Predictive Aircraft Turn Guidance for Early Trajectory Deviation Alerts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight management systems fail to anticipate and prevent deviations from predefined aircraft trajectories, often resulting in late alerts that do not allow sufficient time for corrective actions, leading to potential safety issues due to excessive roll or deviations from calculated turns.
Innovation Solution
A predictive trajectory tracking method that calculates a real predicted trajectory for an aircraft's next change of direction, comparing it to a reference trajectory, and generates alerts if deviations are anticipated, allowing for proactive crew intervention to prevent trajectory deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the maximum roll criterion is strictly enforced in trajectory calculation, then the aircraft can maintain safety and comfort, but the turn radius must be increased leading to extended flight distance and time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the predicted actual trajectory before the aircraft executes the turn. By predicting the roll behavior in advance using current state variables and environmental conditions, the system can warn the crew before the maximum roll is exceeded, allowing them to take corrective action (such as reducing speed) before the problematic situation arises, rather than reacting after the deviation occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the trajectory prediction based on real-time state variables (speed, altitude, position) and environmental variables (wind). Instead of using a fixed theoretical trajectory, the system continuously updates the predicted actual trajectory to reflect current conditions, enabling more accurate prediction of roll behavior and allowing for optimized turn execution that balances safety constraints with flight efficiency
2Productivity
If the turn radius is underestimated to reduce flight distance, then the aircraft can follow a more efficient trajectory, but the maximum roll criterion is exceeded causing the aircraft to deviate from the calculated trajectory
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces feedback by continuously monitoring the predicted actual trajectory and comparing it against the maximum roll criterion. When the prediction indicates that the maximum roll will be exceeded, the system generates a warning to the crew. This feedback loop allows the crew to adjust flight parameters (such as reducing speed) to maintain trajectory compliance while still achieving efficient flight paths
3Loss of information
If known warning systems are used to alert crew after deviation occurs, then the crew is informed of the problem, but the alert is too late to prevent the deviation and requires reactive rather than proactive management
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the predicted actual trajectory before the aircraft executes the turn. By predicting the roll behavior in advance using current state variables and environmental conditions, the system can warn the crew before the maximum roll is exceeded, allowing them to take corrective action before the problematic situation arises, rather than reacting after the deviation occurs
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for assisting aircraft guidance. The aircraft guidance assistance method is operated by an aircraft computing platform and comprises the steps: - acquiring state variables characterising an aircraft in flight, environment variables characterising the environment of the aircraft, and trajectory variables characterising a reference trajectory of the aircraft; - calculating the current predicted trajectory for a next change of direction of the aircraft, based on the state variables, the environment variables and the reference trajectory variables; - determining compliance in order to determine whether the current predicted trajectory thus calculated is or is not compliant with the reference trajectory; and - configuring a trajectory deviation alert when the current predicted trajectory is not compliant with the reference trajectory.