Design and Performance Analysis of an Aided Dead Reckoning Navigation System (Russian)
by
Gebre-Egziabher, D., J. David Powell, P. K. Enge
in
Gyroscopy and Navigation, Vol. 4, No. 35, pp. 83-92, 2001.
Category: Journal Article
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Abstract:
This paper presents an aided dead reckoning navigation system based on the fusion of inexpensive inertial, air data and magnetic sensors aided by a skeletal network oj radio-navigation aids. In the future National Airspace System o/ the United States-in which G is slated to be the primary means of navigation alongside a very small skeletal network of existing ground based radio-navigation aids-inexpensive backuy: method of navigation will be required for General Aviation users. This backul: method of navigation will allow users successfully deal with scenarios where intentional or unintentional radio-magnetic interference renden GPS unusable in a giver geographic area. The navigator presented in this paper is intended to be that backul: navigation system for General Aviation aircraft. Dead reckoning navigators mechanized using the classical inertial navigation techniques have traditionally been the solution to pi viding an alternate means of navigation that is mostly self-contained. A parametric study of navigation accuracy as a function of inert sensor quality presented in this paper will show that this is not a practical solution for the General Aviation user. This is because the cost the inertial. sensors required to mechanize a classical inertial navigator with acceptable navigation accuracy is prohibitively expensive 1 the General Aviation user. A more practical solution for the General Aviation user is a heading and air speed dead reckoning navigator, trade off study in this paper shows that the primary contributor to position drift in such a navigator is the stochastic nature of the wind field speed (i.e., the motion of the air mass in which the airplane is flying). Estimation of the wind field can be accomplished by very infrequent position fmes obtained from the skeletal network of radio-navigation aids that will be part of the future National Airspace System, i analysis of various estimator architectures for mechanizing this navigator will be presented. A low-cost sensor suite consisting of all I components required to mechanizing the dead reckoning navigator was flown in a General Aviation test aircraft. The data from these flight tests shows that navigation performance comparable to that provided by current General Aviation navigation systems such as VOR a LORAN is achieved.
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