Continuous Aircraft Climb Path Under Altitude and Speed Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft climb profile computation methods are unsatisfactory as they often result in undesirable level flight periods, which are uncomfortable for passengers and stressful for engines, and may fail to meet altitude constraints, impacting safety and fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method for optimizing aircraft climb profiles by determining an optimal continuous climb strategy, computing a lateral path based on vertical predictions, and iteratively fitting parameters to ensure the profile meets altitude and speed constraints while minimizing level-flight stages and gradient variations, using pseudo-constraints and energy-sharing ratios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If maximum climb thrust is used to accelerate quickly, then climb rate is improved, but level flight periods are required which reduce passenger comfort and increase engine stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static energy sharing mode to dynamic continuous climb operation. The system continuously adjusts thrust and speed parameters during the climb phase to maintain optimal climb rate without reaching level flight conditions. This dynamic approach allows the aircraft to adapt thrust levels in real-time, avoiding the abrupt transitions between climb and level flight that cause passenger discomfort and engine stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key flight parameters including thrust magnitude, speed profile, and climb angle throughout the climb phase. By continuously modifying these parameters rather than maintaining constant values, the system achieves sustained climb performance without requiring level flight intervals. The energy distribution ratio between vertical and horizontal components is dynamically adjusted to maintain optimal climb trajectory.
2Speed
If maximum climb thrust is used to accelerate quickly, then climb rate is improved, but thrust variations at start and end of level flight cause engine stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by eliminating the discontinuous transitions between climb and level flight phases. The continuous climb operation maintains steady thrust application throughout the entire climb phase, avoiding the repeated start-stop thrust variations that occur in traditional profiles. This continuous operation reduces engine stress and improves reliability by preventing cyclic thermal and mechanical loading.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary optimization of the climb profile by pre-calculating the optimal thrust and speed trajectory that achieves the desired altitude while maintaining continuous climb conditions. This preliminary planning ensures that the aircraft enters and maintains climb mode without requiring subsequent level flight corrections, thereby preventing thrust variations that would stress the engine.
3Ease of operation
If climb rate is reduced to avoid level flight, then passenger comfort is improved, but altitude constraints may not be met impacting safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms to continuously monitor altitude, speed, and position parameters during the climb phase. The flight management system uses this feedback to dynamically adjust thrust and speed commands, ensuring that the aircraft meets all altitude constraints while maintaining continuous climb operation. The closed-loop control system verifies constraint satisfaction in real-time, providing safety assurance without requiring level flight phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic parameter adjustment to balance passenger comfort with safety requirements. By continuously adapting thrust and speed profiles based on real-time flight conditions and constraint satisfaction, the system maintains optimal climb rate that avoids level flight while ensuring all altitude constraints are met. The dynamic control allows flexible response to changing flight conditions while maintaining safety margins.
4Ease of operation
If climb rate is reduced to avoid level flight, then passenger comfort is improved, but lateral path length increases impacting fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the energy efficiency of continuous climb by dynamically adjusting speed and thrust parameters throughout the climb phase. The system modifies the energy distribution between vertical and horizontal components to achieve the shortest lateral path while maintaining continuous climb conditions. This parameter optimization ensures that fuel consumption is minimized by avoiding unnecessary lateral deviations that would occur with reduced climb rate approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary optimization of the climb trajectory to determine the optimal speed and thrust profile that achieves the desired altitude with minimal lateral path length. By pre-calculating the optimal energy distribution strategy, the system ensures that the aircraft follows the most fuel-efficient continuous climb path, avoiding the longer lateral trajectories that would result from reduced climb rate approaches requiring level flight corrections.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for optimizing the climb of an aircraft or drone are provided. After an optimal continuous climb strategy has been determined, a lateral path is determined, in particular in terms of speeds and turn radii, based on vertical predictions computed in the previous step. Subsequently, computation results are displayed on one or more human-machine interfaces and the climb strategy is actually flown. Embodiments describe the use of altitude and speed constraints and/or settings in respect of speed and/or thrust and/or level-flight avoidance and/or gradient-variation minimization, and iteratively fitting parameters in order to make the profile of the current path coincide with the constrained profile in real time depending on the selected flight dynamics (e.g. energy sharing, constraint on climb gradient, constraint on the vertical climb rate). System (e.g. FMS) and software aspects are described.