Aircraft Taxiing Control System for Engine and Brake Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft taxiing systems require significant pilot workload and lead to non-optimal use of engines and brakes, resulting in premature wear and increased fuel consumption due to separate control of thrust and braking, which can cause excessive brake temperatures and longer stopover times.
Innovation Solution
A longitudinal piloting system that includes a control unit generating a global piloting setpoint for aircraft speed control, with a central processing unit automatically determining individual control commands for engines and brakes to optimize their usage, allowing the pilot to control speed without direct actuation of engines and brakes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pilot directly controls engine thrust and brake pressure separately, then the pilot can maintain desired taxiing speed, but the piloting workload becomes significant and the use of engines and brakes becomes non-optimal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the separate control of engine thrust and brake pressure into a unified automatic control system. The central processing unit integrates multiple control functions (thrust management, brake pressure regulation, speed monitoring) into a single automated system that manages both actuators simultaneously based on a global piloting setpoint, thereby reducing pilot workload while optimizing component usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a central processing unit as an intermediary between the pilot's piloting setpoint and the actual actuators (engine thrust control and brake pressure control). This intermediary automatically determines individual control commands for each actuator, translating the pilot's high-level intent into optimized low-level control actions, thus reducing direct pilot intervention while maintaining optimal system performance.
2Reliability
If the pilot directly controls engines and brakes, then speed control is possible, but excessive use of actuators increases wear and brake temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the central processing unit continuously monitors the state of actuators and adjusts control commands accordingly. By receiving feedback on actuator usage and system performance, the control unit can optimize the distribution of control actions between engine thrust and brake pressure, reducing excessive actuator usage and preventing premature wear and overheating while maintaining simple pilot operation through the global piloting setpoint interface.
3Use of energy by moving object
If separate control of thrust and braking is used, then direct engine speed and braking pressure control is achieved, but fuel consumption increases and brake wear accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The central processing unit serves as an intelligent intermediary that optimizes energy usage by coordinating engine thrust and brake pressure control. It receives the pilot's global piloting setpoint and automatically determines the optimal distribution of control commands between the two actuators, minimizing fuel consumption and brake wear through optimized actuator usage patterns while maintaining integrated control system management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes control parameters (engine thrust level, brake pressure) based on real-time system state and optimization criteria. The central processing unit adjusts these parameters automatically to minimize energy consumption and actuator wear, transitioning between different control strategies (thrust-dominated vs. brake-dominated) depending on the operational context, thereby improving fuel efficiency and component lifespan.
Data Source
AI summary
The system includes a plurality of engines that generate a thrust of an aircraft, each of the engines controlled by a first controllable actuator. A plurality of brakes reduce the speed of the aircraft when it is taxiing, each of the brakes controlled by a second controllable actuator. A control unit generates a piloting setpoint that relates to the longitudinal behavior of the aircraft. A central processing unit automatically determines, from the piloting setpoint, a plurality of individual control commands that are applied automatically to the first and second actuators and used to satisfy the piloting setpoint and a usage objective for the actuators.