Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Flush Air Data Sensing System


Affiliations
1 Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
2 Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Bengaluru 560 008, India
 

Flush air data sensing system (FADS) forms a mission-critical subsystem in re-entry vehicles. It makes use of surface pressure measurements from the nose cap of the vehicle for deriving air data parameters such as angle of attack, angle of sideslip, Mach number, etc. of the vehicle. These parameters are used by the flight control and guidance systems, and also assist in the overall mission management. The overall system engineering of FADS, including selection of pressure transducers, tubing size, port geometry, FADS algorithm and associated processing electronics along with the integration scheme is addressed in this article. Details of the qualification tests carried out in wind tunnel for end-to-end verification of the entire FADS system are covered in brief. Majority of the tests were carried out in a low-speed wind tunnel at a wind speed of 65 m/s (Mach number 0.2). The flight performance of FADS is also discussed in this article.

Keywords

Angle of Attack, Flushed Air Data System, Hypersonic Flight Vehicles, Subsonic, Wind Tunnel.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Whitmore, S. A., Cobleigh, B. R. and Haering, E. A., Design and calibration of the X-33 flush air data sensing system (FADS). NASA/TM-1998-206540, Research Engineering, NASA Dryden Flight Research Centre, January 1998, pp. 1–32.

  • Ellsworth, J. C. and Whitmore, S. A., Re-entry air data system for a suborbital spacecraft based on X-34 design. AIAA Paper 2007-1200.

  • Ellsworth, J. C. and Whitmore. S. A., Simulation of a flush air data system for transatmospheric vehicles. J. Spacecraft Rockets, 2008, 45(4).

  • Larson, T. J. and Siemers. P. M., Use of nose cap and fuselage pressure orifices for determination of air data for Space Shuttle Orbiter below supersonic speeds. NASA TP-1643, 1980.

  • Larson, T. J., Whitmore, S. A., Ehernberger, L. J., Johnson, J. B. and Siemers, P. M., Qualitative evaluation of a flush air data system at transonic speeds and high angles of attack. NASA TP-2716, 1987.

  • Rajeshkumar, G. V. et al., Calibration of air data systems using numerical simulation of supersonic flow over blunt forebody. In 20th National Convention of Aerospace Engineers, 29–30 October 2006, Trivandrum.

  • Rajesh Kumar, G. V., Harish, C. S., Swaminathan, S. and Madanlal, Development of a flush air data system for a winged body re-entry vehicle. In 2nd European Conference for Aerospace Sciences (EUCASS), Belgium, France, 2007.

  • Siemers, P. M., Paul, M., Henry, W. and Martin. W. H., Shuttle entry air data system (SEADS) – flight verification of an advanced air data system concept. AIAA paper 88-2104, 1988.

  • Whitmore, S. A., Moes, T. R. and Larson. T. J., Preliminary results from a subsonic high angle of attack flush air data sensing (HI-FADS) system. Design, calibration and flight Test evaluation. NASA TM-101713, 1990.

  • Whitmore, S. A., Davis, A. R. and Fife, M. J., Flight demonstration of a real time flush air data sensing (RT-FADS) system. AIAA Paper 94-3433, August 1995.

  • Remesh, N., Jayakumar, M., Finitha, K. C., Abhay Kumar, Shyam Mohan, N. and Swaminathan, S., Pressure measurement sensitivity studies on a reusable launch vehicle (RLV) flush air data sensing system (FADS). In Proceedings of National Conference on Space Transportation Systems, Opportunites and Challenges (STS 2011).


Abstract Views: 486

PDF Views: 156




  • Flush Air Data Sensing System

Abstract Views: 486  |  PDF Views: 156

Authors

N. Shyam Mohan
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
M. Jayakumar
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
T. Sivamurugan
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
K. C. Finitha
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
S. B. Vidya
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Jayanta Dhoaya
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
N. Remesh
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
M. Prasath
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Shashi Krishna
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Aisha Sidhique
Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Bengaluru 560 008, India

Abstract


Flush air data sensing system (FADS) forms a mission-critical subsystem in re-entry vehicles. It makes use of surface pressure measurements from the nose cap of the vehicle for deriving air data parameters such as angle of attack, angle of sideslip, Mach number, etc. of the vehicle. These parameters are used by the flight control and guidance systems, and also assist in the overall mission management. The overall system engineering of FADS, including selection of pressure transducers, tubing size, port geometry, FADS algorithm and associated processing electronics along with the integration scheme is addressed in this article. Details of the qualification tests carried out in wind tunnel for end-to-end verification of the entire FADS system are covered in brief. Majority of the tests were carried out in a low-speed wind tunnel at a wind speed of 65 m/s (Mach number 0.2). The flight performance of FADS is also discussed in this article.

Keywords


Angle of Attack, Flushed Air Data System, Hypersonic Flight Vehicles, Subsonic, Wind Tunnel.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi01%2F68-73