Method for optimizing fuel consumption in descending stage of airplane and computer equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a method for optimizing fuel consumption in the descending stage of an aircraft. The method comprises the following steps: S1, constructing a database comprising historical descending data of the aircraft; s2, acquiring current flight information in real time; s3, using the database in the step S1 and the current flight information obtained in the step S2, and simultaneously using a descent constraint condition for limitation, and calculating an estimated descent trajectory and estimated descent oil consumption; s4, feeding back the estimated descending trajectory and descending oil consumption to the pilot; and S5, after the descending stage is finished, the step S4 is stopped, and the actual descending track is classified into the database. According to the method, the lowest fuel consumption path and descending track guidance can be continuously provided for flight crew. The invention further provides computer equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of jet aircraft aviation, and in particular to the field of an optimization calculation method for fuel consumption during a descent phase of an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] During the actual descent process, the aircraft uses a flight management computer to optimize the descent trajectory and determine the descent speed. At the same time, many factors must be considered. On the one hand, it is necessary to follow the command of the air traffic controller and fly at the commanded altitude and speed. At each airport, due to different routes, the aircraft needs to descend according to different flight corridors and approach flight procedures and follow a specific path to land on the runway. The actual flight trajectory is limited by many factors, so the pilot cannot completely descend according to the trajectory that optimizes the flight performance. The existing technology still frequently performs manual control of the aircraft to implement descent. There is still room for optimization.

[0003] In the current descent phase, the altitude and speed of aircraft are generally controlled by air traffic controllers, who consider more the flight interval and altitude interval of aircraft to avoid flight conflicts, but fail to fully consider the flight performance of each aircraft. Before takeoff, the computer flight plan provided by the ground flight dispatcher to the flight crew is calculated according to the expected payload and aircraft weight, and provides the descent vertex, but does not provide the specific approach flight procedure for the destination airport. However, there is a large difference between the actual flight weight and the expected payload, which makes the optimal descent vertex of the aircraft change dynamically, which is inconsistent with the flight plan. Moreover, the flight descent process is short, and the pilots do not have time to perform further optimization calculations in the cockpit. Most operations are based on experience, and airlines rarely conduct post-analysis to evaluate the fuel consumption results of each descent operation. In addition, the computing power of the flight management computer is limited. Especially for old aircraft, the storage and computing power of the onboard computer is backward and cannot be fully optimized.

[0004] In summary, existing conventional methods cannot provide pilots with actionable real-time guidance suggestions during the descent process. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for optimizing the fuel consumption during the descent phase of an aircraft.

[0006] The method for optimizing the fuel consumption during the descent phase of an aircraft to achieve the above-mentioned purpose comprises the following steps: S1. constructing a database including historical descent data of the aircraft; S2. obtaining current flight information in real time; S3. using the database in step S1 and the current flight information obtained in step S2, while limiting it using descent constraints, to calculate an estimated descent trajectory and an estimated descent fuel consumption; S4. feeding back the estimated descent trajectory and descent fuel consumption to the pilot; S5. after the descent phase is over, stopping step S4 and adding the actual descent trajectory to the database.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, in step S1, the historical aircraft descent data includes descent weight, descent top, descent speed, interval between adjacent aircraft, route wind information and destination airport.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, in step S2, the total weight of the current aircraft, the pressure altitude of the current aircraft, the longitude and latitude information of the current aircraft, the current flight cruising altitude, and the destination airport information are obtained.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, in step S3, the descent constraints include the minimum safe altitude of the route and obstacle restrictions near the airport, approach and landing flap settings, flap extension time, minimum landing gear extension altitude, and the flight interval between the front and rear aircraft.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the constraints further include minimizing the acceleration fluctuation during the descent phase, keeping the engine fuel flow rate at a minimum, and ensuring the noise compliance during the descent phase.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, in step S3, the estimated descent trajectory and the estimated descent fuel consumption are updated and calculated based on the current flight information updated in real time in step S2.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, in step S4, the estimated descent trajectory with the lowest estimated descent fuel consumption is selected and fed back to the pilot.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the historical descent data includes historical descent trajectories of the same type of aircraft and actual descent trajectories of aircraft on that day and before.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, step S5 further includes the following steps: comparing the estimated descent trajectory calculated in step S4 with the actual descent trajectory, and comparing the estimated descent fuel consumption calculated with the actual fuel consumption.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer device, which is set on the ground to avoid being limited by the aircraft's own computing power. The device includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the steps of the above method.

[0016] The above method is based on big data analysis and air-ground network and computing capabilities. By considering various information such as actual flight trajectory, aircraft interval management, flight procedure requirements of specific airports, common air traffic control restrictions and meteorology, a data network is constructed, especially a database of historical descent trajectories. Accurate trajectory analysis is performed under constraints, providing more accurate descent prediction trajectory and fuel consumption calculation results, and being able to continuously correct during the aircraft's descent, thereby continuously providing the crew with the minimum fuel consumption path and descent trajectory guidance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and other features, properties and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the data acquisition and exchange network;

[0019] Figure 2 It is the trajectory of the actual descent profile of adjacent aircraft at the same destination airport;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the flight altitude and flight speed of the descent profile;

[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the horizontal acceleration during descent;

[0022] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of the method for optimizing the fuel consumption during the descent phase of an aircraft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings. More details are elaborated in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can obviously be implemented in a variety of other ways different from the description herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar generalizations and deductions based on actual application situations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should not be limited by the content of this specific embodiment.

[0024] It should be noted that these and other subsequent drawings are only examples and are not drawn to scale, and should not be used to limit the actual scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0025] The descent phase of existing aircraft flight mostly relies on the pilot's experience to make adjustments in the cabin. The method described in the present disclosure can provide the pilot with real-time optimized descent trajectory and fuel consumption information, so as to further optimize and help airlines save fuel costs.

[0026] Reference Figure 5 As shown, the method for optimizing the fuel consumption during the descent phase of an aircraft disclosed in the present invention includes the following steps: S1. constructing a database, the database including historical descent data of the aircraft; S2. obtaining current flight information in real time; S3. using the database in step S1 and the current flight information obtained in step S2 in real time, while adding descent constraints, to calculate an estimated descent trajectory and an estimated descent fuel consumption; S4. feeding back the estimated descent trajectory and the descent fuel consumption to the pilot; S5. after the descent is completed, the actual descent trajectory is added to the database.

[0027] The data collection, transmission and exchange of the above methods can refer to Figure 1 As shown, when the aircraft is at the descent apex 100 under the premise that the destination runway 600 has been determined, it can be captured by the ADS-B signal 500 and transmitted to the algorithm server 400. At the same time, the information in the algorithm server 400 can also be transmitted to the aircraft through the satellite data link 200 and the ACARS ground-to-air data link 300.

[0028] Specifically, in step S1, the historical descent data of the aircraft refers to data related to the historical descent trajectory, including the historical descent data including the historical descent trajectory of the same type of aircraft and the actual descent trajectory of the aircraft on the same day and before. The key technical features of the descent profile are defined as TOD (top of descent), descent gradient, optimal speed, dynamic aircraft space interval and time interval air traffic control features, such as descent weight, descent top, descent speed, adjacent aircraft interval, route wind information and destination airport, and may also include aircraft oil-free weight, actual weight during descent, flight speed, flight altitude, flight route, aircraft model and other information.

[0029] Through the above steps, a database containing historical descent profile information is constructed. The database includes but is not limited to only including historical descent profile information, and can also include more data.

[0030] For example, a specific embodiment of the constructed database is: (a) Collecting loading manifest data (departure system or other load balance control system) to obtain the actual fuel-free weight of the aircraft. (b) Collecting ACARS ground-to-air data link to obtain the remaining fuel on board, altitude, speed, longitude and latitude, etc. ACARS is an aircraft communication addressing and reporting system, which is a short message and digital data link system that transmits short messages and digital data between aircraft and ground stations via radio or satellite. (c) Collecting ADS-B data as shown in Table 1, the collected information includes route, destination, aircraft number, aircraft altitude, speed, longitude and latitude, etc. ADS-B stands for automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, which refers to air-to-air traffic monitoring between aircraft with broadcast position reporting capabilities. (d) Connecting to the flight operation control system FOC (Flight Operations Control System) to collect the historical computer flight plan of the route, the historical route descent apex, and the historical descent profile. (e) Finally, if possible, connect the electronic flight bag EFB through airborne satellite communication, airborne data link and onboard WI-FI. The above data can be obtained from the data of the quick access recorder QAR or from public flight information.

[0031] In step S2, real-time and accurate data of the current aircraft is obtained, such as the total weight of the current aircraft, the pressure altitude of the current aircraft, the longitude and latitude information of the current aircraft, the current flight cruising altitude, and the destination airport information.

[0032] The destination airport information includes the latitude and longitude of different runways at the destination airport, basic information such as the runway entrance location and runway length, and the flight approach procedures for different runway directions. The historical approach trajectories of different aircraft at the destination airport, and the historical wind speed and direction at different heights, times, and locations near the runway and at the destination airport are obtained through ADS-B and airline QAR data analysis.

[0033] Preferably, all data analysis of the computer flight plan is obtained, such as waypoint names, longitude and latitude, planned cruising altitude, apex of descent, and en-route wind data such as wind speed and direction during flight.

[0034] Then, the estimated descent trajectory and the estimated descent fuel consumption are calculated based on the historical trajectory recorded in the database and the current real-time information of the aircraft. Since the current flight information in step S2 is updated in real time, the calculation of the estimated descent trajectory and the estimated descent fuel consumption will also be updated and corrected based on the input current flight information.

[0035] The calculation needs to meet the descent constraints, such as the minimum safe altitude of the route and the obstacle restrictions near the airport, approach and landing flap settings, flap extension time, minimum landing gear extension altitude, performance-limited descent speed, and the flight interval between the front and rear aircraft. The flight intervals of the three aircraft AC1, AC2, and AC3 are as follows: Figure 2 As shown in the figure, these are the data that require special reference during the aircraft's descent phase, which can provide more comprehensive guidance for the descent phase.

[0036] Constraints also include Figure 4 The factors shown are to minimize the acceleration fluctuation during the descent phase, keep the engine fuel flow to the lowest possible level, and make the noise during the descent phase comply with regulations.

[0037] A specific implementation example of the descent trajectory calculation method is as follows.

[0038] Obtain the current altitude and predicted apex of descent of the aircraft, and obtain the current weight of the aircraft at the predicted apex of descent. Obtain the historical trajectory of aircraft of the same type and the descent trajectory used by aircraft on the same day and in the recent past. Determine the characteristics such as the different positions of the aircraft in the descent trajectory, the height intervals of adjacent aircraft descending in the same direction, and the time intervals. Determine the position and front and rear range of the descent apex corresponding to different altitude layers, different runway directions, and different approach procedures when the descent apex connects different flight procedures to different runways for landing. Also select the closest forecast wind speed and direction based on the computer flight plan and historical wind data analysis.

[0039] After adding the above constraints, the closest descent trajectory is predicted through the previous and subsequent trajectories of the current flight and the historical trajectories, and multiple descent trajectories and corresponding fuel consumption are obtained. The optimal descent trajectory is obtained based on the minimum fuel consumption, and the optimal descent trajectory is transmitted to the pilot in the cockpit through the ground-to-air data link for reference.

[0040] According to the airline policy, the optimal descent route can be updated and corrected several times during the descent process to the pilot in the cockpit until the feedback stops after the descent phase. The estimated optimized path and fuel consumption during the descent phase can guide the pilot and save fuel and time for the airline.

[0041] It is also possible to compare the actual descent trajectory (altitude, speed, position) with the optimal descent trajectory recommended by the method, and to compare the calculated estimated descent fuel consumption with the actual fuel consumption.

[0042] Finally, the actual descent trajectory is parsed through the ADS-B system and the QAR database, and finally enters the trajectory history database for the next calculation call.

[0043] The above method is combined with a database based on the aircraft model. By statistically analyzing historical data and historical aircraft descent trajectories, different airports, different runways and different directions will have different descent optimization trajectory libraries based on the domestic operation characteristics of China's civil aviation. At the same time, based on the data dynamic optimization calculation method, an information closed loop is established to provide more accurate calculation analysis and prediction. Using the air-ground network and computing power, correction feedback is continuously provided, and analysis is performed to find the most favorable path, and the most operational descent optimization path and fuel consumption suggestions are recommended to the crew in real time.

[0044] This method also takes into special consideration constraints, including aircraft model suitability, safety and operability, and comprehensively considers factors such as the descent performance database of each aircraft, interval management and air traffic control requirements, aircraft operating procedures and airline SOP requirements, airport flight procedure requirements and obstacle safety requirements, en route winds, possible meteorological conditions, etc., to provide more accurate fuel consumption and descent path analysis for the descent phase.

[0045] Table 1. Example of flight data obtained from ADS-B data source during the descent of an aircraft

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[0050] The present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of the present application. For example, "one embodiment", "an embodiment", and / or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or multiple times in different positions in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, some features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present application can be appropriately combined.

[0051] Although the present invention is disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing fuel consumption during the descent phase of an aircraft, characterized in that: The steps include: S1. Build a database including historical aircraft descent data; S2. Obtain current flight information in real time; S3. Using the database in step S1 and the current flight information obtained in step S2, and limiting it using the descent constraint conditions, calculate the estimated descent trajectory and the estimated descent fuel consumption; S4. Feedback the estimated descent trajectory and descent fuel consumption to the pilot; S5. After the descent phase is over, stop step S4 and add the actual descent trajectory to the database.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In step S1, the historical descent data of the aircraft includes descent weight, descent apex, descent speed, interval between adjacent aircraft, route wind information and destination airport.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In step S2, the total weight of the current aircraft, the pressure altitude of the current aircraft, the longitude and latitude information of the current aircraft, the current flight cruising altitude, and the destination airport information are obtained.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In step S3, the descent constraints include the minimum safe altitude of the route and obstacle restrictions near the airport, approach and landing flap settings, flap extension time, minimum landing gear extension altitude, and the flight interval between the front and rear aircraft.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The constraints also include minimizing the acceleration fluctuation during the descent phase, keeping the engine fuel flow rate at a minimum, and ensuring the noise level during the descent phase complies with regulations.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In step S3, the estimated descent trajectory and the estimated descent fuel consumption are updated and calculated based on the current flight information updated in real time in step S2.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that In step S4, the estimated descent trajectory with the lowest estimated descent fuel consumption is selected and fed back to the pilot.

8. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The historical descent data include the historical descent trajectories of the same type of aircraft and the actual descent trajectories of aircraft on that day and before.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Step S5 also includes the following steps: comparing the estimated descent trajectory calculated in step S4 with the actual descent trajectory, and comparing the estimated descent fuel consumption calculated with the actual fuel consumption.

10. A computer device, characterized in that: The device is arranged on the ground, and comprises a memory and a processor, wherein a computer program and a database are stored in the memory, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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