Aircraft Glide Path Guidance After Complete Engine Thrust Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern aircraft face challenges in safely landing after a highly unlikely complete loss of engine thrust, as existing systems lack effective automated or manual guidance for controlled landing procedures, particularly in dual engine failure scenarios where time is limited and human intervention is hindered by stress and complex flight dynamics.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determine a lateral and vertical path for aircraft guidance, comprising a driftdown segment to reduce potential energy, a deceleration segment to reduce speed, and a final approach segment for controlled landing, using a processing system to connect these segments and render a graphical representation on a display device, allowing for both automated and manual control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If automated control system is implemented for aircraft landing after complete engine thrust loss, then pilot workload is reduced and landing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated control system divides the landing process into distinct segments (driftdown segment for energy conservation, deceleration segment for speed reduction, and final approach segment for precision landing). Each segment has specific control parameters and objectives, making the complex overall task more manageable and implementable through automated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations and planning of the optimal landing path before actual execution. The processing system determines the complete lateral and vertical path in advance, considering energy conservation requirements and landing constraints, which simplifies real-time automated control execution.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex manual control procedures are used for energy conservation and speed reduction, then landing precision can be maintained, but time consumption increases and pilot response is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The automated control system continuously monitors aircraft state (position, speed, altitude, energy levels) and adjusts control commands in real-time based on actual performance versus planned trajectory. This feedback mechanism ensures precise landing while optimizing the time required by dynamically adapting to actual flight conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts flight parameters throughout the landing process. The processing system recalculates and updates the lateral and vertical path segments based on changing aircraft conditions, allowing optimal balance between precision and time efficiency that static procedures cannot achieve.
3Measurement precision
If complete lateral and vertical path is calculated and displayed, then guidance precision is improved, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system divides the complete landing path into segmented components (driftdown, deceleration, and final approach segments). Each segment is calculated and displayed separately with specific control objectives, reducing the complexity of processing the entire path as a single complex trajectory while maintaining overall guidance precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for determining a lateral and vertical path for aircraft guidance from a current aircraft position to a landing runway following a complete loss of engine thrust includes determining, in a processing system, a final approach segment, a deceleration segment, and a driftdown segment. Connecting, in the processing system, the driftdown segment to the deceleration segment, and the deceleration segment to the final approach segment, to form a complete lateral and vertical path from the current aircraft position to the landing runway. And rendering, on a display device, a graphical representation of the complete lateral and vertical path from the current aircraft position to the landing runway, wherein the graphical representation of the complete lateral and vertical path updates as the aircraft travels.