Auto-Throttle System for Aircraft Aerial Refueling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerial refueling poses challenges in maintaining synchronized airspeed between a tanker and receiving aircraft due to changing conditions, primarily relying on radio communication for throttle control, which can be hazardous and requires constant pilot attention.
Innovation Solution
An auto-throttle system (ATS) is implemented in both the primary and secondary aircraft, generating and transmitting anticipatory signals predictive of airspeed, pitch, and weight changes to automatically adjust throttles, ensuring the secondary aircraft maintains the airspeed of the primary aircraft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If radio communication is used for throttle control between pilots, then aerial refueling can be performed, but pilot workload increases and safety decreases due to constant attention required
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service operation where the secondary aircraft's auto-throttle system automatically adjusts its own throttle based on anticipatory signals from the primary aircraft, eliminating the need for constant manual pilot intervention and radio communication for throttle control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual radio communication-based throttle control system with an automated electronic control system that uses data links and anticipatory signals to automatically adjust the secondary aircraft's throttle, reducing pilot workload and improving safety
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual throttle control is used to maintain airspeed synchronization, then pilots can respond to changing conditions, but the complexity of constant manual adjustment increases operational difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The primary aircraft's auto-throttle system generates anticipatory signals that predict future airspeed changes before they occur, allowing the secondary aircraft to proactively adjust its throttle in advance, thereby simplifying the control process while maintaining adaptability to changing flight conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the secondary aircraft receives anticipatory signals from the primary aircraft and automatically adjusts its throttle accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains airspeed synchronization without manual intervention
3Extent of automation
If auto-throttle systems with anticipatory signals are implemented, then airspeed synchronization is improved and pilot workload is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data link as an intermediary communication channel between the primary and secondary aircraft's auto-throttle systems, enabling the transmission of anticipatory signals without requiring complex direct integration between the aircraft systems
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into independent components: the primary aircraft's auto-throttle system generates anticipatory signals, the data link transmits these signals, and the secondary aircraft's auto-throttle system processes and acts on them. This modular segmentation reduces overall system complexity while enabling automatic airspeed control
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for aiding pilots in aerial refueling comprises a primary auto-throttling system (ATS) disposed in a primary aircraft and a secondary ATS disposed in a secondary aircraft. The primary ATS includes logic which generates and transmits an anticipatory signal to the secondary ATS. Based upon the received anticipatory signal, the secondary ATS automatically controls a throttle of the secondary aircraft so as to maintain an airspeed of the primary aircraft. The anticipatory signals include rate of change information including at least one of rate of change of airspeed of the primary aircraft, rate of change of pitch of the primary aircraft, and rate of change of weight of the primary aircraft.