Aircraft Ground Maneuver Control for Runway Excursion Risk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft ground maneuvering systems struggle to integrate multiple control functions effectively, especially during landing, particularly in non-ideal conditions, and do not adequately address scenarios of pilot incapacitation or failure of control mechanisms, leading to potential runway excursions.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft ground maneuver control unit that prioritizes and combines lateral and longitudinal input demands based on risk calculations of runway excursions, using a control unit to manage conflicts between control mechanisms and ensure safe operation, even in the absence of full pilot intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If multiple control functions are integrated into a single control unit, then automation capability and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control functions (lateral control, longitudinal control, and prioritization logic) into a single ground manoeuvre control unit. This integration enables automated decision-making during landing operations, resolving conflicts between control systems without requiring multiple separate control units, thus improving automation while managing complexity through functional consolidation.
2Ease of operation
If differential braking is used for lateral control, then lateral direction control is improved, but the ability to apply full braking for deceleration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically adjusts braking distribution between left and right wheels based on real-time operational needs. When lateral control is required, differential braking is applied; when maximum deceleration is needed, symmetric braking is engaged. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction between lateral control effectiveness and deceleration capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the braking parameter distribution (differential vs. symmetric) based on the prioritization of lateral versus longitudinal control demands. By modulating the brake command parameters dynamically, the system achieves both lateral positioning accuracy and maximum deceleration when required.
3Reliability
If automated control systems are used for ground manoeuvres, then pilot workload is reduced and safety is improved, but the system must handle complex conflict resolution between control functions
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit pre-establishes prioritization rules for conflicting control demands (lateral vs. longitudinal) before conflicts arise. By having predetermined resolution logic ready, the system can respond to control conflicts immediately and reliably without complex real-time deliberation, enhancing safety while managing computational complexity through pre-programmed decision frameworks.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft (101) includes a ground manoeuvre control unit (226) for automatically controlling ground manoeuvres. The aircraft (101) has control mechanisms (230) such as a rudder, nose wheel steering, spoilers, wheel brakes (110a and 110b) and the like for controlling motion of the aircraft (101). The control unit (226) is configured to receive lateral input demands (220) concerning lateral motion of the aircraft (e.g. heading control) and longitudinal input demands (222) concerning longitudinal motion of the aircraft (e.g. deceleration). The control unit (226) passes on the input demands (220, 222) as output demands (228) to the relevant control mechanisms (230) of the aircraft (101) with, if so required, a modification which prioritises one of the lateral input demand (220) and longitudinal input demand (222) based on the risk of a lateral runway excursion and the risk of a longitudinal runway excursion (232).