Aircraft Collision Avoidance Maneuver Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air traffic collision avoidance systems, such as TCAS II, face limitations in performing avoidance maneuvers within the aircraft's flight envelope, particularly in Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace, leading to increased collision risks due to excessive vertical or horizontal velocities and the difficulty in aborting or reverting such maneuvers.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for an aircraft that utilize a collision avoidance system to generate modified avoidance maneuvers based on flight management constraints and situation data, including limitations on climb/descend rates and turn rates, to reduce the risk of induced collision conflicts by avoiding penetration of neighboring flight levels and increasing reaction time for pilots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a collision avoidance maneuver is performed with maximum vertical or horizontal velocities, then the avoidance effectiveness is improved, but the risk of induced collision with aircraft at neighboring flight levels increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts maneuver parameters (vertical velocity, horizontal velocity) based on the specific encounter situation and aircraft state, rather than always using maximum velocities. This allows optimization of avoidance effectiveness while minimizing induced collision risks by selecting appropriate parameter combinations for each situation.
Solution Approach 2:
The collision avoidance system continuously monitors the aircraft state and encounter dynamics, adjusting the avoidance maneuver in real-time. The system can abort or revert maneuvers when conditions change, making the avoidance process adaptive rather than static, thereby reducing induced collision risks while maintaining effectiveness.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an avoidance maneuver is aborted or reverted due to excessive velocities, then the induced collision risk is reduced, but more time is required making it more difficult to prevent collision
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the aircraft state and encounter conditions before initiating avoidance maneuvers. By evaluating whether the aircraft is in a suitable state (not at flight level boundaries, appropriate vertical velocity margins), the system prevents initiation of maneuvers that would require abort, thereby avoiding time loss while still ensuring safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors aircraft state parameters during the avoidance maneuver and provides feedback to the control system. This real-time feedback allows the system to detect when parameters are approaching unsafe thresholds and adjust or abort the maneuver accordingly, minimizing time loss while preventing induced collisions.
3Reliability
If the aircraft is at the boundary of the flight envelope, then the operational flexibility is reduced, but the safety margin for avoidance maneuvers is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts maneuver parameters based on the aircraft's current state relative to flight envelope boundaries. When near boundaries, the system modifies vertical velocity targets and other parameters to maintain safety margins while still achieving collision avoidance, thereby preserving operational flexibility without compromising safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts the avoidance maneuver based on real-time aircraft state monitoring. When the aircraft approaches flight envelope boundaries, the system automatically adjusts the maneuver profile to maintain safety margins, allowing operational flexibility within safe limits rather than imposing rigid constraints.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If flight management constraints are applied to limit climb/descend rates and turn rates, then the risk of induced collision is reduced, but the effectiveness of collision avoidance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts maneuver parameters within the bounds of flight management constraints. Rather than treating constraints as absolute limits, the system optimizes parameter selection (vertical velocity, horizontal velocity, turn rate) to achieve collision avoidance while respecting operational constraints, thereby maintaining both safety and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously evaluates the appropriateness of flight management constraints based on the current encounter situation and aircraft state. When constraints would prevent effective collision avoidance, the system can temporarily adjust or relax them under appropriate conditions, maintaining a dynamic balance between induced collision prevention and collision avoidance effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for an aircraft for handling potential collisions in air traffic includes providing by a collision avoidance system a collision avoidance maneuver to avoid a collision with one or more intruders. The collision avoidance system is configured to obtain information about these intruders. The method includes further providing flight management constraints from an onboard flight system. Further, the method includes providing flight situation data from a navigation system. The method includes generating a modified collision avoidance maneuver based on the collision avoidance maneuver provided by the collision avoidance system, the flight situation data and the flight management constraints.