초록 ▼

The invention provides for rapid response and reliable detection of vertical windshear during the takeoff and approach phases of flight. Standard instrumentation available on many aircraft is used to calculate the down-draft acceleration and its effect on the aircraft\s performance capability. The i

The invention provides for rapid response and reliable detection of vertical windshear during the takeoff and approach phases of flight. Standard instrumentation available on many aircraft is used to calculate the down-draft acceleration and its effect on the aircraft\s performance capability. The invention utilizes inputs from vertical acceleration, true airspeed, pitch angle, and angle of attack sensors. The rate of change of vertical wind is derived from the sensed signals and used to determine the margin between the aircraft\s present performance capability and the predicted performance capability at stick shaker speed. By incrementing a timer when the down-draft acceleration is above a predetermined level, and comparing this time to the predicted time for the aircraft to decelerate to stick shaker speed based on the present windshear acceleration, a variable threshold of detection is obtained, which provides a more immediate detection of windshear than where a fixed threshold of detection is provided, with fewer incidences of false alarms.

대표청구항 ▼

Vertical windshear detection apparatus for aircraft comprising: (a) means for providing a signal representative of true airspeed, (b) means for providing a signal representative of pitch angle of the aircraft, (c) means for providing a signal representative of angle of attack of the aircraft, (d) me

Vertical windshear detection apparatus for aircraft comprising: (a) means for providing a signal representative of true airspeed, (b) means for providing a signal representative of pitch angle of the aircraft, (c) means for providing a signal representative of angle of attack of the aircraft, (d) means for providing a signal representative of vertical acceleration of the aircraft, (e) means for combining said pitch angle signal and said angle of attack signal to provide a signal representative of flight path angle, (f) means for deriving a signal representative of the rate of change of airspeed from said true airspeed signal, (g) means for deriving a signal representative of pitch angle rate from said pitch angle signal, (h) means for deriving a signal representative of angle of attack rate from said angle of attack signal, (i) means responsive to said airspeed rate signal and said fligh path angle rate signal for deriving a product signal thereof, (j) means responsive to said pitch angle rate signal and said angle of attack rate signal for deriving a signal representative of the rate of change of flight path angle, (k) means responsive to said true airspeed signal and said rate of change of flight path angle signal for deriving a further product signal, (l) means responsive to said above mentioned product signals for providing a further combined signal representative of vertical acceleration relative to an air mass proximate to said aircraft, (m) means for algebraically combining said further combined signal and said vertical acceleration signal to provide a signal representative of a vertical component of said windshear, (n) means responsive to said signal representative of a vertical component of windshear for providing a first timing signal representative of an actual duration thereof, (o) means for providing a signal representative of a predetermined value of an aircraft parameter corresponding to a power to weight ratio, (p) means responsive to said aircraft parameter signal and said vertical component of windshear signal for generating a second timing signal representative of a quotient thereof having a value corresponding to a computed duration, and (q) means for algebraically combining said second timing signal and said timing signal to generate an algebraic difference signal indicative of the detection of a vertical windshear condition when said difference signal is equal to or greater than a value of zero.