Importance

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Abstract

An instrumentation system for measuring airspeed and angle-of-attack (AOA) is provided. The system includes a sensor assembly, a constant voltage anemometer, a microprocessor assembly with software, and an output device suitable for powering conventional cockpit display or for powering other speed AOA devices such as engine inlets and stability augmenters. The sensor assembly is a pair of orthogonal miniature cylinders with embedded micro-thin multielement hot film sensors. Operation of the sensor assembly by the constant voltage anemometer provides detection of cylinder leading edge flow stagnation point and oscillatory frequency. The stagnation point determination provides angle-of-attack data; the oscillatory flow frequency provides data to calculate cylinder shed-vortex frequency which is converted to airspeed data. The sensor assembly is solid-state, having no ports, diaphragms or moving parts and is heated in normal operation.

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First Claim