Aircraft Engine Start Sequencing for Fuel-Efficient Taxiing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-engine aircraft taxiing operations, pilots randomly select which engine to start first without data support, leading to potential fuel inefficiencies and increased consumption.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determines which engine to start first based on historical fuel usage data and taxiway information, optimizing factors such as fuel consumption and brake wear, and provides alerts to the pilot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a pilot randomly selects which engine to start first during taxiing operations, then the operation is simple and quick to perform, but fuel consumption increases and fuel efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows the aircraft to automatically determine and select which engine should start first based on historical fuel usage data, eliminating the need for pilot intervention in the decision-making process. The aircraft's own data serves as the basis for optimization, making the system self-sufficient and reducing operational complexity while improving fuel efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes historical fuel usage data from previous operations to provide feedback on which engine consumes more fuel under specific conditions. This feedback loop enables the system to learn from past performance and make optimized decisions about engine selection, resolving the contradiction between simple random selection and fuel-efficient data-driven selection
2Use of energy by moving object
If historical fuel usage data is collected and analyzed to determine engine start sequence, then fuel consumption is optimized, but the system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system collects and stores historical fuel usage data during normal aircraft operations in advance, so that when a taxiing operation occurs, the data is already available for immediate analysis and decision-making. This preliminary data collection eliminates the need for complex real-time data processing during critical operations, reducing system complexity while maintaining optimization capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses readily available existing data from aircraft sensors and operational systems rather than requiring specialized expensive equipment. The historical data already exists from normal operations and is processed using standard computing resources, minimizing additional system complexity and cost
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for determining which engine of an aircraft to start first for a taxiing operation and/or for estimating a total amount of fuel needed by the aircraft for conducting the taxiing operation includes receiving or accessing historical fuel usage data for each of the first and second engines, receiving or accessing taxiway information, determining which of the first and second engines to start before the other based on optimizing one or more predetermined factors, and producing a first-to-start alert indicating which of the first and second engines is a first-to-start engine. An engine use plan may be determined, the total amount of fuel needed for executing the taxiing operation may be estimated, and a fuel-estimate indication may be produced.