Aircraft Control Using Deterioration Cost Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft control systems do not effectively consider deterioration costs, such as maintenance and system value loss, when determining optimal flight control commands, leading to suboptimal operating efficiency and increased costs over time.
Innovation Solution
A computing device with a deterioration cost model and cost function is used to iteratively determine improved flight control commands that minimize total estimated costs, including engine consumption and maintenance costs, by modeling aircraft system deterioration as a function of operating parameters and constraints, ensuring compliance with control constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional flight management systems use cost functions considering only fuel and time costs, then direct operating costs are reduced, but deterioration costs (maintenance and system value loss) increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the cost function parameters to include deterioration costs alongside traditional fuel and time costs. The cost function is transformed from J = ∫(c_fuel * fuel_flow + c_time * dt) to J = ∫(c_fuel * fuel Flow + c_time * dt + c_deterioration * deterioration_rate)dt, thereby changing the optimization parameters to account for long-term system health and maintenance requirements.
2Productivity
If aircraft operates at higher performance levels to reduce flight time, then productivity increases, but deterioration costs and maintenance needs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of operating parameters based on real-time evaluation of the augmented cost function. The flight management system continuously optimizes thrust settings, speed, and altitude by solving the modified cost function, allowing the aircraft to dynamically balance productivity gains against deterioration costs rather than operating at fixed high-performance levels.
3Loss of energy
If aggressive flight profiles are used to minimize direct operating costs, then fuel efficiency improves, but system deterioration and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the flight management system continuously monitors actual fuel consumption, flight parameters, and system responses, then uses this information to refine the deterioration cost model and adjust the cost function. This closed-loop feedback allows the system to learn from actual operating data and optimize the balance between fuel efficiency and maintenance costs over time.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for determine a cost-improved set of control commands for an aircraft based at least in part on deterioration costs are provided. One example computing device is configured to iteratively: input a candidate set of control commands for the aircraft into the deterioration cost model; receive, as an output of the deterioration cost model, an estimated deterioration cost associated with the candidate set of control commands; input the estimated deterioration cost into a cost function to obtain a total estimated cost associated with the candidate set of control commands; and determine an improved set of control commands based at least in part on the total estimated cost and the cost function.