Aircraft Turbulence Attenuation via Vertical Wind Component Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vertical turbulence during flights causes significant variations in load factors, leading to potential injuries, altitude swings, and lift surges that tax aircraft load limits, often catching pilots and systems off guard due to its unpredictable and localized nature.
Innovation Solution
An automatic and iterative method that determines the vertical wind component and severity level of turbulence, calculates control orders for controllable aircraft members to minimize load factor amplitudes, and activates necessary actions through actuators when conditions are met, using existing aircraft sensors and systems to reduce the impact of vertical turbulence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automatic turbulence attenuation system is activated, then vertical load factor amplitude is minimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary determination of the vertical wind component and turbulence severity level before implementing control actions. By predicting the turbulence characteristics in advance and calculating appropriate control orders for movable members, the system prepares attenuation strategies proactively, reducing the impact of sudden vertical turbulences on load factors
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors actual aircraft parameters (vertical speed, attitude, pitch rate) and compares them with expected values to determine turbulence severity. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustment of control orders for movable members, dynamically minimizing vertical load factor amplitude while maintaining safe operation
2Ease of operation
If severity level determination is implemented, then inappropriate activation is avoided, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms raw measurement data (vertical speed, attitude angle, pitch rate) into a derived parameter representing the vertical wind component. By changing parameters from direct turbulence measurements to wind component calculations, the system achieves reliable turbulence severity determination using standard aircraft sensors, avoiding the need for specialized high-precision turbulence detectors
3Reliability
If control orders are calculated for movable members, then load factor amplitude is minimized, but response time requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates control orders for movable members in advance based on the determined vertical wind component and turbulence severity level. By preparing control actions before the turbulence fully impacts the aircraft, the system reduces response time requirements while maintaining effective load factor minimization
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts control orders based on real-time turbulence severity assessment and aircraft response. By making the control system adaptive and flexible, it optimizes the balance between control effectiveness and response speed, adjusting movable member commands according to actual turbulence conditions and aircraft dynamics
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a method and device for attenuating vertical turbulence encountered by an aircraft during flight. Incorporated into the method and device is a wind determination device, which is used to determine a vertical wind component existing outside the aircraft. A severity level determination unit is used to determine a severity level of the vertical wind component determined by the wind determination device. A control unit calculates at least one control order based on the vertical wind component determined by the wind determination device. In addition, the control unit determines the actual existence of activation conditions determined according to the severity level determined by the severity level determination unit. Upon verifying the activation conditions, the control unit transmits the control order to at least one actuator of the at least one controllable movable member.