“Aerospace Sensors” encyclopedia was published by “Momentum Press”, New York, USA under the edition of Prof. Alexander Nebylov in March, 2013.

This book is strongly recommended to students of technical universities, designers and researchers for study the modern aerospace instrumentation technologies. The book in 375 pages includes 9 chapters written by the international team of high qualified specialists from several leading aerospace countries. The book was written originally in English and has not presently any translated copy in other language.

The book can be ordered at http://www.momentumpress.net/books/aerospace-sensors, the price is USD 199.95

Contents of the book

This book is devoted to modern sensors and their applications in control systems relevant to aerospace vehicles.

The automatic control of aerospace systems with huge numbers of operating parameters is one of the highest technological achievements of modern civilization, and does indeed compete functionally with those inherent in natural life-forms, including human beings. However, the operating principles of the various necessary sensors and automatic systems are often essentially different from those utilized in nature and form the knowledge base of leading designers and firms in the field of aerospace instrumentation. It should also be noted that the majority of aerospace sensors differ essentially from those designed for applications in automobile, ship, railway and other forms of transportation, or those used in industrial, chemical, medicinal and other areas. The topic of aerospace sensors therefore merits special treatment, and it is hoped that this book will to some extent fulfill this requirement.

The intent of the volume is to present the fundamentals of design, construction and application of numerous aerospace sensors, a concept born in the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), especially in its Aerospace Technical Committee. An international team represents Eastern and Western Europe and North America, and all of authors have considerable experience in aerospace sensor and systems design.

The introductory Chapter 1 (by Alexander Nebylov, SUAI) briefly reviews the characteristics of atmospheric and space environments, this knowledge being essential for understanding the operation of aerospace sensors. Material on aerospace vehicle classification, specific design criteria and the requirements of onboard systems and sensors is presented.

Chapter 2 (by Ben Evans & Joe Watson, Swansea University, United Kingdom) is devoted to modern achievements in the development of the oldest group of aircraft sensors – membranous aneroid and other atmospherically-based instruments. Flight altitude and components of speed, attack and slip angle measurements are also considered.

Chapters 3 and 4 (by Alexander Nebylov, SUAI and Felix Yanovsky, National Aviation University, Kiev, Ukraine) introduce radio-altimeters and other autonomous radio sensors for motional parameters such as ground speed and crab angle. Airborne weather sensors and collision avoidance devices are also reviewed.

Chapters 5 (by Sergey Konovalov, Bauman Moscow State University) covers accelerometers of various kinds which are broadly used as basic sensors in the construction of gimbaled and strap-down inertial navigation systems (INS) and for direct applications in aerospace vehicles.

Chapter 6 (by Vladimir N. Branets, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, former deputy chief designer of “Energia” RSC, Boris Landau, Concern CSRI “Electropribor”, Yuri Korkishko, Optolink Ltd, Vladimir Raspopov, Tula State University, David Lynch, Northrop Grumman Corporation, USA) was written by five co-authors and became the largest in the book. It recognizes the particularly important role of INS and separate gyroscopic sensors for aerospace vehicular navigation and motion control.

Chapter 7 (by Konstantin Veremeenko, Moscow Aviation Institute) presents the different aspects of magnetic, gyro-magnetic and electronic compass design and their application to flight.

In Chapter 8 (by J. Paul Sims, East Tennessee State University, USA, and Joe Watson, Swansea University, United Kingdom) power-plant parameter information collection systems are considered. Fuel quantity and consumption sensors, pressure pick-ups, tachometers, vibration control and temperature sensors are all described.

Finally, Chapter 9 (by Alxander Nebylov, SUAI) is devoted to principles and examples of sensor integration. The most important facets of sensor system choice, integrated measuring system optimization and the simulation of sensor integration by appropriate algorithms are described. The examples of sensor integration considered include the non-invariant and robust integrated metering of speed, radio-inertial measurements, airborne gravimetry, and orbital verticality.

The book is written for practicing engineers, designers and researchers in the area of control systems for various aerospace vehicles including aircraft, UAVs, missiles, spacecraft, satellites and space probes. It may also be used as a study guide for both undergraduate and graduate students and for post-graduates in aerospace engineering, aeronautics, astronautics and various related areas. Moreover, it will be found useful by other people wishing to satisfy their general interest in the modern aerospace technologies that are so important in shaping our twenty-first century life-styles.