Aircraft Flight Optimization via Ground-Based Data Link
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Flight Management Systems (FMS) rely on simplifying assumptions that result in suboptimal performance and compromised fuel savings, as they lack the computational power and connectivity to generate truly optimized flight plans tailored to specific aircraft and dynamic conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes a data link between an airborne aircraft and external computational assets to obtain and process detailed flight data, generating optimized path-specific controls through ground-based optimization, allowing for more advanced computational capabilities and connectivity to minimize direct operating costs (DOC).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If Flight Management Systems use simplifying assumptions for optimization, then the system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision and optimization accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary optimization system that receives flight data from the FMS, performs sophisticated optimization calculations using a database of flight profiles and constraints, and returns optimized flight paths. This intermediary layer enables complex optimization without burdening the FMS itself, maintaining ease of operation while achieving high optimization accuracy through external computational resources.
2Manufacturing precision
If Flight Management Systems perform complex optimization without simplifying assumptions, then the optimization accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex optimization functionality from the airborne FMS and places it in a ground-based or external optimization system. The FMS retains only essential flight management functions, while the extracted optimization engine uses sophisticated algorithms and comprehensive databases to generate optimized flight paths, thereby reducing airborne device complexity while maintaining high optimization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the optimization process from the airborne dimension to the ground-based dimension, utilizing the broader computational resources and data availability on the ground. This dimensional shift allows complex multi-variable optimization without constraining the airborne system, achieving high accuracy while distributing system complexity across different operational dimensions.
3Ease of operation
If Flight Management Systems assume constant thrust for climb and idle thrust for descent, then the ease of operation is improved, but the fuel efficiency and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces static thrust assumptions with dynamic thrust optimization. The optimization system calculates variable thrust profiles for climb and descent phases based on real-time flight conditions, aircraft weight, wind patterns, and atmospheric data. This dynamic approach allows the system to determine optimal thrust levels continuously, improving fuel efficiency while maintaining operational simplicity through automated calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thrust parameter from fixed constants (constant climb thrust, idle descent thrust) to variable optimized values. The optimization engine adjusts thrust parameters dynamically based on flight phase, atmospheric conditions, and operational constraints, enabling significant fuel savings while preserving ease of operation through automated parameter optimization rather than manual adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, computer-readable medium, and a method including obtaining flight data for a prescribed flight from at least one of an airborne system of a particular aircraft to execute the prescribed flight and a system other than the airborne system of the particular aircraft having a source of data related to the prescribed flight, the flight data including specific details relating to at least one of the particular aircraft and parameters of the prescribed flight; performing, by a processor of an external computational asset and based on the obtained flight data, a control optimization to generate optimized path specific controls for the prescribed flight; transmitting the optimized path specific controls via a communication uplink from the external computational asset to the particular aircraft; and guiding, in response to receiving the optimized path specific controls by the particular aircraft, the particular aircraft in accordance with the optimized path specific controls to execute the prescribed flight.