft aeroelasticity measurement system according to the invention can be used to perform in-flight wing twist measurements of an aircraft or any moving vehicle or structure on which its sensors can be mounted. The system includes a centralized processing unit, a reference navigation unit mounted in the aircraft body, a plurality of measurement navigation units mounted in the aircraft wings, and a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver that generates GPS data for enhancing the accuracy of the navigation data. The system collects navigation data from the reference navigation unit and the measurement navigation units, generates navigation solutions from the navigation data, and performs a stochastic alignment and flexure estimation procedure to generate a corrected measurement solution that indicates the aeroelasticity of the aircraft. Wing twist and wing deflection information can be derived from the corrected measurement solution.

Claims

1. A method for measuring aeroelasticity of an aircraft component, said method comprising:

obtaining reference navigation data for a reference location on an aircraft;

generating a reference navigation solution based upon said reference navigation data;

obtaining measurement navigation data for at least one measurement location on said aircraft;

generating a measurement navigation solution based upon said measurement navigation data;

performing stochastic alignment and flexure estimation on said reference navigation solution and said measurement navigation solution to obtain a corrected measurement solution that indicates aeroelasticity of said at least one measurement location relative to said reference location; and

providing wing twist/deflection information to an operator, the wing twist/deflection information being derived from the corrected measurement solution.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining global positioning system (“

GPS”

) data for said reference location; and

processing said reference navigation data and said GPS data to generate said reference navigation solution.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reference location is a location in the body of said aircraft, and said at least one measurement location is at least one location in the wings of said aircraft.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising resolving wing twist from said corrected measurement solution.

5. A method according to claim 3, further comprising resolving wing deflection from said corrected measurement solution.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein performing stochastic alignment and flexure estimation comprises applying Kalman filtering to said reference navigation solution and said measurement navigation solution.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said reference navigation data is obtained at a first rate;

said reference navigation solution is generated at said first rate;

said measurement navigation data is obtained at said first rate;

said measurement navigation solution is generated at said first rate; and

stochastic alignment and flexure estimation is performed on said reference navigation solution and said measurement navigation solution at a second rate.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said second rate is less than said first rate.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said reference navigation data comprises measured angle change and measured velocity change for a plurality of axes; and

said measurement navigation data comprises measured angle change and measured velocity change for a plurality of axes.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said reference navigation solution comprises position, velocity, and attitude data for said reference location; and

said measurement navigation solution comprises position, velocity, and attitude data for said at least one measurement location.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said corrected measurement solution represents a difference between said reference navigation solution and said measurement navigation solution.

12. A system for measuring elasticity of a component, said system comprising:

a reference navigation unit configured to generate reference navigation data for a reference location on the component;

a measurement navigation unit configured to generate measurement navigation data for a measurement location on the component; and

a processing unit, coupled to said reference navigation unit and to said measurement navigation unit, said processing unit being configured to generate a reference navigation solution based upon said reference navigation data, to generate a measurement navigation solution based upon said measurement navigation data, to perform stochastic alignment and flexure estimation on said reference navigation solution and said measurement navigation solution to obtain a corrected measurement solution that indicates aeroelasticity of said measurement location relative to said reference location, and to provide wing twist/deflection information to an operator, the wing twist/deflection information being derived from the corrected measurement solution.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) receiver configured to provide GPS data for said reference location, wherein said processing unit is configured to process said reference navigation data and said GPS data to generate said reference navigation solution.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

said reference navigation unit is configured to generate said reference navigation data at a first rate;

said processing unit is configured to generate said reference navigation solution at said first rate;

said measurement navigation unit is configured to generate said measurement navigation data at said first rate;

said processing unit is configured to generate said measurement navigation solution at said first rate; and

said processing unit is configured to generate said corrected measurement solution at a second rate.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

said reference navigation data comprises measured angle change and measured velocity change for a plurality of axes; and

said measurement navigation data comprises measured angle change and measured velocity change for a plurality of axes.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein:

said reference navigation solution comprises position, velocity, and attitude data for said reference location; and

said measurement navigation solution comprises position, velocity, and attitude data for said measurement location.

17. A system according to claim 12, wherein said corrected measurement solution represents a difference between said reference navigation solution and said measurement navigation solution.

18. A system according to claim 12, said reference navigation unit comprising a first inertial measurement unit, and said measurement navigation unit comprising a second inertial measurement unit.

19. A system for measuring aeroelasticity of an aircraft component, said system comprising a processing unit configured to:

obtain reference navigation data for a reference location on an aircraft;

generate a reference navigation solution based upon said reference navigation data;

obtain measurement navigation data for at least one measurement location on said aircraft;

generate a measurement navigation solution based upon said measurement navigation data;

perform stochastic alignment and flexure estimation on said reference navigation solution and said measurement navigation solution to obtain a corrected measurement solution that indicates aeroelasticity of said at least one measurement location relative to said reference location; and

provide wing twist/deflection information to an operator, the wing twist/deflection information being derived from the corrected measurement solution.

20. A system according to claim 19, further comprising:

a reference navigation unit coupled to said processing unit, said reference navigation unit being configured to generate said reference navigation data; and

a measurement navigation unit coupled to said processing unit, said measurement navigation unit being configured to generate said measurement navigation data.

21. A system according to claim 19, further comprising a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) receiver configured to provide GPS data for said reference location, wherein said processing unit is configured to process said reference navigation data and said GPS data to generate said reference navigation solution.