WATER RESISTANT AIRCRAFT PITOT DEVICE
First Claim
1. A pitot device for use in an airflow, comprising:
- a pitot housing forming a cavity having a housing external orifice characterized by a housing external-orifice height;
an air-permeable fabric extending across a section of the cavity and defining an internal chamber; and
a pressure sensor configured to sense information regarding the pressure within the internal chamber;
wherein the distance within the cavity between the air-permeable fabric and the housing external orifice is less than 2.4 times the housing external-orifice height.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pitot tube system having a pitot tube containing a porous hydrophobic fabric that blocks water and contaminants from reaching a pressure sensor. The distance in the pitot tube between the fabric and a front orifice of the tube is less than 2.4 times the height of the orifice, and preferably less than or equal to 0.38 times the height. The section of the tube through which the fabric extends defines an opening characterized by a minimum dimension greater than 0.15 inches, and preferably being at least 0.21 inches. The tube is a removable structure that attaches to a mount that forms a passage for communicating the pressure in the tube. That passage contains a second porous hydrophobic fabric that also blocks water and contaminants from reaching a pressure sensor.
6 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A pitot device for use in an airflow, comprising:
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a pitot housing forming a cavity having a housing external orifice characterized by a housing external-orifice height; an air-permeable fabric extending across a section of the cavity and defining an internal chamber; and a pressure sensor configured to sense information regarding the pressure within the internal chamber; wherein the distance within the cavity between the air-permeable fabric and the housing external orifice is less than 2.4 times the housing external-orifice height. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A pitot device for use in an airflow, comprising:
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a housing forming a cavity having a housing external orifice characterized by a housing external-orifice height; an air-permeable fabric extending across a section of the cavity and defining an internal chamber; a static port; a pressure measurement system configured to gather information indicative of the difference between the pressure within the internal chamber and the pressure at the static port, the pressure measurement system including a pressure sensor configured to sense information regarding the pressure within the internal chamber; and an airspeed calculation system configured to provide an airspeed indication based on the gather information when the external orifice faces into the airflow and the static port is normal to the airflow; wherein the section of the cavity through which the fabric extends defines an opening to the internal chamber, and wherein the opening to the internal chamber is characterized by a minimum opening-size dimension greater than 0.15 inches. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of designing a pitot device for use in an airflow over a range of airspeeds, the pitot device including a housing forming a cavity having a housing external orifice characterized by a housing external-orifice height, an air-permeable fabric configured to extend across a section of the cavity and define an internal chamber, a static port structure, a pressure measurement system configured to gather information indicative of the difference between the pressure within the internal chamber and the pressure at the static port, the pressure measurement system including a pressure sensor configured to sense information regarding the pressure within the internal chamber over the range of airspeeds, and an airspeed calculation system configured to provide an airspeed indication based on the gather information when the external orifice faces into the airflow and the static port is normal to the airflow, comprising the steps of:
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(a) configuring the housing with a tubular portion extending from the air-permeable fabric to the housing external orifice; (b) moisture testing the housing over the range of airspeeds to see if the tubing is subject to failure from flooding; and (c) if tubing is subject to failure from flooding, then reducing the ratio of the distance within the cavity between the air-permeable fabric and the housing external orifice, over the housing external-orifice height, and repeating steps (a) to (c).
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Specification