Aircraft Load Mass Parameterization for Automated Crew Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current method for configuring the mass of a load to be transported by an aircraft is labor-intensive for the crew, particularly during frequent loading and unloading operations, leading to a high workload and suboptimal performance calculations due to the need for manual entry and validation of load masses.
Innovation Solution
An automated method where the avionics system displays a mass proposal to the crew when the load is attached, allowing for easy validation or modification, and if not addressed, automatically sets a predetermined safe mass to ensure accurate calculations, reducing crew workload and ensuring safety margins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the crew manually enters the mass of the load to be transported using human-machine interfaces, then the avionics system can calculate aircraft performance limits, but the crew's workload increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects when a load is attached to the hooking system and populates the mass field with a pre-stored value corresponding to that load, eliminating the need for manual mass entry by the crew and reducing workload while maintaining accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The mass values for different loads are pre-stored in the system before flight operations. When a load is attached, the system automatically retrieves and displays the corresponding pre-stored mass value, avoiding manual entry during critical pre-flight preparation
2Reliability
If the crew assigns a high weight to the load to be transported for safety reasons, then safety margins are ensured, but the calculation of aircraft performance is not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback by automatically displaying the correct pre-stored mass value corresponding to the attached load, allowing the crew to verify and validate the information. This ensures accurate mass data is used for performance calculations while maintaining safety through validation procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the mass parameter based on which load is attached to the hooking system. By automatically selecting and displaying the appropriate pre-stored mass value, the system ensures accurate performance calculations rather than using conservative high-weight assumptions
3Measurement precision
If the crew must set a new mass of the load each time a load is embarked or disembarked, then accurate mass tracking is maintained, but the procedure becomes restrictive during short round trips
Solution Approach 1:
Mass values for all possible loads are pre-stored in the system before operations begin. When a load is attached, the system automatically retrieves the corresponding pre-stored mass value, eliminating the time-consuming process of manual entry during each load change while maintaining accurate mass tracking
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects load attachment and retrieves the corresponding pre-stored mass value without requiring crew intervention for data entry, significantly reducing the time required for mass configuration during frequent load changes in short round trips
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for setting a design mass in an aircraft (1) relative to a load to be transported (15) by a mounting system (5) of the aircraft (1). The method comprises: detecting that a current state of the aircraft (1) is a flight state with the load to be transported (15) attached to the mounting system (5), and if so, displaying a proposed mass (27) on a display (25), validating the proposed mass (27) using a validation interface (35) to assign the proposed mass (27) to the design mass, or, in the absence of validation of the proposed mass (27) following a predetermined condition, assigning a predetermined mass to the design mass.