Emergency oil discharge control panel, emergency oil discharge control system and emergency oil discharge method

Abstract

An emergency fuel jettison control panel for controlling an emergency fuel jettison control system of an aircraft, the panel comprising a rotary knob for setting a target fuel jettison quantity of the emergency fuel jettison, a first switch for putting the emergency fuel jettison system into an emergency fuel jettison mode, a second switch for activating an emergency fuel jettison process, a protective cover which covers the first switch and the second switch and which is arranged to be rotatable about a rotation axis between an open position in which the first switch and the second switch are exposed and a closed position, the protective cover comprising at least one protective cover lock which is lockable to lock the protective cover against rotation, and the protective cover comprising a protective cover lock control which is configured to automatically unlock the protective cover lock, and an emergency fuel jettison control system comprising the emergency fuel jettison control panel and a method of starting an emergency fuel jettison process by means of the emergency fuel jettison control panel. They allow for both ease of operation and error prevention during emergency fuel jettison.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of emergency fuel dumping for civil transport aircraft. Specifically, the invention proposes an emergency fuel dumping control panel for an aircraft, an emergency fuel dumping control system including the emergency fuel dumping control panel, and a method for initiating the emergency fuel dumping process using the aforementioned emergency fuel dumping control panel. Background Technology

[0002] Large civil aircraft are typically equipped with an emergency fuel dumping system, which is used to quickly dump fuel in the air in emergency situations. This ensures that the landing weight of the aircraft does not exceed the maximum landing weight when an emergency return landing is required, thereby avoiding damage to the aircraft's landing gear and airframe structure and avoiding affecting the safety of the crew and passengers. This allows the aircraft to eventually land safely even in the event of malfunctions or other unconventional situations.

[0003] The commonly used emergency fuel dumping control systems for aircraft are as follows:

[0004] 1) The system consists of a control panel, a controller, and a monitor;

[0005] 2) The aircraft is equipped with a dedicated emergency fuel dump control panel as an emergency fuel dumping operation component. The control panel has light indicator function and can optionally be equipped with button protective covers to prevent pilot misoperation.

[0006] 3) Generally, the aircraft's EI page or diagram page is used to display information related to emergency fuel dumping;

[0007] 4) Direct or indirect signal communication between the controller, control board, and display;

[0008] 5) The emergency oil release initiation steps typically include: pre-positioning, setting the oil release volume (optional), and activation (starting);

[0009] 6) The emergency fuel release process will terminate when the amount of fuel released reaches the preset or manually set amount.

[0010] 7) The emergency oil drain control board can be manually operated to override the automatic logic and terminate the oil drain in advance, or manually force the emergency oil drain to be shut off when the automatic logic fails.

[0011] 8) Different models differ in their oil drain settings and emergency oil drain activation methods;

[0012] 9) Different models have different display information for emergency oil draining.

[0013] In view of the above characteristics 8) and 9), the control panel and display settings of the emergency fuel dumping control system of the current aircraft models are mainly in the following two ways:

[0014] Figure 1This diagram shows an emergency fuel drain control panel from Boeing. The target fuel drain volume is set via knob K1 on the panel, and two push-button switches B1 and B2 independently control the left and right emergency fuel drain shut-off valves. These two push-button switches B1 and B2 are protected by a protective cover C1 to prevent accidental activation.

[0015] After emergency fuel dumping begins, the information displayed on the aircraft's diagram page will switch from the default mode to emergency fuel dumping mode. Figure 2-1 This shows the default mode of the simplified page for B787, while Figure 2-2 This shows the emergency oil discharge mode on the simplified diagram page. (Compare...) Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 It can be observed that the area on the simplified page that defaults to displaying the outside temperature (SAT) and fuel temperature now displays the target total weight and the total amount of fuel after the emergency fuel dump is terminated.

[0016] Figure 3 This shows the Airbus's emergency fuel jettison control panel, which consists of an "ARM" button (B3) and an "ACTIVE" button (B4). Buttons B3 and B4 are protected by protective covers (C2 and C3) to prevent accidental activation. To perform an emergency fuel jettison, the pilot opens covers C2 and C3 and presses buttons B3 and B4 to enter the pre-positioned and activated modes, respectively. It should be noted that the emergency fuel jettison shut-off valves on both sides of the aircraft open simultaneously upon pressing button B4. This means that unilateral fuel jettison cannot be controlled independently on this aircraft.

[0017] In this emergency fuel jettison control system, the default fuel jettison target is the maximum landing weight. To set a different target fuel jettison amount, the flight control system interface can be used. This interface is located at... Figure 4 As shown in the image.

[0018] During emergency oil spillage, the information displayed on the EI page remains unchanged, while the content displayed on the simplified diagram page will change, such as... Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-2 As shown, the simplified diagram page displays the emergency fuel dump control valves and emergency fuel dump line flow lines, while the EI page always displays the aircraft gross weight (GW) and FOB value.

[0019] As explained above, current conventional emergency fuel dumping control systems either cannot operate independent emergency fuel dumping on one side, or require settings to be configured in conjunction with the content displayed on the flight control screen, making operation relatively complex. Therefore, both ease of operation and error prevention and safety are not well balanced.

[0020] Specifically, in Boeing aircraft such as the B787 and B777, emergency fuel dumping operations are all concentrated on the emergency fuel dumping control panel in the cockpit. However, the right-to-left operation sequence does not conform to traditional operating habits. In addition, the emergency fuel dumping pre-position button K1 lacks a protective cover, making it prone to misoperation by the crew and potentially affecting the functions of other systems, leading to potential safety risks.

[0021] Emergency fuel dumping operations on Airbus aircraft (such as the A350) require the use of the flight control system's FUEL & LOAD interface and emergency fuel dumping control panel. For the crew, the operation is discontinuous. Furthermore, if from... Figure 4 As can be seen, the flight control system's operating interface has a high degree of information integration, requiring the crew to spend some time identifying relevant information, which increases the crew's operational burden to some extent. Furthermore, for Figures 4 to 5-2 For the models involved, it also suffers from the drawback of displaying excessive amounts of information. Some models (such as the A350) do not display emergency oil drain information on the EI page, requiring users to switch to the simplified diagram page for confirmation.

[0022] Furthermore, in the process of forward designing aircraft fuel systems, the inventors also discovered that if an emergency fuel jettison is unexpectedly triggered in the air, and if the crew cannot detect it immediately and take appropriate action, the aircraft's fuel capacity will decrease dramatically. Such an unexpected trigger can, in severe cases, result in the aircraft not having enough fuel to reach its destination airport, increasing flight safety risks and the crew's operational burden.

[0023] Therefore, the art desires to propose a safe and reliable emergency fuel dumping control system to meet the requirements of safe operation of civil aircraft, while at least improving at least one of the aforementioned defects of existing emergency fuel dumping control systems. Summary of the Invention

[0024] This invention aims to solve the aforementioned technical problems and therefore proposes an emergency fuel dumping control panel. This emergency fuel dumping control panel is used to operate the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping control system, which in turn controls the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping system.

[0025] The emergency oil drain control panel includes:

[0026] The knob is used to set the target amount of oil to be drained in an emergency.

[0027] The first switch is used to put the emergency oil draining system into emergency oil draining mode.

[0028] A second switch, used to activate the emergency oil release process; and

[0029] A protective cover is provided, which is disposed outside the outer cover of the first and second switches; in other words, the first and second switches share the same protective cover. This protective cover is arranged to rotate about its axis between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the protective cover rotates to expose the first and second switches, allowing the crew to operate them.

[0030] The protective cover is provided with at least one protective cover lock, which can lock the protective cover so that it cannot rotate around the rotation axis, and the protective cover also includes a protective cover lock control component, which is configured to automatically unlock the protective cover lock.

[0031] This invention provides an emergency fuel dumping control panel where the target fuel dumping volume can be directly set via a knob, simplifying the operation of initiating the emergency fuel dumping process. Furthermore, in the emergency fuel dumping control panel according to the invention, the first switch for activating the emergency fuel dumping system to emergency fuel dumping mode and the second switch for activating the emergency fuel dumping process are protected by the same protective cover that can be automatically unlocked via a protective cover control element. This arrangement reduces the risk of initiating the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping process due to external misoperation and makes the entire initiation process more convenient when necessary. In particular, compared to traditional manually opened protective covers, the automatically unlocking and disengaging protective cover lock in the emergency fuel dumping control panel according to the invention shortens the interval required for crew reaction time during the emergency fuel dumping process, allowing emergency fuel dumping to begin as quickly as possible in an emergency.

[0032] Specifically, the knob of the emergency fuel dump control panel of the present invention can be pulled out, and after the knob is pulled out, the protective cover lock control can automatically unlock the protective cover lock. In the emergency fuel dump control panel of the present invention, pulling out the knob is equivalent to sending a signal to the controller of an emergency fuel dump control system, such as the emergency fuel dump control panel of the present invention. This signal instructs the aircraft's emergency fuel dump control system to initiate the emergency fuel dumping process of the aircraft's emergency fuel dump system.

[0033] This design ensures that pulling out the knob on the emergency fuel dump control panel is equivalent to a confirmation signal from the crew to initiate the emergency fuel dump procedure, and the protective shield lock control unlocks upon receiving this confirmation signal. This design eliminates the time required for crew reaction, manual unlocking, and opening of the protective shield, which is necessary when operating the emergency fuel dump control panel on existing aircraft models. This significantly improves the efficiency of initiating the aircraft's emergency fuel dump process.

[0034] In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the knob is adjusted by rotating after being pulled out, and the set emergency target oil discharge volume is confirmed by pressing it back in.

[0035] Preferably, the protective cover lock of the emergency oil drain control panel of the present invention is also configured to be unlocked by pressing down on the protective cover after the knob is pulled out. This provides a safety backup for the emergency oil drain control panel in an emergency.

[0036] On the one hand, if the protective cover lock control fails unexpectedly, the crew can still unlock the protective cover lock and continue to start the emergency fuel dumping process by pressing down on the protective cover, thus avoiding the situation where the emergency fuel dumping process cannot be started due to the failure of the protective cover lock control.

[0037] On the other hand, the manual unlocking of the protective cover lock in the above-mentioned emergency situation still requires the knob to be pulled out, which avoids the protective cover lock being unlocked due to factors such as the placement of objects or accidental pressure from the hand during normal flight, causing it to pop open and thus exposing the first and second switches.

[0038] Preferably, in one embodiment of the present invention, the emergency oil drain control panel is provided with two of the above-mentioned protective cover locks.

[0039] Furthermore, in a non-limiting embodiment, the locking portions of the two protective cover locks are located at two corners of the protective cover, which is, for example, frustum-shaped or semi-cylindrical in shape. The side of the protective cover where these two corners are located is opposite to the side of the protective cover where the rotating shaft is located.

[0040] Alternatively, the protective cover lock can be located in the middle of the side of the protective cover instead of at the corner.

[0041] Furthermore, in a non-limiting preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the emergency oil spill control panel according to the present invention, when viewed from top to bottom, the aforementioned knob, first switch, and second switch are arranged sequentially from left to right in the plan view of the emergency oil spill control panel. When initiating the emergency oil spill process, the knob, first switch, and second switch are operated in the following order according to the operational logic: first, pull out the knob; rotate the knob to set the target oil spill volume; and preferably, press the knob back in; then operate the first switch; and finally, operate the second switch. Therefore, the left-to-right arrangement of these three control components conforms to people's habitual left-to-right operating habits and is consistent with the operational logic sequence during emergency oil spill operation. It adapts to the actual operating sequence, facilitates the operation of the crew, and further improves the operational efficiency during the emergency oil spill initiation process.

[0042] In a non-limiting preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second switches are further configured as push-in hold switches. Selecting a push-in hold switch provides the crew with another opportunity for confirmation.

[0043] Optionally, the emergency oil drain control panel according to the invention is further configured such that the emergency oil drain process is terminated when either the first switch or the second switch is pressed out. In this configuration, the push-to-hold switch requires a certain amount of external force to be pressed out, thereby reducing the risk of accidentally closing the first switch and / or the second switch, and thus interrupting the emergency oil drain process.

[0044] In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the emergency fuel dump control panel is further provided with a pre-position status indicator and an emergency fuel dump status indicator. These indicators can indicate the operating status of the emergency fuel dump system, such as ready, normal, and faulty. The colors of the indicator lights reflecting these different states are distinguishable from each other and are selected according to the overall design requirements of the aircraft cockpit.

[0045] The emergency oil spill control panel of the present invention is designed to improve the operating efficiency of the crew and prevent misoperation. In particular, all operations required to start the emergency oil spill process are performed on the emergency oil spill control panel, without the need for operation pages of other systems as in the prior art.

[0046] The present invention also proposes an emergency fuel dumping control system, which includes a display device, a controller, and an emergency fuel dumping control panel, wherein the emergency fuel dumping control panel is constructed as described in any of the above technical solutions; wherein the display device and the controller are communicatively connected; wherein the emergency fuel dumping control panel is communicatively connected to the controller; and wherein the controller is communicatively connected to the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping system.

[0047] Therefore, this invention proposes an emergency fuel dumping control system that can improve the efficiency of the crew in performing emergency fuel dumping operations, and effectively avoids the situation where the emergency fuel dumping process is initiated due to crew operator error, thereby causing an unexpected reduction in the aircraft's fuel quantity.

[0048] Specifically, the controller receives command signals from the emergency fuel jettison control panel, makes logical judgments based on the aircraft's current status, and sends action signals to the relevant equipment involved in the aircraft's emergency fuel jettison system. These devices then feed back their operational status to the controller, which, after making logical judgments, relays this information to the flight crew via the display device and the aforementioned indicator lights on the control panel.

[0049] For example, the aforementioned protective cover control unit communicates with the controller of the emergency oil release operation system, so that it automatically pops open after the emergency oil release amount is set.

[0050] Preferably, the display device of the emergency fuel dumping control system according to the present invention is configured to display the progress of emergency fuel dumping. Optionally, the progress of emergency fuel dumping is displayed in the form of a percentage progress bar. By reflecting the progress of the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping in real time, the crew can make decisions and adjustments as necessary based on the actual fuel dumping progress and other flight conditions, for example, as mentioned above, by turning off the first switch and / or the second switch, such as by pressing the first switch and / or the second switch, to terminate the emergency fuel dumping process in advance.

[0051] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the display device is configured to display, in addition to the aforementioned emergency fuel dumping progress, the aircraft's total weight, total fuel quantity, and remaining fuel quantity at the emergency fuel dumping target. During emergency fuel dumping, displaying only the necessary information concisely improves the efficiency of information access for the crew and reduces obstacles to their accessibility to the aforementioned necessary information.

[0052] Preferably, the display device for the aforementioned emergency fuel dumping control system is a separate display on the aircraft. This configuration allows the crew to quickly and specifically obtain relevant information through this separate display in an emergency situation requiring the initiation of the emergency fuel dumping process.

[0053] Alternatively, the display device of the aforementioned emergency oil spill control system is integrated into the aircraft's display, meaning that the display device reuses the existing aircraft display. This arrangement reduces the cost of implementing the emergency oil spill control system according to the invention, especially in situations where available space on the aircraft is limited.

[0054] The above-mentioned configuration of the display device of the emergency oil spill control system of the present invention solves the problem of redundant display information encountered in the emergency oil spill control system of existing models, and can reduce the interference of non-important information to the crew operators.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, the controller of the emergency fuel dumping control system is configured to receive the target fuel dumping amount input by the knob of the emergency fuel dumping control panel and send it to the control unit of the emergency fuel dumping system. The controller of the emergency fuel dumping control system is also configured to send the preset default fuel dumping amount to the control unit of the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping system when the target fuel dumping amount is invalid.

[0056] This setting improves the safety redundancy of the emergency fuel dumping control system of the present invention, especially when the target fuel dumping amount is invalid, such as zero, or much greater than the current fuel level of the aircraft. For example, the fuel dumping amount can be set to a reasonable default value by means of calculation by the emergency fuel dumping computer, thus avoiding invalid initiation of the emergency fuel dumping process.

[0057] Furthermore, the present invention also proposes a method for initiating an emergency fuel dumping process for an aircraft, which is performed using the emergency fuel dumping control panel of any of the above-mentioned schemes, and the method includes the following steps:

[0058] Use the knob to set the target amount of emergency oil drain;

[0059] Unlock the protective cover lock;

[0060] Press the first switch;

[0061] Press the second switch.

[0062] Therefore, this invention proposes a method for starting the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping process that improves the operational efficiency of the crew, effectively reduces the probability of misoperation, and adapts to the operating habits of the crew.

[0063] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the method according to the invention, when the protective cover lock does not unlock automatically, the protective cover lock is manually pressed to unlock it. The method according to the invention thus optimizes the operating procedures for crew members and provides safety redundancy.

[0064] The emergency fuel dump control panel, emergency fuel dump control system, and method for initiating the emergency fuel dump process according to the present invention have the following technical advantages: they take into account both ease of operation and error prevention safety, and have good human-machine interaction; the information displayed by the system is not redundant, effectively reducing the interference of non-critical information to the crew operators; and they have multiple implementation methods, and can use the integrated display on the aircraft, thereby maximizing the reuse of aircraft resources. Attached Figure Description

[0065] The above-described and other features of the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be understood as exemplary rather than limiting.

[0066] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an emergency fuel dumping control panel for a prior art aircraft model is shown;

[0067] Figure 2-1 It shows Figure 1 The default indication on the simplified diagram page of the shown model;

[0068] Figure 2-2 It shows Figure 1 The emergency oil drain instruction on the simplified diagram page of the model shown;

[0069] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an emergency fuel dumping control panel for another type of aircraft in the prior art is shown;

[0070] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3The flight control FUEL & LOAD page for the aircraft model shown;

[0071] Figure 5-1 It shows Figure 3 The default mode for the simplified diagram page of the shown model;

[0072] Figure 5-2 It shows Figure 3 The simplified diagram page for the model shown illustrates the emergency oil drain mode;

[0073] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the emergency oil spill control system according to the present invention is shown;

[0074] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of the emergency oil spill control system according to the present invention is shown;

[0075] Figure 8 A schematic plan view of an emergency oil spill control panel according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; and

[0076] Figure 9 A flowchart is shown for initiating the emergency oil spill process using the emergency oil spill control system according to the present invention.

[0077] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0078] B1 (Prior art emergency oil drain control panel) push-in switch

[0079] B2 (Pre-existing emergency oil drain control panel) push-in switch

[0080] B3 (the button on the existing emergency oil spill control panel)

[0081] B4 (the button on the existing emergency oil spill control panel)

[0082] B5 button (preset switch)

[0083] B6 button (emergency oil drain start switch)

[0084] C1 (existing emergency oil drain control panel) protective cover

[0085] C2 (existing technology emergency oil discharge control panel) protective cover

[0086] C3 (existing emergency oil spill control panel) protective cover

[0087] CON controller

[0088] COM Fuel Measurement and Management Computer

[0089] DIS display device

[0090] DIS_P Emergency Oil Discharge Display Page

[0091] H protective cover

[0092] I1 indicator light

[0093] I2 indicator light

[0094] I3 indicator light

[0095] I4 indicator light

[0096] K1 (existing emergency oil drain control panel) knob

[0097] K2 knob

[0098] L1 Protective Cover Lock

[0099] L2 Protective Cover Lock

[0100] PAN Emergency Oil Drain Control Panel

[0101] SYS Emergency Oil Drainage Control System. Detailed Implementation

[0102] Although the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that this specification is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments. Rather, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, etc., that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For ease of interpretation and precise definition in the appended claims, unless otherwise stated, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” and “outer” are used to describe features with reference to their position in the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures.

[0103] First refer to Figure 6 The emergency oil drain control system SYS consists of three parts: the display device DIS, the controller CON, and the emergency oil drain control panel PAN.

[0104] Next, go to Figure 8 , Figure 8 The image shows a top view of an embodiment of the Emergency Jet Drain Control Panel (PAN). As shown, the words "FUEL JETTISON" indicating emergency jet drain are printed above the PAN. The PAN is used to issue emergency jet drain operation commands to the machine's controller (CON). These commands include commands to prepare for jet drain, initiate jet drain, stop jet drain, and set the emergency jet drain amount.

[0105] The emergency fuel dump control panel (PAN) is also equipped with indicators, such as indicator lights, to indicate the current operating status of the aircraft's emergency fuel dump system, including: ready, normal, and faulty.

[0106] A knob K2 is located on the left side of the emergency fuel drain control panel PAN, used to set the emergency fuel drain target value. In the illustrated embodiment, rotating knob K2 clockwise increases the emergency fuel drain target value, while rotating it counterclockwise decreases it. Knob K2 can be pulled out as a signal to initiate the emergency fuel drain procedure. Knob K2 is also referred to as the emergency fuel drain target fuel volume knob.

[0107] Two buttons, B5 and B6, are located on the right side of the emergency oil drain control panel PAN.

[0108] The button B5 on the left is labeled "ARMED". Button B5 is the emergency oil drain preset button, which is a push-and-hold button and has preset status indicator lights I1 and I2. Button B5 can also be called a preset switch, used to put the system into emergency oil drain mode.

[0109] The button B6 on the right is labeled "DISCH". Button B6 is the emergency fuel drain release button, which is also a push-and-hold button, and it also has emergency fuel drain status indicator lights I3 and I4. Button B6 can also be called the emergency fuel drain start switch, used to activate the emergency fuel drain process.

[0110] To terminate the emergency oil release process, simply press either button B5 or B6.

[0111] The specific colors of the indicator lights on buttons B5 and B6 will be designed in accordance with the cockpit lighting requirements. In the example shown, button B5 has an amber "FAULT" indicator light I1 and a white "ON" indicator light I2. Button B6 has a green "OPEN" indicator light I3 and a white "ON" indicator light I4.

[0112] When, for example, the emergency fuel dumping system malfunctions, the amber "FAULT" indicator I1 on button B5 of the emergency fuel dumping control panel (PAN) will light up to indicate the malfunction of the unit's emergency fuel dumping system and to prompt the unit to carry out relevant follow-up work.

[0113] A protective housing H is provided around buttons B5 and B6 to protect them and prevent accidental operation. The protective housing can rotate around axis A to move between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, buttons B5 and B6 are exposed, allowing the unit to be operated further.

[0114] In addition, protective cover locks L1 and L2 are respectively provided at the two corners below the protective cover housing H.

[0115] To operate buttons B5 and B6, you must first unlock the protective cover locks L1 and L2 and rotate the protective cover housing H around the pivot A to the open position before you can further operate buttons B5 and B6.

[0116] Ideally, the protective cover H, controlled by the controller CON, should automatically pop open after the emergency oil drain target weight is set. For example, after setting the emergency oil drain target amount using knob K2, when knob K2 is pulled out, the protective cover locks L1 and L2 should automatically unlock, and the protective cover H should automatically pop open. If automatic unlocking fails and the protective cover H does not pop open automatically, the protective cover locks L1 and L2 can be manually unlocked and the protective cover H can be manually opened after knob K2 is pulled out. Manually opening the protective cover H can be done, for example, by manually pressing the protective cover H to make it pop open.

[0117] from Figure 8 It can be seen that the layout of the knob K2 and switches B5 and B6 on the emergency oil drain control panel is as follows from left to right: emergency oil drain target oil volume knob, preset switch, and emergency oil drain start switch. This layout conforms to people's usual operating habits from left to right and is therefore suitable for the actual operating sequence, making it convenient for the unit to operate in emergency situations.

[0118] Back Figure 6 The Display Instrument System (DIS) displays the following information: total aircraft weight, total aircraft fuel, remaining fuel at the emergency fuel jettison target, and emergency fuel jettison progress. The DIS can be a standalone display or a reused display from the aircraft's display system. Further details are omitted here.

[0119] The controller (CON) receives command signals from the emergency fuel dump control panel (PAN), makes logical judgments based on the aircraft's current status, and sends actuation signals to relevant equipment. The corresponding equipment then feeds back its operating status to the controller (CON). After making its logical judgments, the controller (CON) feeds back to the flight crew through the display device (DIS) and indicator lights (I1, I2, I3, I4) on the emergency fuel dump control panel (PAN).

[0120] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the emergency oil spill control system SYS is shown.

[0121] like Figure 7As shown, the emergency fuel release control panel PAN sends operation commands to the fuel measurement and management computer COM via the controller CON (not shown in the figure, which can be integrated into the fuel measurement and management computer COM or set up separately). After performing the corresponding logical calculations, the fuel measurement and management computer COM displays the contents on the emergency fuel release display page DIS_P of the display device DIS.

[0122] Here, the controller receives signals from the emergency drain control panel PAN, including the status signals of knob K2, button B5, and button B6, and sends an automatic unlock signal for the protective cover H to the control components (not shown here) of the protective cover locks L1 and L2 of the emergency drain control panel PAN. At the same time, it sends the target oil quantity value to the display DIS.

[0123] As mentioned above, the display device DIS can be a standalone display or a reused display from the aircraft's display system. That is, the aircraft may have at least two displays, one of which is dedicated to displaying information related to emergency fuel dumping; or, the aircraft may have at least one display, with the liquid level information related to emergency fuel dumping integrated into an existing display page on this at least one display.

[0124] Here Figure 7 The emergency fuel dumping display page DIS_P shown in the upper right corner is only a simplified example diagram, and its specific content can be adjusted according to the aircraft design.

[0125] In the illustrated embodiment, the emergency fuel dump display page DIS_P displays the following information: total aircraft weight (GW), total aircraft fuel quantity (TOTAL FQ), target remaining fuel quantity (REMAIN FQ), and emergency fuel dump progress (PROG). The emergency fuel dump progress (PROG) is visually represented by a progress bar. In other embodiments, the emergency fuel dump progress (PROG) may also be displayed as a percentage.

[0126] Below, in conjunction with Figure 8 This describes the operation of emergency oil release using the SYS emergency oil release control system.

[0127] When it is necessary to begin the emergency oil dumping process, the crew members pull out knob K2 located on the left side of the emergency oil dumping control panel PAN.

[0128] After receiving the signal that knob K2 has been pulled out, controller CON issues a command to unlock protective cover locks L1 and L2.

[0129] At this point, the crew visually assesses whether the protective cover H has automatically popped open. If the protective cover H does not pop open automatically, the crew manually presses the protective cover H to unlock the protective cover locks L1 and L2 and open the protective cover H.

[0130] Afterwards, the crew members rotate knob K2 to set the target amount of emergency oil spill. Rotating knob K2 clockwise will increase the target amount of emergency oil spill, while rotating knob K2 counterclockwise will decrease the target amount of emergency oil spill.

[0131] After completing the above settings, if the crew resets knob K2, for example by pressing knob K2 back into the emergency oil drain control panel PAN, the set emergency oil drain target oil volume value will be sent to the controller CON.

[0132] If knob K2 is not reset, the aircraft will land at its maximum landing weight by default, and the corresponding fuel dumping value will be obtained through the computer COM.

[0133] At this point, the target fuel quantity value has been sent to the fuel measurement and management computer (COM). Next, the crew must press buttons B5 and B6 in sequence, namely the pre-position switch and the emergency fuel dump start switch.

[0134] When the controller CON receives a signal that button B5 has been pressed, the controller CON instructs the display device DIS to enter the emergency oil drain display mode. The display device DIS displays the emergency oil drain display page DIS_P. The emergency oil drain control system SYS enters the emergency oil drain pre-position mode.

[0135] Finally, the crew pressed button B6, located on the far right. After receiving the signal that button B6 had been pressed, the controller CON sends a command to the corresponding device of the aircraft's emergency fuel jetting system, including the corresponding valve, to initiate emergency fuel jetting.

[0136] At this point, the emergency oil dumping process has been completed.

[0137] If the crew wishes to terminate the emergency oil dumping process before reaching the target amount of emergency oil dumping after the start of the process, they can simply press either button B5 or B6 to stop the emergency oil dumping process.

[0138] This invention proposes an emergency oil discharge control system. In the emergency oil discharge control panel PAN, the layout of the knob K2, the pre-position switch B5, and the emergency oil discharge start switch B6 arranged from left to right is more in line with the operating habits of general crew members. Moreover, this layout change cannot be replaced by programming the controller CON in the background.

[0139] Furthermore, in the emergency drain control panel (PAN), the pre-position switch B5 and the emergency drain start switch B6 share a protective cover H. The protective cover locks L1 and L2 can be automatically unlocked via the controller CON, or manually unlocked by pressing to open the protective cover H. This provides convenience and simplifies the operation of the emergency drain system (SYS) in emergencies, especially since the controller CON automatically unlocks the protective cover locks L1 and L2 after receiving a signal that knob K2 has been pulled out. At the same time, the above design also ensures the safety of the emergency drain control panel (PAN) against accidental activation.

[0140] Furthermore, through the control of the controller CON and the display of the display device DIS, the information of the emergency oil spill control system can be displayed more compactly on the display device DIS, enabling the crew members to obtain relevant information efficiently.

[0141] Furthermore, the controller CON is also configured to determine whether the emergency fuel dump target value set by the knob K2 is reasonable, and can directly set it to the default maximum landing weight if it is unreasonable, thus optimizing the process of initiating emergency fuel dump.

[0142] Within the scope of this invention, various embodiments can be freely combined, or appropriately modified or omitted.

Claims

1. An emergency fuel dump control panel, the emergency fuel dump control panel being used to operate an aircraft's emergency fuel dump control system, wherein the emergency fuel dump control system operates the aircraft's emergency fuel dump system. Its features are, The emergency oil drain control panel includes: A knob, used to set the target amount of oil to be drained in an emergency; A first switch is used to put the emergency oil draining system into emergency oil draining mode. The second switch is used to activate the emergency oil draining process; A protective cover is disposed outside the first switch and the second switch, and the protective cover is arranged to rotate about a rotation axis between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the first switch and the second switch are exposed. The protective cover is further provided with at least one protective cover lock, which can lock the protective cover so that it cannot rotate around the rotation axis. The protective cover includes a protective cover lock control component configured to automatically unlock the protective cover lock. The knob can be pulled out, and after the knob is pulled out, the protective cover lock control can automatically unlock the protective cover lock.

2. The emergency oil drain control panel as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protective cover lock is designed to be unlocked by pressing down on the protective cover after the knob is pulled out.

3. The emergency oil drain control panel as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The emergency oil drain control panel is equipped with two protective cover locks.

4. The emergency oil drain control panel as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The knob, the first switch, and the second switch are arranged from left to right on the body of the emergency oil drain control panel.

5. The emergency oil drain control panel as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The first switch and the second switch are push-to-hold switches.

6. An emergency oil spill control system, characterized in that, The emergency oil drain control system includes a display device, a controller, and an emergency oil drain control panel. The emergency oil drain control panel is the same as described in any one of claims 1 to 5. The display device and the controller are communicatively connected. The emergency oil drain control panel is communicatively connected to the controller, and The controller is communicatively connected to the aircraft's emergency fuel dumping system.

7. The emergency oil spill control system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The display device is configured to show the process of emergency oil draining.

8. The emergency oil spill control system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The display device is a separate display on the aircraft.

9. The emergency oil spill control system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The display device is integrated into the on-board monitor.

10. The emergency oil spill control system as described in any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The controller is configured to receive the target fuel release amount input by the knob on the emergency fuel release control panel and send it to the control unit of the emergency fuel release system. The controller is also configured to send a preset default emergency fuel release amount to the control unit of the emergency fuel release system of the aircraft when the target fuel release amount is invalid.

11. A method for initiating an emergency fuel dumping procedure for an aircraft, the method being performed using an emergency fuel dumping control panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, the method comprising the following steps: The target oil discharge volume for emergency oil discharge is set using the knob; Unlock the protective cover lock; Press the first switch; Press the second switch.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, If the protective cover lock does not unlock automatically, manually press the protective cover lock to unlock it.

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