Aircraft Emergency Triggering Logic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft emergency systems, such as Emergency Locator Transmitters and Deployable Flight Recorders, often malfunction by triggering too late or unintentionally, leading to ineffective emergency response and potential damage due to reliance on acceleration sensors and lack of precise early detection methods.
Innovation Solution
A method using predefined fuzzy logic to evaluate flight and aircraft parameters, determining a risk level for aircraft emergencies and setting specific thresholds for each emergency measure, ensuring timely and accurate activation while preventing unintended triggers, with adjustments for location and phase of flight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If acceleration sensors are used to trigger Emergency Locator Transmitters, then the transmitters can be activated automatically during a crash, but the sensors may malfunction and fail to detect the crash in time or trigger unintentionally
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring multiple flight parameters (altitude, airspeed, vertical acceleration, G-force) and calculating a risk level before a crash occurs. This allows the emergency transmitter to be triggered in advance based on the deteriorating flight state, rather than waiting for the crash impact itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes from relying on a single acceleration parameter to evaluating multiple flight parameters simultaneously (altitude, airspeed, vertical acceleration, G-force). By monitoring changes in these parameters and calculating a composite risk level, the system achieves more reliable and timely detection of crash conditions.
2Reliability
If Deployable Flight Recorders are equipped with sensors to trigger ejection, then the recorders can be deployed automatically in emergencies, but unintended deployments may occur causing damage to the aircraft and ground
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates a risk level in advance by continuously evaluating flight parameters and compares it against a threshold. This preliminary assessment allows the system to distinguish between normal flight variations and genuine emergency conditions, triggering the recorder only when the risk level exceeds the threshold, thereby preventing unintended deployments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback by continuously monitoring flight parameters, calculating the risk level, and comparing it with the threshold. This closed-loop approach allows real-time adjustment and verification, ensuring that deployment occurs only when genuine emergency conditions are confirmed, not during normal flight maneuvers.
3Reliability
If fuzzy logic is used to evaluate flight parameters, then false alarms are avoided, but the system may trigger too late leaving little time for data transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes from using a single fuzzy logic evaluation to simultaneously monitoring multiple flight parameters (altitude, airspeed, vertical acceleration, G-force) and calculating a composite risk level. This multi-parameter approach provides earlier and more accurate detection of emergency conditions while maintaining low false alarm rates through the fuzzy logic threshold comparison.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
In the present application a method for triggering a plurality of emergency measures associated with an aircraft emergency is described and claimed. The method comprises determining a risk level for an aircraft emergency by evaluating a plurality of flight parameters and/or aircraft parameters using a predefined logic. For each emergency measure of the plurality of emergency measures a threshold is defined and each emergency measure of the plurality of emergency measures is only triggered if said determined risk level exceeds the threshold defined for said emergency measure. Further, a system for use onboard an aircraft for triggering a plurality of emergency measures associated with an aircraft emergency and an aircraft comprising such a system are described and claimed.