Rosemount Aerospace Limited

Kidde Technologies Incorporated

Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.

The B. F. Goodrich Company

Mark Sherwood Miller

Mark Ray

Michael Anthony Lynch

Radoslaw Romuald Zakrzewski

Kaare Josef Anderson

Jaime Sly

Stefan Coreth

David William Frasure

Mark T Kern

Scott Kenneth Newlin

Ken Bell

Christopher Wilson

Chris George Georgoulias

Lei Liu

David M Socha, Sr

Mark Thomas Kern

Dean P Alderucci

Greg Allen Seidel

Charles Plott

Kimiko Childress

Aswin Kumar Vallamkondu

Vincent R LoPresto

Robert J Norris

Thomas G Wiegele

Kent Allan Ramthun

Michael Paul Nesnidal

Ramesh Annamareddy

Brian Snyder

Christopher H Renken

Jamie Sly

Vincent R Lopresto

A detection system in an aircraft includes an optical fiber arranged along a structure of the aircraft and affixed to the structure with clamps that are spaced apart along the structure. The optical fiber includes two or more sets of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The system also includes a light source to generate light with two or more wavelengths for injection into the optical fiber, and processing circuitry to identify an overheat condition and monitor vibration experienced by the optical fiber based on reflected signals generated by the two or more sets of FBGs. Integrity of the clamps is indicated by monitoring the vibration.

Overheat detection with clamp health monitoring

A system for an aircraft includes an optical sensor, at least one aircraft sensor, and a controller. The optical sensor is configured to emit a laser outside the aircraft, and the at least one aircraft sensor is configured to sense at least one aircraft condition. The controller is configured to determine a first operational state of the aircraft based upon the at least one aircraft condition and determine a second operational state of the aircraft based on the at least one aircraft condition, and operate the optical sensor to emit the laser at a first intensity during the first operational state and a second intensity during the second operational state, wherein the second intensity is greater than the first intensity.

Multiple operational modes for aircraft laser sensing systems

An air data sensor can include an acoustic transmitter configured to output an acoustic signal into an airflow and a plurality of acoustic transducers configured to receive the acoustic signal output by the acoustic transducer. The air data sensor can also include a light source configured to output a light beam into the airflow, and a light receiver configured to receive scattered light from the light beam. The light source and the light receiver can be bistatic such that a measurement zone is formed away from the air data sensor.

Air data systems

A laser sensing system includes an emitter configured to emit a laser, and a controller. The intensity of the laser is based upon power provided to the laser sensing system. The controller is configured to control the power provided to the laser sensing system, obtain feedback parameters indicative in part of molecular content of the atmosphere, and control the power provided to the laser sensing system based upon the feedback parameters.

Automatic gain control for laser detector

A system includes a laser air data sensor and an acoustic air data sensor. The laser air data sensor is configured to emit directional light into airflow about an aircraft exterior and to generate first air data parameter outputs for the aircraft based on returns of the emitted directional light. The acoustic air data sensor is configured to emit acoustic signals into the airflow about the aircraft exterior, sense the acoustic signals, and generate second air data parameter outputs for the aircraft based on the sensed acoustic signals.

Air data system architectures including laser air data and acoustic air data sensors

An air data probe includes a probe head, a port within the probe head in fluid communication with external airflow, and a pneumatic pressure sensor mounted within the port.

Air data probe with optical pressure integration

An aircraft ice detection system is configured to determine a condition of a cloud and includes a radar transmitter, a radar receiver, optics and a splitter. The radar transmitter is configured to produce quasi-optical radiation. The optics are configured to direct the quasi-optical radiation from the radar transmitter to the cloud and receive reflected quasi-optical radiation from the cloud. The radar receiver is configured to receive the reflected quasi-optical radiation from the optics and the splitter is configured to direct the reflected quasi-optical radiation from the optics to the radar receiver.

Airborne ice detector using quasi-optical radar

A system configured to monitor temperature in a plurality of zones of an aircraft includes an optical fiber with first and second ends, first and second connectors, and a first interrogator. The optical fiber includes a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings disposed in the optical fiber. The first connector is disposed on the first end of the optical fiber and the second connector is disposed on the second end of the optical fiber. The first interrogator is connected to the first connector and includes an optical switch. The optical switch is in optical communication with the first connector of the optical fiber and is configured to selectively block transmission of the optical signal to the optical fiber.

Method to isolate individual channels in a multi-channel fiber optic event detection system

A system configured to monitor a plurality of zones of an aircraft includes a line replaceable unit, a first interrogator, and a controller. The line replaceable unit includes first and second connectors in optical communication and an optical fiber. The optical fibers includes a first plurality of fiber Bragg gratings and a plurality of calibration fiber Bragg gratings in a pattern providing information related to a calibration value based upon a center wavelength of each of the first plurality of fiber Bragg gratings. The first interrogator is connected to the line replaceable unit at the first end of the optical fiber and is configured to provide a first optical signal and to receive a first optical response signal from the optical fiber. The controller is operatively connected to the first interrogator and is configured to determine the calibration value of the line replaceable unit.

Device and method of calibrating fiber Bragg grating based fiber optic overheat systems

An aircraft ice detection system is configured to determine a condition of a cloud and includes a radar system, a lidar system, optics and a dichroic filter. The radar system is configured to project quasi-optical radiation to the cloud and receive reflected quasi-optical radiation from the cloud. The lidar system is configured to project optical radiation to the cloud and receive reflected optical radiation from the cloud. The optics are configured to direct the quasi-optical radiation and the optical radiation to the cloud and receive the reflected quasi-optical radiation and the reflected optical radiation from the cloud. The dichroic filter is configured to direct the quasi-optical radiation from the radar system to the optics, direct the optical radiation from the lidar system to the optics, direct the reflected quasi-optical radiation from the optics to the radar system and direct the reflected optical radiation from the optics to the lidar system.

A method for detecting and determining a location of an overheat condition includes producing a narrowband optical signal with a laser source and optical pulse generator. The optical signal is sent into the optical fiber. A plurality of reflected optical signals is received. Reflection intensities are detected using a photodetector. The reflection intensities are compared with a triggering threshold. Response times of the reflected optical signals are recorded whenever the reflection intensity of the optical signals is greater than the triggering threshold. The narrowband optical signal is adjusted to another wavelength. An anomaly reflected optical signal is identified using a characteristic of the timings obtained through a range of wavelengths. The location of the overheat condition recorded response times is calculated. The location and existence of the overheat condition is communicated.

Overheat detection using a fiber bragg gratings array by time-of-flight

A system configured to a plurality of zones of an aircraft includes first and second connectors are in optical communication, an optical fiber, a first interrogator, and a controller. The optical fiber extends between the first and second connectors and includes a first timing fiber Bragg grating disposed in the optical fiber at a reference location of the optical fiber. The first interrogator is connected to the optical fiber and is configured to provide a first optical signal to the optical fiber and to receive a first timing signal from the optical fiber. The first timing fiber Bragg grating is configured to provide the first timing signal with information related to the first timing fiber Bragg grating from the first interrogator. The controller is operatively connected to the first interrogator and is configured to determine the reference location of the optical fiber.

Timing markers for fiber sensing systems

Apparatus and associated methods relate to projecting a light beam onto an interior surface of an aircraft window so as to indicate a testing location to test for ice accretion. The testing location is determined, by a boundary locator, based on aircraft flight conditions, aircraft exterior shape, and a predetermined size of super-cooled droplets, which could present a hazard to the aircraft. The determined test location corresponds to a calculated boundary that separates locations where super-cooled water droplets of the predetermined size cause ice-accretion from locations where such particles do not cause ice accretion, for such aircraft flight conditions. The light beam is then projected onto the interior surface of the aircraft window at the determined test location. The projected beam of light can indicate, to an observer and/or a detector, a location to monitor for ice accretion caused by super-cooled water droplets of the predetermined size.

Ice accretion boundary locator

Overheat and fire detection for aircraft systems includes an optical controller and a fiber optic loop extending from the optical controller. The fiber optic loop extends through one or more zones of the aircraft. An optical signal is transmitted through the fiber optic loop from the optical controller and is also received back at the optical controller. The optical controller analyzes the optical signal to determine the temperature, strain, or both experienced within the zones.

Aircraft overheat detection using optical fiber technology for system health monitoring by determining a physical characteristic associated with a location

Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining, based on a detected portion of a projected pulse of quasi-optical energy backscattered by water particles within a divergent projection volume of a cloud atmosphere, properties of the backscattering water particles. The pulse of quasi-optical energy is projected into the divergent projection volume of the cloud atmosphere. The divergent projection volume is defined by an axis of projection and an angle of projection about the axis of projection. The portion of the projected pulse of optical energy backscattered by water particles within the divergent projection volume of the cloud atmosphere is received and detected. Various properties of the backscattering water particles, which can be determined from the detected portion of the projected pulse backscattered by water particles can include particle density and/or particle size.

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Lakeville, MN, United States of America

Mark Sherwood Miller