Configuration-Sensitive Aircraft Range Rings for Emergency Landing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft range determination systems do not accurately account for various aircraft conditions and configurations, particularly in emergency situations, leading to potential overshooting or undershooting of landing targets.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating and displaying range rings on an aircraft's display device, which considers user-defined and sensor-collected data to calculate and visualize the aircraft's range based on multiple conditions and configurations, including landing gear, wing flaps, speed brakes, and engine thrust, providing accurate range estimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional range determination systems are used, then the system is simple, but the range determination accuracy deteriorates because it does not accurately account for various aircraft conditions and configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the range determination process by creating multiple independent range rings, each representing a specific aircraft configuration or condition. Each range ring is calculated separately based on specific parameters (fuel reserves, airspeed, altitude, landing gear position, wing flap position), allowing the system to handle complex variations in aircraft state without overwhelming complexity in a single monolithic calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the range rings based on real-time or selected aircraft configurations. By making the range determination adaptive to different operating conditions (clean configuration, landing gear down, wing flaps extended), the system maintains high accuracy across varying scenarios without requiring a completely complex recalibration of the entire system.
2Measurement precision
If multiple aircraft configurations are considered, then the range determination accuracy improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to multiple input requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes the display device multi-functional by enabling it to serve both as a traditional display and as an interactive configuration selector. The same display device that shows range rings also accepts user inputs for different aircraft configurations, eliminating the need for separate control interfaces and maintaining ease of operation while improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares multiple pre-defined aircraft configurations in advance (clean configuration, landing gear down, wing flaps extended) so that users can select from predetermined options rather than entering complex parameters manually. This preliminary preparation of configuration options maintains ease of operation while enabling accurate range determination across multiple scenarios.
3Loss of information
If range rings are displayed for multiple conditions, then the information completeness improves, but the display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display device segments the information presentation by displaying multiple range rings, where each ring represents a specific aircraft configuration or condition. This segmentation allows the system to present comprehensive information about range under different scenarios without creating a single overwhelming complex display, as each ring is a distinct, easily interpretable visual element.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating and displaying one or more range rings on an aircraft includes a processor, a display device, a communication device, and computer-readable memory. The display device contains a user interface. In operation, the system receives a user configuration input via the user interface of the display device. The system receives aircraft data from a connected aircraft avionics system via the communication device. The system calculates one or more ranges of the aircraft based upon the user configuration input and/or the aircraft data. The system generates one or more range rings based upon the one or more ranges of the aircraft, wherein the one or more range rings are visual depictions of the one or more ranges of the aircraft. The system displays the one or more range rings on the display device.