Aircraft Avoidance Manoeuvre Generator Envelope
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low manoeuvreability aircraft, such as UAVs, face challenges in performing effective collision avoidance manoeuvres due to limited propulsive power and manoeuvreability, which restricts their ability to quickly change trajectory and avoid collisions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine optimal avoidance manoeuvre parameters, including kinematic acceleration and bank angle, by creating a maximum kinematic acceleration envelope and adjusting it to select the most efficient manoeuvre based on the aircraft's constraints, allowing for maximum curvature and effective collision avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a roll-and-pull manoeuvre is used for collision avoidance, then the path curvature is sufficient for high performance aircraft, but this manoeuvre is not adequate for low manoeuvreability aircraft like UAVs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manoeuvre parameters from high-performance roll-and-pull to climb/sink manoeuvres with adjusted pitch angles and vertical speed profiles, making the avoidance manoeuvre adaptable to low manoeuvreability aircraft while maintaining effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the avoidance manoeuvre parameters based on real-time assessment of aircraft performance characteristics, threat level, and environmental conditions to optimize the manoeuvre for each specific situation and aircraft type
2Ease of operation
If the manoeuvre selection is limited to pure climb or sink, then the system is simpler to operate, but the high performance sense and avoid system requires a multitude of manoeuvre selections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manoeuvre selection into distinct categories (climb, sink, level flight) with specific parameter ranges for each, making the complex manoeuvre selection process more manageable while maintaining comprehensive coverage of avoidance scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a simplified set of manoeuvre types with optimized parameter ranges that provide sufficient avoidance capability without requiring the full spectrum of complex manoeuvres, achieving adequate performance with reduced operational complexity
3Loss of time
If a last instant manoeuvre is used to avoid collision, then the response time is minimized, but the manoeuvre must use maximum safe manoeuvre capability which may not be available to low manoeuvreability aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary assessment of aircraft manoeuvre capabilities and pre-calculates appropriate avoidance parameters before the actual avoidance manoeuvre is executed, ensuring that the selected manoeuvre is both timely and reliably executable within the aircraft's performance limits
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback from aircraft performance monitoring and threat assessment to continuously adjust the avoidance manoeuvre parameters, ensuring that the manoeuvre remains within safe operational limits while achieving timely collision avoidance
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automatically determining an avoidance maneuver in an automatic collision avoidance system of an aircraft. A maximum kinematic acceleration envelope is determined by determining a multitude of avoidance maneuver angle kinematic acceleration pairs in a kinematic acceleration plane, and interpolating gaps between points, thus creating a curve. The curve is called maximum kinematic acceleration envelope. The curve may also be approximated by an analytical expression. An adjusted kinematic acceleration envelope is formed in the plane by forming a new envelope. The new envelope at each point laying closer to or at the same distance from an origin as the points of the maximum kinematic acceleration envelope and such that there is only one value of the kinematic acceleration a for a given avoidance maneuver angle. An avoidance maneuver angle is received for which a suitable bank angle and a suitable normal load is to be determined. Determining The magnitude of the kinematic acceleration a corresponding to the adjusted kinematic acceleration envelope for the avoidance maneuver angle is determined by reading the envelope curve, or if the curve is an analytical expression, calculating the curve by using the analytical expression. The normal load is determined based on the kinematic acceleration, and the avoidance maneuver angle. The bank angle is determined based on the kinematic acceleration and the avoidance maneuver angle.