Patent · US Expired

Wind shear detection and alerting system

US4725811A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
17References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 13, 1986
Grant dateFeb 16, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 13, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05D1/0615
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A wind shear detection and alerting system (30) compares inertially derived accelerations with air speed rate to provide a wind shear warning signal. Inertially derived accelerations are used instead of purely inertial accelerations because purely inertial systems generally require a vertical gyro. By utilizing angle of attack (.alpha.) and flight path angle (.gamma.) instead of pitch angle (.theta.) in the calculation, no vertical gyro signal is required and the system will be responsive to vertical as well as horizontal shear conditions. An enhanced version of the system is also compensated for roll angle (.phi.), with the roll angle being derived from the rate of change of heading (.PSI.) to avoid the need for a vertical gyro. The alerting system is capable of providing visual and aural warnings for a variety of wind shear conditions, such as, head shear, tail shear, head shear followed by tail shear and wind shear trend. The waring system is also capable of providing a wind shear warning which is a function of the radio altitude of the aircraft.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.