Ballistic Parachute Aircraft Mass Ejection Landing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aircraft, including drones, face challenges in emergency landings due to differences in altitude and weight, requiring new solutions that prevent damage to the aircraft and potential harm to occupants or bystanders, as existing technologies are not adequately designed to address these variations.

Innovation Solution

A process and system where a flight computer detects ground conditions and decides whether to detach an airframe from a cabin using a ballistic parachute, employing active or passive release mechanisms, to distribute the weight and reduce impact risk, with thermal imaging and LIDAR technology used to assess landing zone safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If a ballistic parachute is used for emergency landing, then the impact velocity is reduced, but the weight of the aircraft limits the effectiveness of the parachute

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpact velocityVSAvoidaircraft weight

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The aircraft is divided into separable components: the cabin with occupants and the airframe. During emergency landing, the airframe is detached and allowed to fall separately, reducing the weight that the ballistic parachute must support. This segmentation allows the parachute to effectively slow the cabin's descent while the heavier airframe components are discarded.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Non-essential heavy components (the airframe) are extracted and removed from the system before the critical landing phase. The flight computer detects ground conditions and triggers release of the airframe, leaving only the essential cabin with occupants that needs to be safely landed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Weight of moving object

If the airframe is detached from the cabin, then the weight borne by the parachute is reduced, but the complexity of the release mechanism increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweight borne by parachuteVSAvoidrelease mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The release mechanism is designed to operate automatically based on sensor inputs. The flight computer monitors ground conditions and autonomously decides when to release the airframe, eliminating the need for complex manual control systems or pilot intervention during the critical emergency landing sequence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The decision-making process for airframe release is replaced from a mechanical/pilot-controlled system to an automated electronic control system. Sensors detect ground conditions and the flight computer processes this information to trigger the release, simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If thermal imaging and LIDAR technology are used to assess landing zone safety, then the accuracy of landing zone detection is improved, but the use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelanding zone detection accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The sensing system operates at full capability only when needed for the critical landing decision. The flight computer monitors ground conditions continuously but triggers the high-energy thermal imaging and LIDAR systems only when an emergency landing is imminent and the aircraft is in the critical altitude range for landing zone assessment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enables safer emergency landings by reducing the weight borne by the parachute, minimizing damage and risk to occupants and bystanders, by strategically detaching non-essential components and guiding the airframe to uninhabited areas, thus enhancing the chances of a soft landing for the cabin and associated components.

Implementation Method 1

a ballistic parachute to slow descent of a cabin

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir resistance: Drag

Implementation Method 2

thermal imaging and LIDAR technology used to assess landing zone safety

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal radiation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 3

thermal imaging and LIDAR technology used to assess landing zone safety

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS10322817B2Impact velocity reduction by mass ejection

Publication Date: 2019.06.18 KITTY HAWK CORP

AI summary

A ballistic parachute associated with an aircraft is deployed where the aircraft includes a first part and a second part, the two parts are detachably coupled to each other when the ballistic parachute is deployed, and the ballistic parachute is coupled to the first part of the aircraft. A landing zone associated with the second part of the aircraft is determined and it is decided whether to decouple the two parts, including by deciding whether the landing zone associated with the second part of the aircraft is inhabited. If it is decided to decouple the two parts from each other, they are decoupled from each other.