Aircraft Positioning Radar for Automatic Refueling Station-Keeping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft refueling processes require high skill and experience, especially during turbulence, and existing solutions using reflectors are less efficient in bright sunlight or glint situations, necessitating a more effective automatic positioning system.
Innovation Solution
An automatic aircraft positioning system that includes fiducials on one aircraft and a positioning radar and control unit on another, allowing for radar signal transmission, return signal processing, and automatic control of the second aircraft's position relative to the first, enabling precise station-keeping during refueling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control is used during refueling, then pilot skill and experience can handle the process, but the process requires high skill and experience and is difficult during turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the aircraft to automatically maintain its own position relative to the tanker aircraft through the control unit that processes radar data and adjusts control surfaces, eliminating the need for continuous manual pilot intervention and reducing the skill requirement while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual control system with an automated electro-mechanical system that uses radar sensors, a control unit with processors, and automated control surface actuation to maintain station-keeping, thereby reducing pilot workload and operational difficulty
2Measurement precision
If reflectors are used for positioning, then aircraft positioning can be achieved, but the solution is less efficient in bright sunlight or glint situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes optical reflectors with a radar-based positioning system that uses electromagnetic waves instead of visible light, making the positioning system immune to sunlight and glint interference while maintaining measurement precision in all weather and lighting conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating wavelength from visible light (reflectors) to radar frequencies (electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency range), which are not affected by sunlight or glint, thereby eliminating the harmful environmental factors while preserving positioning accuracy
3Extent of automation
If automatic positioning system is implemented, then pilot workload is reduced and station-keeping accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a multi-functional control unit that integrates radar signal reception, position calculation, control surface command generation, and execution functions into a single automated system, reducing the need for multiple separate components and managing system complexity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that processes radar position data and translates it into automated control surface adjustments, simplifying the interface between the sensing system and the aircraft's flight control system while enabling automatic positioning without requiring complex direct coupling between all components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enables safe and efficient automatic station-keeping during refueling, reducing pilot workload and maintaining accuracy even in challenging conditions like bright sunlight, using a low-cost and efficient radar-based solution.
Implementation Method 1
The positioning radar is configured to transmit a radar transmit signal. The one or more fiducials are configured to receive the radar transmit signal and output one or more return signals in response to the radar transmit signal. The positioning radar is configured to receive the one or more return signals and determine a position of the second aircraft relative to the first aircraft from the one or more return signals
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatic aircraft positioning system (100) includes a first aircraft (102) including one more fiducials, and a second aircraft (104) including a positioning radar (108), control devices (112) that are configured to control operation of the second aircraft (104), and a control unit (110) in communication with the positioning radar (108) and the control devices (112). The positioning radar (108) is configured to transmit a radar (108) transmit signal. The one or more fiducials are configured to receive the radar (108) transmit signal and output one or more return signals (120) in response to the radar (108) transmit signal. The positioning radar (108) is configured to receive the one or more return signals (120) and determine a position and orientation of the second aircraft (104) relative to the first aircraft (102), or vice versa, from the one or more return signals (120). The control unit (110) is configured to automatically control the second aircraft (104) in relation to the first aircraft (102) during an automatic positioning mode.