Aircraft Water Fill Control Using Usage Prediction and Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current aircraft water management systems are inefficient, leading to excessive water weight and operational costs due to overfilling of water tanks, and may not account for unexpected water usage during flights, resulting in insufficient water supply.

Innovation Solution

A water control system that uses historical data and machine learning algorithms to dynamically manage water usage on board by implementing water conservation strategies, including restricting water flow and optimizing water fill levels based on flight data, passenger count, and route information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If water tanks are filled to capacity for all flights, then water supply reliability is improved, but aircraft weight increases and operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater supply reliabilityVSAvoidaircraft weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts water fill levels based on real-time flight data, passenger count, route information, and historical usage patterns. Instead of static full-tank filling, the system calculates optimal water quantities for each specific flight scenario, making the water management system adaptive and dynamic to actual operational needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback loops that continuously monitor actual water consumption during flights and compare it with predicted usage. This feedback is used to refine future water allocation predictions, improving the accuracy of water supply optimization over time while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If water tanks are filled to capacity for all flights, then water supply reliability is improved, but operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater supply reliabilityVSAvoidoperational cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes key parameters such as water fill level, flight route characteristics, passenger density, and historical consumption patterns to optimize the balance between water supply reliability and operational cost. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system reduces unnecessary water weight while ensuring adequate supply.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of substance

If water usage is restricted during flight, then water conservation is improved, but passenger comfort may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater conservationVSAvoidpassenger comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial water restriction strategies rather than complete restriction. It optimizes water allocation to provide sufficient (but not excessive) water for each flight segment based on actual consumption patterns, ensuring passenger comfort needs are met while conserving water resources through precise, targeted management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Reliability

If ground crew refill water tanks based on basic water level data, then water supply adequacy is improved, but turnaround time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater supply adequacyVSAvoidaircraft turnaround time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculations of optimal water fill levels before the aircraft arrives at the gate, using historical data, flight plans, and consumption patterns. This advance preparation allows ground crew to quickly execute the predetermined optimal fill level without time-consuming analysis during turnaround.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables the aircraft water management to essentially serve itself by automatically generating optimal fill level recommendations based on embedded algorithms that analyze historical data and flight parameters, reducing the need for manual ground crew decision-making and time-consuming assessments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11726505B2Water control system for aircraft

Publication Date: 2023.08.15 MAG AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES LLC

AI summary

The present application generally relates to aircraft water management. The disclosed system provides an initial step of verifying the amount of available water on board and dynamically regulating water usage during flight based on projections and comparisons between projections and actual usage. The system implements a series of water conservation strategies modeled on historical data, using a control system to manage water usage.