Beacon system for aerodrome with airship

Abstract

Platform (1) for receiving an airship (2), comprising a mooring mast (3), with a light (4), and a light beacon arrangement (5) of circular configuration, called a secured zone, centred on the mooring mast and comprising: a first zone (6), called the take-off zone, of circular configuration, delimited by a plurality of lights (7), called guide lights, arranged on a circle centred on the mooring mast, and of predetermined radius (8); a second zone (9), called a safety zone, of annular configuration, centred on the mooring mast, delimited by said plurality of lights and a plurality of lights (10), called perimeter lights, arranged on a circle centred on the mooring mast, the ring having a predetermined radial distance (11).

Description

Airship aerodrome lighting Field of invention The present invention relates to a lighting arrangement specific to the airship on the platforms dedicated to it. This lighting will be used for flights operated at night in order to guide the crew on board the airship safely to its landing and take-off zone. State of the art To date, there is no specific lighting system for the use of airships at night. At night, optical and sensory illusions are heightened. Only procedures and ground personnel are used to guide the airship. One aim of the invention is to provide a marking system allowing take-off and landing at night, thereby ensuring air safety. Another aim of the invention is to propose adaptive guidance of the airship to optimize its approach and guarantee a better success of it. This makes it possible to reduce the exposure time of this phase which always remains difficult, once again improving the overall safety of the operation. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is proposed a reception platform for receiving an airship comprising a mooring mast having a light and a light beacon arrangement of circular conformation, called secure zone, centered on the mooring mast, comprising: a first zone, called take-off zone, of circular conformation, delimited by a plurality of lights, called guide lights, arranged on a circle centered on the mooring mast and of predetermined radius, a second zone, called safety zone, of annular conformation, centered on the mooring mast, delimited by said plurality of lights and a plurality of lights, called perimeter lights, arranged on a circle centered on the mooring mast, the crown having a predetermined radial distance. Advantageously, the plurality of guide lights are regularly angularly spaced around the mooring mast, each of the lights being capable of diffusing two distinct colors. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of guiding an airship, implemented by a platform according to the first aspect of the invention, or one or more of its improvements, comprising a step of piloting the guide lights and the plurality of lights. The method can advantageously comprise a step of determining and switching on a guiding light, called a wind light, from wind orientation data. Furthermore, the method may comprise a step of determining and switching on so-called door guide lights. Always advantageously, the determination of door lights is carried out from wind intensity data. DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES Other advantages and particularities of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description of implementations and embodiments which are in no way limiting, with regard to the appended drawings in which: La illustrates the general arrangement of an example of a platform according to the invention; La presents a particular arrangement of light on the platform illustrated on ; La schematically presents a Y-shaped guide implemented on the platform illustrated on. Description of embodiments

[0037] The embodiments described below being in no way limiting, it will be possible in particular to consider variants of the invention comprising only a selection of the characteristics described, subsequently isolated from the other characteristics described, if this selection of characteristics is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention compared to the state of the prior art. This selection comprises at least one characteristic, preferably functional without structural details, or with only a part of the structural details if this part only is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention compared to the state of the prior art.

[0038] In the figures, an element appearing in several figures retains the same reference. A platform 1 and a guidance method implemented by the platform are described jointly. illustrates the general layout of a platform 1 for accommodating an airship 2. The platform 1 comprises a mooring mast 3 having a light 4 and a light beaconing arrangement 5 suitable for guiding the airship of circular conformation, called the secure zone, centered on the mooring mast. The light marking arrangement 5 comprises: a first zone 6, called the take-off zone, also designated by the term ATOL (for the English Area for TakeOff and Landing) of circular conformation, delimited by a plurality of lights 7 (), called guide lights, arranged on a circle centered on the mooring mast 3, and of predetermined radius 8. a second zone 9, called the safety zone, also designated by the English term Clearway, of annular conformation, centered on the mooring mast, delimited by said plurality of guide lights and a plurality of lights 10, called perimeter lights, arranged on a circle centered on the mooring mast, the ring having a predetermined radial distance 11. The particularity of an airship is the need to always take off and land facing the wind, which is provided by the circular area of ​​the proposed layout. The take-off area is the area intended to receive the airship at the end of landing or before take-off. The safety zone is an obstacle-free area around the take-off area, to guarantee additional margins. The proposed marking therefore makes it possible to identify the take-off zone as well as the safety zone. The guidance method includes a step of controlling the guidance lights and the plurality of lights. According to an exemplary embodiment, the predetermined radius of the take-off zone is 200 m. According to an exemplary embodiment, the predetermined radial distance of the safety zone is 100 m. Light 4 on mooring mast 3 makes it possible to detect any drift of airship 2 relative to the mooring mast in order to correct it as quickly as possible to remain within the secure perimeter. The perimeter lights 10 are advantageously fixed white omnidirectional lights to delimit the secure area. The choice of perimeter lights also makes it possible not to confuse this area with a conventional airport (for airplanes) or a heliport (for helicopters). In the example shown on, the omnidirectional lights are spaced 45° around the mooring mast. Yet another plurality of lights 12, called take-off zone delimitation lights, can be placed on the same circle as that of the guide lights 7. More precisely, each of the take-off zone delimitation lights 12 can be arranged next to a guide light 7. The positioning of the boundary lights of the flight zone 12 must be carried out in such a way that they are seen by the airship when it is approaching and not only a few hundred meters from the zone, thus allowing it to anticipate the trajectory. This is why the boundary lights are arranged at a predetermined height, for example between one and two meters. The guide lights 7 are regularly angularly spaced, preferably 22.5° as shown, around the mooring mast and have two distinct diffusion colors, for example green and red. The guidance method may include a step of determining and lighting a guidance light 13, called a wind light, of a predetermined color, for example green, from wind orientation data. This light 13 makes it possible to materialize a wind, coming rather from the west in the example illustrated. Two other guidance lights, respectively 14 and 15, called door lights, arranged on the other side of the mast 3 relative to the wind light 13 form lateral guidance for the airship, allowing it to align itself well against the wind while anticipating the trajectory to arrive at the center of the take-off zone. The guidance method may include a step of determining and lighting the door lights, preferably of the same predetermined color as the wind light. allows the materialization (only for the diagram and for the understanding of the invention) of the letter Y formed by the wind light 13 and the door lights 14, 15. The light which is in the center of the flight zone 4 is that of the mast 3. The idea is to materialize a shape of "Y" in order to give an entrance door in which the airship must enter (the top of the "Y"). In addition, the reference for maintaining the airship-mast axis with a light opposite the entrance door (rod of the "Y") allows to have a reference to avoid translations on the sides which are difficult to discern at night. Advantageously, communication means are provided between the airship and the platform configured to control means for piloting the platform according to the invention. The platform's control means are configured to control the switching on or off of the various lights on the platform. Automation of the control system would allow activation by the crew directly when they arrive in the area. Activating the lights according to the wind direction, and in particular intelligent management when the wind is very light or variable (frequent change of wind direction), will provide the best information. The choice of being able to widen the top of the "Y" will indicate whether the wind is well established for a given direction or whether, on the contrary, it remains slightly variable. This, combined with radio indications from the ground crew, guarantees the most optimized and secure approach for the airship. Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples just described and many adjustments can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, the various features, forms, variants and embodiments of the invention can be combined with each other in various combinations to the extent that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

Claims

Platform (1) for receiving an airship (2) comprising a mooring mast (3) having a light source (4) and a light beacon arrangement (5) of circular conformation, called secure zone, centered on the mooring mast, comprising: a first zone (6), called take-off zone, of circular conformation, delimited by a first plurality of light sources (7) of the platform, called guide lights, arranged on a first circle centered on the mooring mast, and of predetermined radius (8), a second zone (9), called safety zone, of annular conformation, centered on the mooring mast, delimited by said guide lights and a second plurality of light sources (10) of the platform, called perimeter lights, arranged on a second circle centered on the mooring mast, said second circle being of predetermined radius having a predetermined radial distance (11). Platform according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of guide lights (7) are regularly angularly spaced around the mooring mast, each of the lights being capable of diffusing two distinct colors. Method for guiding an airship (2), implemented by a platform according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a step of piloting the guide lights and the perimeter lights. Method according to the preceding claim, when the platform is furthermore according to claim 2, further comprising a step of determining and lighting a guide light (13), called wind, from wind orientation data. Method according to the preceding claim, further comprising a step of determining and lighting guide lights (14, 15), called door lights. Method according to the preceding claim, in which the determination of the door lights is carried out from wind intensity data.

Images